hydōr

hydōr uhe.-agr. ῠ̔́δωρ Wasser

From Proto-Hellenic *údōr, from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ (genitive *wednós (“of water”)), with ω (ō) from the plural), from the root *wed- (whence also ὕω (húō, “to water, to let rain, to rain”)). Cognates include Latin unda, Sanskrit उदन् (udán), Hittite 𒉿𒀀𒋻 (wa-a-tar /⁠wātar⁠/), Old Armenian գետ (get, “river”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (watō), Old Church Slavonic вода (voda), Old English wæter(English water), and Albanian ujë.

Pronunciation IPA^(key): /hý.dɔːr/ → /ˈy.ðor/ → /ˈi.ðor/

Noun

ῠ̔́δωρ • (húdōr) n (genitive ῠ̔́δᾰτος); third declension

1. water
2. rainwater, rain
3. sweat
4. time (from the waterclocks of Greek legal systems)
5. generally, liquid

Usage notes

The first upsilon is sometimes lengthened in poetry for the sake of meter:

• 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.110:

  οἱ μὲν ἄρ’ οἶνον ἔμισγον ἐνὶ κρητῆρσι καὶ ῡ̔́δωρ,

• hoi mèn ár’ oînon émisgon enì krētêrsi kaì hū́dōr,

  some were mixing wine and water in mixing bowls,

• 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.216:

  ὣς ἔφατ’, Ἀσφαλίων δ’ ἄρ ῠ̔́δωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευεν,

• hṑs éphat’, Asphalíōn d’ ár húdōr epì kheîras ékheuen,

  So [Menelaus] said, and Asphalion poured water on their hands,