ánthrōpos
griech. ánthrōp + -os (ἄνθρωπος) ‘Mensch’
First attested in Hellenic as Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀵𐀫𐀦 (a-to-ro-qo), of uncertain origin. Scholars used to consider it to be a compound from ᾰ̓νήρ (ănḗr, “man”) and ὤψ (ṓps, “face, appearance, look”): thus, "he who looks like a man". However, a δ (d) would be expected to develop by epenthesis, as in the genitive ᾰ̓νδρός(ăndrós), yielding *ᾰ̓νδρωπος (*ăndrōpos). Rosén defends this etymology, positing that the original laryngeal *h₃ in the root for ὤψ (ṓps) (from Proto-Indo-European*h₃ókʷs) changed the δ to its aspirated counterpart θ even across the intervening ρ.
Beekes argues that since no convincing Indo-European etymology has been found, the word is probably of Pre-Greek origin; he connects the word with the word δρώψ (drṓps, “man”). According to Beekes (2009:xxix), "Shift of aspiration is found in some cases: θριγκός / τριγχός, ἀθραγένη / ἀνδράχνη".
Garnier proposes a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *n̥dʰéreh₃kʷós (“that which is below”) (from *(H)n̥dʰér + *-h₃kʷ-o-), hence "earthly, human", for this compare with Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm (“earth”) whence Latin homō, Old Lithuanian žmuõ (“man”), Old English guma (“man”).
The word is treated in Plato's Cratylus.
- IPA(key): /án.tʰrɔː.pos/ → /ˈan.θro.pos/ → /ˈan.θro.pos/
ᾰ̓́νθρωπος • (ắnthrōpos) m or f (genitive ᾰ̓νθρώπου); second declension(Attic, Epic, Ionic, Koine)
- human being; person (as differentiated from gods, beasts, etc.)
- (philosophy) man; humanity
- (sometimes in the plural) all human beings; mankind
- (feminine, derogatory) female slave
- In Attic and Ionic, the vocative singular form ᾰ̓́νθρωπε (ắnthrōpe) sometimes undergoes crasis with a preceding vocative particle ὦ (ô, “O”), variously rendered as ὦνθρωπε (ônthrōpe) or ὤνθρωπε (ṓnthrōpe).