Apparently from πλέω (pléō, “to sail”) because of the star cluster’s importance in delimiting the sailing season in the Mediterranean Sea: "the season of navigation began with their heliacal rising".[1] The mythological sisters were probably named after the star cluster, rather than vice versa.
The singular Πλειάς (Pleiás) is sometimes found referring to the star cluster.
Πλειάδες • (Pleiádes) f pl (genitive Πλειάδων); third declension
Case / # | Plural | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | αἱ Πλειᾰ́δες hai Pleiádes | ||||||||||||
Genitive | τῶν Πλειᾰ́δων tôn Pleiádōn | ||||||||||||
Dative | ταῖς Πλειᾰ́σῐ / Πλειᾰ́σῐν taîs Pleiási(n) | ||||||||||||
Accusative | τᾱ̀ς Πλειᾰ́δᾰς tā̀s Pleiádas | ||||||||||||
Vocative | Πλειᾰ́δες Pleiádes | ||||||||||||
Notes: |
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Ancient Greek Πλειάδες (Pleiádes), possibly from πλέω (pléō, “to sail”), or possibly from a plural of πέλεια (péleia, “dove”).
Πλειάδες • (Pleiádes) f pl
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | Πλειάδα (Pleiáda) | Πλειάδες (Pleiádes) |
genitive | Πλειάδας (Pleiádas) | Πλειάδων (Pleiádon) |
accusative | Πλειάδα (Pleiáda) | Πλειάδες (Pleiádes) |
vocative | Πλειάδα (Pleiáda) | Πλειάδες (Pleiádes) |