From Proto-Hellenic *déspotis, an original phrase from Proto-Indo-European *déms pótis (“master of the house”), from *dṓm (“house”), whence also Ancient Greek δόμος (dómos, “house”); and *pótis (“master”), whence also Ancient Greek πόσις (pósis, “husband”); with an ending influenced by -της (-tēs, masculine adjectival suffix). Cognate with Sanskrit दम्पति (dám-pati, “lord of the house”).
δεσπότης • (despótēs) m (genitive δεσπότου); first declension (Attic, Koine)
| Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ὁ δεσπότης ho despótēs |
τὼ δεσπότᾱ tṑ despótā |
οἱ δεσπόται hoi despótai | ||||||||||
| Genitive | τοῦ δεσπότου toû despótou |
τοῖν δεσπόταιν toîn despótain |
τῶν δεσποτῶν tôn despotôn | ||||||||||
| Dative | τῷ δεσπότῃ tôi despótēi |
τοῖν δεσπόταιν toîn despótain |
τοῖς δεσπόταις toîs despótais | ||||||||||
| Accusative | τὸν δεσπότην tòn despótēn |
τὼ δεσπότᾱ tṑ despótā |
τοὺς δεσπότᾱς toùs despótās | ||||||||||
| Vocative | δέσποτᾰ déspota |
δεσπότᾱ despótā |
δεσπόται despótai | ||||||||||
| Notes: |
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Accusative singular in the Ionic dialect is sometimes δεσπότεα (despótea).
Unsorted borrowings
From Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs).
δεσπότης • (despótis) m (plural δεσπότες)
| case \ number | singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | δεσπότης • | δεσπότες •, δεσποτάδες • | |
| genitive | δεσπότη • | δεσποτών •, δεσποτάδων • | |
| accusative | δεσπότη • | δεσπότες •, δεσποτάδες • | |
| vocative | δεσπότη • | δεσπότες •, δεσποτάδες • | |
| The irregular singular forms derived from Ancient Greek are also found: δεσπότου (despótou) and δέσποτα (déspota). | |||