ἀμέθυστος

From ἀ- (a-, “not”) +‎ μέθῠστος (méthustos, “drunken”), from μεθῠ́ω (methúō, “to be drunk on wine”), from μέθῠ (méthu, “wine”). Compare to εὐμέθῠστος (euméthustos, “easily made drunk”).

ᾰ̓μέθῠστος • (améthustos) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓μέθῠστον); second declension

1. (passive sense) not drunken, without drunkenness, sober

   Synonym: νηφάλιος (nēphálios)

2. (active sense) not intoxicating

• ἀμέθῠστον (améthuston)

ᾰ̓μέθῠστος • (améthustos) f (genitive ᾰ̓μεθῠ́στου); second declension

1. (substantive) remedy for drunkenness
2. (botany) some sort of herb
3. (geology) amethyst

The senses of an herb or an amethyst represent a narrowing of the earliest meaning, a remedy for drunkenness, because of both the herb's and amethysts' perceived ability to prevent or cure drunkenness.

• (remedy for drunkenness): ἀμέθῠστον (améthuston)
• (an herb): σέλινον ἄγριον (sélinon ágrion), βατράχιον (batrákhion), σμύρνιον (smúrnion), ἐλεοσέλινον (eleosélinon)
• (amethyst): ἀμέθῠστον (améthuston)

• ἀμέθῠσον (améthuson)
• ἀμεθῠ́στῐνος (amethústinos)
• ἀμεθῠστῐ́ζων (amethustízōn)

• Greek: αμέθυστος (améthystos)
• → Latin: amethystus (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Georgian: ამეთჳსტონი (ametwisṭoni), ამეთჳსტოჲ (ametwisṭoy), ამეთჳსოჲ (ametwisoy), ამეთისოჲ (ametisoy)
  • → Georgian: ამეთვისტო (ametvisṭo) (learned)

• “ἀμέθυστος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀμέθυστος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἀμέθυστος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀμέθυστος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• G271 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible