λιμήν

Ancient Greek

Ablaut derivation from Proto-Indo-European *léymō. See λειμών (leimṓn) for a descendant in a different ablaut grade.[1]

λῐμήν • (limḗn) m (genitive λῐμένος); third declension

harbor
- 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 25a:
  τάδε μὲν γάρ […] φαίνεται λιμὴν στενόν τινα ἔχων εἴσπλουν
  táde mèn gár […] phaínetai limḕn stenón tina ékhōn eísploun
  For this is apparently a harbor having a narrow entrance.
(figuratively) a haven, retreat, refuge
- 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 683:
  τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ βροτῶν ἄπιστός ἐσθ’ ἑταιρείας λιμήν.
  toîs polloîsi gàr brotôn ápistós esth’ hetaireías limḗn.
  For the masses of mortals regard the haven of friendship as treacherous.

Third declension of ὁ λῐμήν; τοῦ λῐμένος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ λῐμήν ho limḗn	τὼ λῐμένε tṑ liméne	οἱ λῐμένες hoi liménes
Genitive	τοῦ λῐμένος toû liménos	τοῖν λῐμένοιν toîn liménoin	τῶν λῐμένων tôn liménōn
Dative	τῷ λῐμένῐ tôi liméni	τοῖν λῐμένοιν toîn liménoin	τοῖς λῐμέσῐ / λῐμέσῐν toîs limési(n)
Accusative	τὸν λῐμένᾰ tòn liména	τὼ λῐμένε tṑ liméne	τοὺς λῐμένᾰς toùs liménas
Vocative	λῐμήν limḗn	λῐμένε liméne	λῐμένες liménes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

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, page 843