I’ve posted previously about an open-source project I’m working on ( https://bcrowell.github.io/ransom/ ) to present the Iliad in an innovative way. As a part of that project, I’ve created a list of core vocabulary for the Iliad. I thought this might be useful to others in its own right, so I thought I would post it here. Info about how I created the list is here: https://github.com/bcrowell/ransom/blob/master/scripts/make_core.rb . The brief English translations are from files in the same github project. They are not meant to be authoritative or comprehensive, just brief reminders of the general idea. In many cases I have more complete notes in the relevant files here https://github.com/bcrowell/ransom/tree/master/glosses . Most of these are based on some combination of LSJ, Wiktionary, and/or Cunliffe. When the Homeric form differs from an Attic form, I’ve tried to give the Homeric one. Comments and corrections would be welcome.
ἀγαθός brave, noble
ἀγείρω gather
ἀγλαός splendid, shining
ἀγορά assembly
ἀγορεύω speak in assembly
ἄγχι near, like
ἄγω lead, bring
ἀδελφός brother
ἀεί always, forever
ἀείδω sing
ἀεικής shameful, unseemly
ἀείρω raise
ἀθάνατος undying
αἰδέομαι be ashamed
αἷμα blood
αἰνός horrible
αἱρέω take; mp: choose
ἀίσσω dart, glance
αἶψα suddenly
ἀΐω perceive, feel, hear
ἀκούω hear
ἄλγος woe, grief
ἀλκή strength, prowess, courage
ἀλλήλων of each other
ἄλλος other
ἄλοχος wife
ἅλς salt (m.), sea (f.)
ἀμείβω exchange; mp: answer, take turns
ἀμείνων comparative of ἀγαθός, noble
ἀμύμων noble
ἀμύνω ward off, help, withstand
ἄναξ lord, prince
ἀνάσσω rule, be lord
ἁνδάνω please
ἄνεμος wind
ἀνέχω raise one's hands
ἀνήρ man
ἄνθρωπος human being
ἀνίστημι stand up; arouse
ἀντίος opposite, facing
ἄνωγα to command, order
ἀπαμείβομαι answer
ἅπας all, the whole
ἄποινα ransom, compensation
ἀπόλλυμι destroy
ἅπτω touch
ἀράομαι pray
ἀραρίσκω join together
ἀρητήρ priest
ἄριστος best
ἅρμα food, burden
ἀρχός ruler
ἄρχω lead; middle: begin
ἄστυ town
αὐδάω speak, declare, shout
αὖθι on the spot
αὖθις back, again, moreover
αὐτίκα at once
ἀχεύω grieve, vex
ἄχος mental distress, anguish; pain, ache
ἄψ back, again, in return
βαίνω go, walk, stand
βάλλω throw, hit, fall
βαρύς heavy
βασιλεύς king
βέλος missile
βία strength, force
βοή shout, cry
βουλή will, plan
βούλομαι wish, want
βοῦς cow, ox; shield
γαῖα land, earth
γελάω laugh, laugh at
γεραιός old
γέρας gift, reward
γέρων old; old man
γηθέω rejoice, exult
γίγνομαι become, happen
γιγνώσκω know, perceive
γλῶσσα tongue, language
γόνυ knee
γυνή woman
δαίμων god, spirit
δαίνυμι give a feast, feast on
δαίς feast, banquet
δάκρυον tear
δαμάζω tame, subdue
δάω learn
δείδω to fear
δεινός terrible, great
δέπας beaker, goblet
δεῦρο here, come here!
δέχομαι accept, receive
δέω bind; need, beg, fail to do something, fall short
δίδωμι give; permit
δῖος divine, noble
δίφρος chariot seat for two people
δμωή female slave
δόμος house
δόρυ spear shaft, plank
δύναμαι be able
δύο two
δύω enter, put on, strip off
δῶμα hall, house
δῶρον gift
ἐάω let someone do something (+acc+inf)
ἔγχος spear
ἔδω eat
ἕζομαι sit
ἐθέλω consent, be willing
εἶδον see, know, seem
εἴδω see
εἷμα garment
εἶμι go, come
εἶπον say, speak
ἕκαστος each
ἐλαύνω to drive, march
ἕλκω drag
ἔλπω cause to hope/expect
ἔνδον domestic, in the house of
ἕνεκα because, that
ἔνθα there, where, when
ἐνθάδε thither
ἕννυμι clothe in (+2 acc)
ἔοικα seem like (+dat), seem likely (+inf), beseem
ἔπειτα thereupon
ἕπομαι follow, support
ἔπος speech, story
ἔργον work
ἔρομαι ask a question
ἐρύω pull, drag, guard
ἔρχομαι go, walk, leave, come
ἐρῶ ask; will say
ἐσθλός doughty, moral, excellent
ἑταῖρος companion
ἕτερος one or the other of
εὖ well
εὐνάω have sex with
εὐνή bed
εὑρίσκω chance upon, find out, obtain
εὐρύς wide
εὔχομαι pray, pray for
ἔχω have
ζωός alive
ἠέλιος sun
ἧμαι sit, lie
ἦμαρ day
ἡμέτερος our, ours
ἠμί said
ἥμισυς half
ἥρως hero
ἤτοι truly; either, or
ἦτορ heart
ἠώς dawn
θάλαμος bedchamber
θάλασσα sea
θάνατος death
θεά goddess
θείνω strike, wound
θεῖος uncle
θεός god
θεράπων helper, henchman, servant
θέω run, run for
θνῄσκω die
θοός swift
θυγάτηρ daughter
θυμός soul, spirit
θύρα door
ἱερεύς priest
ἱερόν shrine, sacrifice
ἱερός holy
ἵζω to seat
ἵημι release, throw, utter
ἱκάνω reach, arrive at
ἱκνέομαι reach, arrive at
ἵππος horse
ἴσος equal
ἵστημι stand, set
ἱστός mast, loom
καίω burn
κακός bad, evil, ugly, base
καλέω summon, name
καλός good, beautiful, noble
καλύπτω to cover with, hide
κεῖμαι lie
κελεύω command, urge
κέλομαι command, urge
κεφαλή head
κήδω distress, hurt; mp: care about (+gen)
κῆρ heart
κήρ doom, death, fate
κιχάνω overtake, encounter, reach
κίω go
κλαίω weep
κλέος fame
κλέπτω steal
κλισίη hut, tent
κλύω hear, listen to
κοῖλος hollow
κόρη girl
κραδίη heart
κρατερός strong, steadfast
κρατέω rule
κρείων lord
κρίνω distinguish, judge, decide
κτείνω kill
κτῆμα possession
κῦδος reproach, abuse
κῦμα wave
κύων dog
λαμβάνω take, grasp
λανθάνω escape notice
λαός people, army
λέγω say
λείπω leave something; depart
λευκός white
λέχος couch, marriage bed
λέων lion
λίσσομαι beg, beseech
λύω loosen, free
μακρός long, tall
μάλα very
μάλιστα greatly
μᾶλλον more, more strongly
μάντις seer
μάρναμαι fight
μάχη battle
μάχομαι fight (+dat), contend
μέγαρον large hall
μέγας big, great, marvelous
μέλας dark
μέλλω linger, be about to
μέλω be of concern
μέμαα be eager, yearn, intend
μένος mind, spirit, prowess
μένω stay, wait, remain
μέσος amid, moderate
μῆλον sheep
μήν month
μῆνις rage
μηνίω be enraged at
μήτηρ mother
μῆτις counsel, skill, plan
μιμνήσκω remind
μνηστήρ suitor
μοῖρα portion, fate
μόνος alone, only
μυθέομαι say, tell
μῦθος word, speech, tale
ναίω dwell; flow
ναός temple, shrine
ναῦς ship
νεκρός corpse
νέκυς corpse
νέομαι go; come home
νέος young
νεφέλη cloud, fog
νῆσος island
νοέω see, think
νόος mind
νόστος homecoming
νῦν now
νύξ night
ξεῖνος guest-friend, host, stranger
ξίφος sword
ὁδός threshold, road, journey
οἶδα know, know of (+acc)
οἴκαδε homeward
οἶκος house
οἶνος wine
οἴομαι suppose, hope
οἷος such
οἶος only, single
ὄϊς sheep
οἴχομαι leave, be gone
ὄλεθρος ruin, destruction, death
ὄλλυμι destroy, kill, lose
ὅμιλος crowd, throng
ὄμνυμι swear
ὀνομάζω to name
ὀξύς sharp
ὄπισθεν behind, hereafter
ὁράω see
ὅρκος what is sworn by, witness, oath
ὄρνυμι set upon, arouse
ὄρος mountain, hill
ὀτρύνω spur, encourage
οὐδέ not even
οὐκέτι no more
οὕνεκα because
οὐρανός sky
ὀφθαλμός eye
ὄφρα so that; until
παῖς child
πάλιν back, again
παρίστημι stand something up, be present
πάρος before, in the past
πάσχω experience, suffer
πατήρ father
πατρίς fatherland
παύω stop something
πεδίον plain, sea
πείθω persuade, mislead, bribe
πειράω try, test
πέλω turn out to be
πέμπω send
πέρθω sack, ravage, plunder
πέτρα rock
πίνω drink
πίπτω fall
ποιέω make
ποιμήν shepherd
πολεμίζω make war
πόλεμος war, battle
πόλις city
πολύμητις of many counsels
πολύς many
πόνος toil, suffering
πόντος the open sea, Mediterranean
πόρω offer; be fated
πόσις husband, master; a drink
ποταμός river
ποτέ at some time, whoever, whatever
πότνια lady
πούς foot, leg
πρίν before
προίημι send forth, abandon
προσεῖπον spoke to
πρόσθεν before
πρόσφημι speak to
πρότερος sooner, earlier
πρῶτος first, foremost
πύλη gate
πῦρ fire, pyre
ῥέζω do, make, perform sacrifices
σῖτος grain, bread, food
στῆθος breast
στρατός common people/soldiers
συβώτης swineherd
σφεῖς they, themselves
σχεδόν near, nearby, nearly, almost
σώζω save
σῶς safe, alive
τάχα quickly, soon
ταχύς fast
τεῖχος city wall
τέκνον child
τέκος child
τελέω fulfill
τέρπω delight, satisfy; mp enjoy, revel
τεῦχος tool, arms, gear
τεύχω make
τίθημι put, place
τίκτω beget
τιμάω honor, exalt
τιμή honor, value
τίνω pay, pay a penalty
τίω value, honor
τλάω bear
τόξον bow
τρέπω turn
τρέφω nurture; solidify
ὕδωρ water, rain
υἱός son, child
ὕπνος a sleep
ὑψηλός high
φαίνω active: show; passive: appear
φέρω bring, carry
φεύγω flee
φημί say
φιλέω love
φίλος friend
φιλότης friendship
φράζω tell, explain; mp: consider, devise
φρήν midriff, mind
φρονέω think, be wise
φωνέω sound, speak
χαίρω rejoice
χάλκεος made of copper or bronze
χαλκός bronze, arms
χείρ hand
χερείων worse, more base, inferior, weaker
χέω pour, scatter
χθών ground
χιτών man's tunic
χλαῖνα men's cloak
χόλος gall, anger, wrath, bitterness
χολόω anger, provoke
χραισμέω ward off; defend (+dat)
χρύσεος golden
χρυσός gold
χρώς skin, flesh
χώομαι be troubled, angered
ψυχή soul
ὦκα quickly
ὠκύς swift
ὦμος shoulder plus upper arm