Uncertain, but since antiquity it is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (Ranunculus sardous), known as either σαρδάνη (sardánē) or σαρδόνιον (sardónion). When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death).
It has also been compared with σέσηρα (sésēra, “to show teeth”) and σαίρω (saírō, “to grin”).
Alternatively, Kretschmer tried to connect this word to the name of the Šardana people living near Egypt, although the details remain unclear.
σαρδάνῐος • (sardánios) m (feminine σαρδᾰνίᾱ, neuter σαρδάνῐον); first/second declension
Number | Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case/Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||||
Nominative | σαρδάνῐος sardánios |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā |
σαρδάνῐον sardánion |
σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā |
σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō |
σαρδάνῐοι sardánioi |
σαρδάνῐαι sardániai |
σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia | |||||
Genitive | σαρδανῐ́ου sardaníou |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardaníās |
σαρδανῐ́ου sardaníou |
σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin |
σαρδανῐ́αιν sardaníain |
σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin |
σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn |
σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn |
σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn | |||||
Dative | σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardaníōi |
σαρδανῐ́ᾳ sardaníāi |
σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardaníōi |
σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin |
σαρδανῐ́αιν sardaníain |
σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin |
σαρδανῐ́οις sardaníois |
σαρδανῐ́αις sardaníais |
σαρδανῐ́οις sardaníois | |||||
Accusative | σαρδάνῐον sardánion |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱν sardaníān |
σαρδάνῐον sardánion |
σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā |
σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō |
σαρδανῐ́ους sardaníous |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardaníās |
σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia | |||||
Vocative | σαρδάνῐε sardánie |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā |
σαρδάνῐον sardánion |
σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō |
σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā |
σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō |
σαρδάνῐοι sardánioi |
σαρδάνῐαι sardániai |
σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia | |||||
Derived forms | Adverb | Comparative | Superlative | |||||||||||
σαρδανῐ́ως sardaníōs |
σαρδανῐώτερος sardaniṓteros |
σαρδανῐώτᾰτος sardaniṓtatos | ||||||||||||
Notes: |
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