House, masculine or feminine?

[aemilius]

Hello, <br /><br />I have found 2 greek words for house - masculine and feminine: <br />[face=SPIonic][size=18=18]oi=)koj[/face][/size] and<br />[face=SPIonic][size=18=18]oi)ki/a[/face][/size]<br /><br />Is there any difference in meaning like home and house or they are interchangeable?<br /><br />Thanks

[annis]

[quote author=aemilius link=board=2;threadid=205;start=0#979 date=1056787844]<br />I have found 2 greek words for house - masculine and feminine: <br />[face=SPIonic][size=18=18]oi=)koj[/face][/size] and<br />[face=SPIonic][size=18=18]oi)ki/a[/face][/size]<br /><br />Is there any difference in meaning like home and house or they are interchangeable?<br />[/quote]<br /><br />You know, I've never thought to look this up, though I've noticed it before.<br /><br />It seems that [face=SPIonic]oi)=koj[/face] can mean house or home, but also buildings/rooms associated with a house; it can also refer to a temple. From the "room" idea, [face=SPIonic]oi)=koi[/face] can refer to a single house.<br /><br />It seems that [face=SPIonic]oi)ki/a[/face] mostly referes to the "home" idea: can be the building, but also means household, or even family from which one is descended, or the people in a family.<br /><br />Confusingly, there is also a neuter diminutive of [face=SPIonic]oi)koj[/face] - [face=SPIonic]oiki/on[/face] - which is used in the plural only giving [face=SPIonic]oi)ki/a[/face]. This one means specifically a dwelling.<br /><br />Additionally, there is [face=SPIonic]dw=ma, dw/mata[/face], which also has a tendency to refer to a room (the main room, in this case), so once again the plural can refer to a single house. Again, can mean family. The diminutive of this means "room" - [face=SPIonic]dwma/tion[/face]. Finally, in Homer you can shorten this to a Homer Simpson-esque [face=SPIonic]dw=[/face]!

[vinobrien]

I thought [face=SPIonic]dw/mata[/face] had the sense of a mansion or a big house in Homer. Calypso invites Odysseus to stay in her [face=SPIonic]dw/mata[/face] which, since it belongs to a [face=SPIonic]dia qeawn[/face], I assumed was quite palatial. But you never can tell with the non-Olympian ones and she does complain to Hermes that he never comes to visit.<br /><br />Now, what word is used for Odysseus's home...

[annis]

I'd never noticed that before, but sure enough, Autenrieth gives "mansion" as one of the definitions for [face=SPIonic]dw/mata[/face].<br /><br />Then there's the set phrase [face=SPIonic])Olu/mpia dw/mat' e)/xontej[/face] for the gods, which implies a certain loftiness.<br /><br />I'll have to pay close attention to these words now while I read.

[aemilius]

William, <br />thanks for the thorough explanation. It helps a lot.<br /><br />aemilius