ἀμέλεια

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ᾰ̓μελής (ămelḗs) +‎ -ῐᾰ (-ĭă).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.mé.leː.a/ → /aˈme.li.a/ → /aˈme.li.a/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.mé.leː.a/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈme.li.a/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈme.li.a/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈme.li.a/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈme.li.a/

Noun

ᾰ̓μέλειᾰ • (ăméleiă) f (genitive ᾰ̓μελείᾱς); first declension

1. (uncountable) negligence, indifference
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.122.4:

     καὶ οὐκ ἴσμεν ὅπως τάδε τριῶν τῶν μεγίστων ξυμφορῶν ἀπήλλακται, ἀξυνεσίας ἢ μαλακίας ἢ ἀμελείας.

     kaì ouk ísmen hópōs táde triôn tôn megístōn xumphorôn apḗllaktai, axunesías ḕ malakías ḕ ameleías.

     • Translation by Richard Crawley

       And we do not know how this conduct can be held free from three of the gravest failings, want of sense, of courage, or of vigilance.

2. (countable) an instance of negligence
   • 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 443a:

     Μοιχεῖαί γε μὴν καὶ γονέων ἀμέλειαι καὶ θεῶν ἀθεραπευσίαι παντὶ ἄλλῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ τοιούτῳ προσήκουσι.

     Moikheîaí ge mḕn kaì gonéōn améleiai kaì theôn atherapeusíai pantì állōi mâllon ḕ tôi toioútōi prosḗkousi.

     • Translation by John Burnet

       Adultery, surely, and neglect of parents and of the due service of the gods would pertain to anyone rather than to such a man.

Declension

First declension of ἡ ᾰ̓μέλειᾰ; τῆς ᾰ̓μελείᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓μέλειᾰ hē ăméleiă	τὼ ᾰ̓μελείᾱ tṑ ămeleíā	αἱ ᾰ̓μέλειαι hai ăméleiai
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓μελείᾱς tês ămeleíās	τοῖν ᾰ̓μελείαιν toîn ămeleíain	τῶν ᾰ̓μελειῶν tôn ămeleiôn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓μελείᾳ têi ămeleíāi	τοῖν ᾰ̓μελείαιν toîn ămeleíain	ταῖς ᾰ̓μελείαις taîs ămeleíais
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓μέλειᾰν tḕn ăméleiăn	τὼ ᾰ̓μελείᾱ tṑ ămeleíā	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓μελείᾱς tā̀s ămeleíās
Vocative	ᾰ̓μέλειᾰ ăméleiă	ᾰ̓μελείᾱ ămeleíā	ᾰ̓μέλειαι ăméleiai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: αμέλεια (améleia)

References

• “ἀμέλεια”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press