# ξανθός
## Ancient Greek
### Etymology

Unknown. There are at least two possibilities:
* Derived from Proto-Indo-European, through augmented *ḱsendʰ-, from root *ḱas- (“white, blond, grey”). If this is correct, then this word is akin to Latin cānus (“white”), from Proto-Italic *kaznos;
* Of Pre-Greek origin, according to Beekes, which deems the comparison with Latin as gratuitous. Compare also Ancient Greek ξουθός (xouthós, “golden yellow”).
Moreover, the often asserted connection with Etruscan 𐌆𐌀𐌌𐌈𐌉𐌂 (zamθic, “golden”) is probably spurious.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ksan.tʰós/ → /ksanˈθos/ → /ksanˈθos/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /ksan.tʰós/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /ksanˈtʰos/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /ksanˈθos/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /ksanˈθos/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /ksanˈθos/

### Adjective

ξᾰνθός • (xănthós) m (feminine ξᾰνθή, neuter ξᾰνθόν); first/second declension
* yellow (of various shades), golden
* fair, blond, flaxen, tawny, a golden-red fawn (of hair)
** 630 BCE – 570 BCE, Sappho, Papyrus Fragments 23:ξάνθαι δ’ Ἐλέναι σ’ ἐίσ[κ]ην οὖδεν ἄεικεςxánthai d’ Elénai s’ eís[k]ēn oûden áeikesComparing you to golden Helen is not at all inappropriate

#### Derived terms

* ἐρυθρόξανθος (eruthróxanthos)
* ξάνθη (xánthē)
* Ξανθίας (Xanthías)
* ξανθίζω (xanthízō)
* ξάνθιον (xánthion)
* Ξᾰνθῐ́ππη (Xănthĭ́ppē)
* Ξάνθιππος (Xánthippos)
* ξάνθισις (xánthisis)
* ξάνθισμα (xánthisma)
* ξανθισμός (xanthismós)
* ξανθόγεως (xanthógeōs)
* ξανθοδερκής (xanthoderkḗs)
* ξανθοειδής (xanthoeidḗs)
* ξάνθοθριξ (xánthothrix)
* ξανθοκάρηνος (xanthokárēnos)
* ξανθοκάρυον (xanthokáruon)
* ξανθοκόμης (xanthokómēs)
* ξανθόλευκος (xanthóleukos)
* ξανθόλοφος (xanthólophos)
* ξανθομήλινος (xanthomḗlinos)
* Ξᾰ́νθος (Xắnthos)
* ξανθότης (xanthótēs)
* ξανθοφαής (xanthophaḗs)
* ξανθοφυής (xanthophuḗs)
* ξανθοχίτων (xanthokhítōn)
* ξανθόχλοος (xanthókhloos)
* ξανθόχολος (xanthókholos)
* ξανθόχροος (xanthókhroos)
* ξανθόω (xanthóō)
* ξανθωπός (xanthōpós)
* ξάνθωσις (xánthōsis)
* πυρρόξανθος (purrhóxanthos)

#### Descendants

* Greek: ξανθός (xanthós)

#### See also

Colors in Ancient Greek · χρώμᾰτᾰ (khrṓmătă) (layout · text) :
| λευκός (leukós) | γλαυκός (glaukós), κῐλλός (kĭllós), πολῐός (polĭós), φαιός (phaiós), χαροπός (kharopós) | ᾰ̓μαυρός (ămaurós), κελαινός (kelainós), μαυρός (maurós), μέλᾱς (mélās) |
| ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós); κᾰρῡ́κῐνος (kărū́kĭnos), κόκκῐνος (kókkĭnos), φοινός (phoinós) | πυρρός (purrhós); ὄρφνῐνος (órphnĭnos) | μήλινος (mḗlinos), ξᾰνθός (xănthós); ὠχρός (ōkhrós) |
| πρᾰ́σῐνος (prắsĭnos) | χλωρός (khlōrós) | χλωρός (khlōrós); χλωρομέλᾱς (khlōromélās) |
| κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos); γλαυκός (glaukós), κᾰλάϊνος (kăláïnos) | κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos) | κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos), ὑᾰκῐ́νθῐνος (huăkĭ́nthĭnos) |
| ἰόεις (ióeis), φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (hălourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos), οἶνοψ (oînops) | φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (hălourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos) | ῥόδινος (rhódinos), ῥοδόεις (rhodóeis) |

### References

* “ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “ξανθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* ξανθός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* ξανθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* “ξανθός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
* Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited. auburn idem, page 52.blonde idem, page 84.brown idem, page 101.buff idem, page 102.flaxen idem, page 327.golden idem, page 366.orange idem, page 578.russet idem, page 728.sandy idem, page 733.tawny idem, page 857.yellow idem, page 995.
* Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1033

## Greek
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós).

### Adjective

ξανθός • (xanthós) m (feminine ξανθή or ξανθιά, neuter ξανθό)
* blonde, blond, fair, flaxen, tawny
    ξανθά μαλλιά, όπως το μέλι ― xanthá malliá, ópos to méli ― blonde hair like honey
* golden
    ξανθό στάχυ ― xanthó stáchy ― golden ear (of corn)

#### Declension

Derivations: Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο ξανθός, etc.) Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο ξανθός, etc.)

#### Derived terms

* ξανθή σταφίδα f (xanthí stafída, “sultana, golden raisin”)