ἀγαθός

See also: αγαθός

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἀγασός (agasós) — Laconian
ἀζαθός (azathós) — Arcadocypriot

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Hellenic *əgatʰós, from Proto-Indo-European *m̥ǵh₂dʰh₁ós (“made great; whose deeds are great”), from *méǵh₂s (“great”) + *dʰeh₁- (“do”) + *-ós. Compare Latin magnificus from same roots.

Beekes notes that if the glossing synonyms ἀκαθός (akathós) and χάσιος (khásios) are related to ἀγαθός (agathós), one would be forced to assume Pre-Greek borrowing instead.^[1]^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.ɡa.tʰós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.ɡaˈtʰos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/

Adjective

ᾰ̓γᾰθός • (agathós) m (feminine ᾰ̓γᾰθή, neuter ᾰ̓γᾰθόν); first/second declension

Usage notes

The difference between the three most common comparatives/superlatives is the following:

ἀμείνων (ameínōn), ἄριστος (áristos): stronger, braver, preferable, superior.
βελτίων (beltíōn), βέλτιστος (béltistos): more fitting, morally superior.
κρείσσων (kreíssōn), κράτιστος (krátistos): better, stronger.

Declension

First and second declension of ᾰ̓γᾰθός; ᾰ̓γᾰθή; ᾰ̓γᾰθόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ᾰ̓γᾰθός agathós	ᾰ̓γᾰθή agathḗ	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ agathā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθοί agathoí	ᾰ̓γᾰθαί agathaí	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ agathá
Genitive	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῦ agathoû	ᾰ̓γᾰθῆς agathês	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῦ agathoû	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖν agathaîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν agathôn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν agathôn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν agathôn
Dative	ᾰ̓γᾰθῷ agathôi	ᾰ̓γᾰθῇ agathêi	ᾰ̓γᾰθῷ agathôi	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖν agathaîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖς agathoîs	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖς agathaîs	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖς agathoîs
Accusative	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón	ᾰ̓γᾰθήν agathḗn	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ agathā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθούς agathoús	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ς agathā́s	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ agathá
Vocative	ᾰ̓γᾰθέ agathé	ᾰ̓γᾰθή agathḗ	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ agathā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθοί agathoí	ᾰ̓γᾰθαί agathaí	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ agathá
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶς / εὖ agathôs / eû			ᾰ̓γᾰθώτερος / ἀμείνων / ἀρείων / βελτίων / κρείττων / λῴων / φέρτερος agathṓteros / ameínōn / areíōn / beltíōn / kreíttōn / lṓiōn / phérteros			ᾰ̓γᾰθώτᾰτος / ἄριστος / βέλτιστος / κράτιστος / λῷστος / φέρτατος agathṓtatos / áristos / béltistos / krátistos / lôistos / phértatos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

Αγαθάνωρ (Agathánōr)
Ἀγάθαρχος (Agátharkhos)
Ἀγαθή (Agathḗ)
Ἀγαθήμερος (Agathḗmeros)
ἀγαθοδαίμων (agathodaímōn)
ἀγαθοεργέω (agathoergéō)
Ἀγαθόκλεια (Agathókleia)
Ἀγαθοκλῆς (Agathoklês)
ἀγαθοποιέω (agathopoiéō)
ἀγαθοποιΐα (agathopoiḯa)
ἀγαθοποιός (agathopoiós)
ἀγαθότης (agathótēs)
Ἀγάθων (Agáthōn)
ἀγαθωσύνη (agathōsúnē)
Ἀνδράγαθος (Andrágathos)
Ἀρχάγαθος (Arkhágathos)
καλοκαγαθία (kalokagathía)

Descendants

Greek: αγαθός (agathós)
→ Coptic: ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ (agathos)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (1996) “Ancient European Loanwords”, in Historische Sprachforschung, volume 109, § 6. Gr. ἀγαθός – Goth. gods, page 227-230 of 215–236
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀγαθός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 7

“ἀγαθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ἀγαθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“ἀγαθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
ἀγαθός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
ἀγαθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
ἀγαθός in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
“ἀγαθός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
G18 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- admirable idem, page 12.
- adroit idem, page 13.
- bold idem, page 88.
- brave idem, page 93.
- courageous idem, page 178.
- estimable idem, page 283.
- excellent idem, page 288.
- exemplary idem, page 290.
- gallant idem, page 352.
- good idem, page 366.
- skilful idem, page 780.
- virtuous idem, page 954.

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (1996) “Ancient European Loanwords”, in Historische Sprachforschung, volume 109, § 6. Gr. ἀγαθός – Goth. gods, page 227-230 of 215–236

[2] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀγαθός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 7

[1]

[2]