Uncertain. The original nominative was probably ἕλμις (hélmis), with ἕλμινς being a back-formation from the oblique forms. There appear to be two related Indo-European roots: *kʷr̥mis, with descendants such as Sanskrit कृमि (kṛmi) and Proto-Slavic *čьrvь; and *wr̥mis, with descendants such as Latin vermis and Old English wyrm (English worm). However, since ἕλμινς has a λ instead of a ρ, and also because of the sequence -νθ-, Beekes argues for a Pre-Greek origin.
ἕλμινς • (hélmins) f (genitive ἕλμινθος); third declension
Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | ἡ ἕλμῐνς hē hélmins |
τὼ ἕλμῐνθε tṑ hélminthe |
αἱ ἕλμῐνθες hai hélminthes | ||||||||||
Genitive | τῆς ἕλμῐνθος tês hélminthos |
τοῖν ἑλμῐ́νθοιν toîn helmínthoin |
τῶν ἑλμῐ́νθων tôn helmínthōn | ||||||||||
Dative | τῇ ἕλμῐνθῐ têi hélminthi |
τοῖν ἑλμῐ́νθοιν toîn helmínthoin |
ταῖς ἕλμῐνσῐ / ἕλμῐνσῐν taîs hélminsi(n) | ||||||||||
Accusative | τὴν ἕλμῐνθᾰ tḕn hélmintha |
τὼ ἕλμῐνθε tṑ hélminthe |
τᾱ̀ς ἕλμῐνθᾰς tā̀s hélminthas | ||||||||||
Vocative | ἕλμιν hélmin |
ἕλμῐνθε hélminthe |
ἕλμῐνθες hélminthes | ||||||||||
Notes: |
|