“SUNE” words
This is a list of words in
Greek that use the “-sune” suffix
which has a semantic field
equivalent to the
“-ness”, “-ship”, and
“-hood” suffixes in English.
See My Greek ABC article
for a transliteration guide
Aesiphrosunee silliness
folly from aaoo + phroon
Agathoosunee goodness
generosity from agathos
̉Aganophrosunee
gentleness kindliness aganos + phro
Hagioosunee holiness
consecration sanctification from hagio.
Note these nouns with
similar meanings: hagiasmos hagiotees
̉Agnoomosunee
senselessness ignorance arrogance from unknowing
̉Agreiosunee boorishness
clownishness in strictly negative sense
from agreios being of the fields rural or rustic in negative sense
̉Adaeemosunee see
also adaeemonia unknowing ignorance
Athlosunee gift as result
of contest
Aiskhrosunee shame
shamefulness from aidos
̉Alitophrosunee to
deliberately willingly sin or err or perform
a evil wicked action hence
wickedness evil-mindedness malice from alitein
Anthosunee floweriness
Apeemosunee freedom from
harm harmlessness from apeemoon
Apeegosunee helpfulness
from areexis help succor against something
a means of averting
trouble
̉Apkheroosynee chief
high priest hood office of
Askhmosunee shamelessness
unshapeliness unseemliness
from privative a + skheema
Aphrosunee folly literally
frothy or foamyness
from aphros foam or
a+phron Unmind foolish possibly a fusion of both ?
Briithosunee heaviness
weight from brithos heavy
Geethosunee feeling of joy
joyfulness delight gladness from geethoo
Gnoomosunee prudence
judgement mindfulness
Daitrosunee the art of
helping at table by carving etc
Daeipnosunee the art of
dining
Desposunee mastery
absolute sway tyranny always negative
Dikaiosunee justice
righteousness justness rightness
Doulosunee slavery
Dreestosunee also spelt
with an a instead of long e
from draoo do action means
service?
Eleeemosunee Mercy Alms
mercifulness pity from eleeoo and eleos
̀Ereemosunee
loneliness solitude from ereemoww ereemos
being in a place or state
empty of human occupation.
Euskheemosunee modesty
propriety seemliness grace of manner elegance
literally “good form” from
euskheemoon eu + skheema
̀Euphrosunee
Cheerfulness Merriment Gladness Mirth Gaiety Joy
a positive mind state from
eu + pron – sune
Zeelosunee emulation eager
rivalry not envy which is phthonos
a strong passion or zeal
and striving for excellence from zeelos and zeoo
Thesmosunee Justice from
Thesmos laws as customs rites and ordinances
about the proper right way
to do things
Theerosunee The art of
hunting or of the chase
̉Idmosunee
“Knowingness” Knowledge skill being knowledgeable or skilled
having experience from
idmoon practiced skilled versed
related to idmenai and
eidenai.
Hieroosunee Priesthood in
Ionic the office or salary of a priest.
Hipposunee Horsemanship –
the art of or cavalry originally referring
to the art of driving
chariots later also to riding in general and to cavalry
Kakotheemosunee
Disorderliness
Kallosunee Beauty equals
Kallos
NB. Similar modern Demotic
word Kalosuni
Labrosunee Boisterousness
Greediness.
Having the quality of
Labros – furious greedy blustering
Leptosunee Fineness
Slightness Thinness Leanness hence Subtlety
from leptos and equals
leptotees.
Leesmosunee Forgetfulness
from leesmoon and leethoo.
Mantosunee The art of
divining or divination from mantis prophet and mainomai
Makhlosunee Lewdness Lust
wantonness in worst sense from makhlos.
Cognate with latin Macula
Megalosunee Equals
Megethos Greatness Majesty Vastness
Megalophrosunee Greatness
of mind in negative sense
Haughtiness or Arrogance
or Pride
Metheemosunee Carelessness
Remissness ?
Meedosunee Counsel
Prudence from meedos
Cognate with “meed” and
medomai and medousa maybe?
Deepmindedness?
Mneemosunee Mnemosyne
Memory Mindfulness Remembrance
from mneemoon – the
goddess mother of the muses
and the mental state or
action.
Notho-kallosunee Bastardy
having spurious charms being Illegitame
Xenosunee Hospitality
Taking care of Guests
Homaimosunee Kinship Blood
kinship having a genetic relationship
from omos – same + haimos
– blood.
Peemosunee Suffering from
peemonee from paskhoo.
Suneemosunee Union
Connexion
Soophrosunee Modesty
Prudence good or common sense self control
temperance chastity
sobriety discretion literally safemindedness
from swphroon saoos plus
phroon
Tapeinophrosunee Humility
Tleemosunee Endurance
patience steadfastness in face of adversity or suffering
from tlaoo and tleemoon
Toxosune Art of Archery
Kharmosunee Artof giving
joy
Khreemosunee Need want
lack of resources poverty from khraomai
Phileemosunee Friendliness
from Phileoo
Philophrosunee
Friendliness Kindliness Cheerfulness from philophroon
While – sunee was a
productive suffix for creating new words
during the classical
period and into the early Koine era its use dwindled
and most new words used
–ia and –otees instead.
no new sunee compounds
appeared until the early modern period
Demotika uses the related – osuni suffix in words such as
Agrammatos agrammatososuni
Adepfos aderfosuni
Kalos kalosuni
Maragkos mapragkosuni
Please feel free to email
me with suggestions for additions to this list.