δίδυμος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Reduplication from δύο (dúo, “two”), with a suffix -μος (-mos); compare ἀμφίδυμος (amphídumos, “double”). Analogical formations like τρίδυμος (trídumos) show that this word was connected with δίς (dís, “twice”), at least at a later date.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /dí.dy.mos/ → /ˈði.ðy.mos/ → /ˈði.ði.mos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /dí.dy.mos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.dy.mos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈði.ðy.mos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈði.ðy.mos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈði.ði.mos/

Adjective

δῐ́δῠμος • (dĭ́dŭmos) m (feminine δῐδῠ́μη, neuter δῐ́δῠμον); first/second declension

1. double, twofold
2. twin

Declension

First and second declension of δῐ́δῠμος; δῐδῠ́μη; δῐ́δῠμον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		δῐ́δῠμος dĭ́dŭmos	δῐδῠ́μη dĭdŭ́mē	δῐ́δῠμον dĭ́dŭmon		δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō	δῐδῠ́μᾱ dĭdŭ́mā	δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō		δῐ́δῠμοι dĭ́dŭmoi	δῐ́δῠμαι dĭ́dŭmai	δῐ́δῠμᾰ dĭ́dŭmă
Genitive		δῐδῠ́μου dĭdŭ́mou	δῐδῠ́μης dĭdŭ́mēs	δῐδῠ́μου dĭdŭ́mou		δῐδῠ́μοιν dĭdŭ́moin	δῐδῠ́μαιν dĭdŭ́main	δῐδῠ́μοιν dĭdŭ́moin		δῐδῠ́μων dĭdŭ́mōn	δῐδῠ́μων dĭdŭ́mōn	δῐδῠ́μων dĭdŭ́mōn
Dative		δῐδῠ́μῳ dĭdŭ́mōi	δῐδῠ́μῃ dĭdŭ́mēi	δῐδῠ́μῳ dĭdŭ́mōi		δῐδῠ́μοιν dĭdŭ́moin	δῐδῠ́μαιν dĭdŭ́main	δῐδῠ́μοιν dĭdŭ́moin		δῐδῠ́μοις dĭdŭ́mois	δῐδῠ́μαις dĭdŭ́mais	δῐδῠ́μοις dĭdŭ́mois
Accusative		δῐ́δῠμον dĭ́dŭmon	δῐδῠ́μην dĭdŭ́mēn	δῐ́δῠμον dĭ́dŭmon		δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō	δῐδῠ́μᾱ dĭdŭ́mā	δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō		δῐδῠ́μους dĭdŭ́mous	δῐδῠ́μᾱς dĭdŭ́mās	δῐ́δῠμᾰ dĭ́dŭmă
Vocative		δῐ́δῠμε dĭ́dŭme	δῐδῠ́μη dĭdŭ́mē	δῐ́δῠμον dĭ́dŭmon		δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō	δῐδῠ́μᾱ dĭdŭ́mā	δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō		δῐ́δῠμοι dĭ́dŭmoi	δῐ́δῠμαι dĭ́dŭmai	δῐ́δῠμᾰ dĭ́dŭmă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		δῐδῠ́μως dĭdŭ́mōs				δῐδῠμώτερος dĭdŭmṓteros				δῐδῠμώτᾰτος dĭdŭmṓtătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Noun

δῐ́δῠμος • (dĭ́dŭmos) m (genitive δῐδῠ́μου); second declension

1. (in the plural) twins
2. (astronomy) Gemini
3. (anatomy, in the plural) testicles

   Synonym: ὄρχῐς (órkhĭs)

4. (anatomy, in the plural) ovaries

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ δῐ́δῠμος; τοῦ δῐδῠ́μου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ δῐ́δῠμος ho dĭ́dŭmos	τὼ δῐδῠ́μω tṑ dĭdŭ́mō	οἱ δῐ́δῠμοι hoi dĭ́dŭmoi
Genitive	τοῦ δῐδῠ́μου toû dĭdŭ́mou	τοῖν δῐδῠ́μοιν toîn dĭdŭ́moin	τῶν δῐδῠ́μων tôn dĭdŭ́mōn
Dative	τῷ δῐδῠ́μῳ tōî dĭdŭ́mōi	τοῖν δῐδῠ́μοιν toîn dĭdŭ́moin	τοῖς δῐδῠ́μοις toîs dĭdŭ́mois
Accusative	τὸν δῐ́δῠμον tòn dĭ́dŭmon	τὼ δῐδῠ́μω tṑ dĭdŭ́mō	τοὺς δῐδῠ́μους toùs dĭdŭ́mous
Vocative	δῐ́δῠμε dĭ́dŭme	δῐδῠ́μω dĭdŭ́mō	δῐ́δῠμοι dĭ́dŭmoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• δῐδῠμαῖον (dĭdŭmaîon)
• Δῐδῠμαῖος (Dĭdŭmaîos)
• δῐδῠμᾰ́νωρ (dĭdŭmắnōr)
• δῐδῠμᾱ́ων (dĭdŭmā́ōn)
• δῐδῠμεύω (dĭdŭmeúō)
• δῐδῠ́μη (dĭdŭ́mē)
• δῐδῠ́μῐᾰ (dĭdŭ́mĭă)
• δῐδῠ́μῐος (dĭdŭ́mĭos)
• δῐδῠμογενής (dĭdŭmogenḗs)
• δῐδῠμόγονος (dĭdŭmógonos)
• δῐδῠμόζῠγος (dĭdŭmózŭgos)
• δῐδῠμόθροος (dĭdŭmóthroos)
• δῐδῠμόκτῠπος (dĭdŭmóktŭpos)
• δῐδῠμόστροφος (dĭdŭmóstrophos)
• δῐδῠμότης (dĭdŭmótēs)
• δῐδῠμότοκος (dĭdŭmótokos)
• δῐδῠμόχροος (dĭdŭmókhroos)
• Δῐδῠμών (Dĭdŭmṓn)
• ἐπῐδῐδῠμῐ́ς (epĭdĭdŭmĭ́s)

Descendants

• → English: didymus
• Greek: δίδυμος (dídymos)

Further reading

• “δίδυμος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “δίδυμος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “δίδυμος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• δίδυμος in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• δίδυμος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• δίδυμος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δίδυμος (dídumos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈði.ði.mos]

Adjective

δίδυμος • (dídymos) m (feminine δίδυμη, neuter δίδυμο)

1. twin, twinned, being one of a pair of twins

   δίδυμα αδέλφια

   dídyma adélfia

   twin brothers

2. (figuratively) matching exactly

   δίδυμα πυροβόλα, δίδυμοι πύργοι

   dídyma pyrovóla, dídymoi pýrgoi

   twin cannon, twin towers

Declension

Declension of δίδυμος

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	δίδυμος (dídymos)	δίδυμη (dídymi)	δίδυμο (dídymo)		δίδυμοι (dídymoi)	δίδυμες (dídymes)	δίδυμα (dídyma)
genitive	δίδυμου (dídymou)	δίδυμης (dídymis)	δίδυμου (dídymou)		δίδυμων (dídymon)	δίδυμων (dídymon)	δίδυμων (dídymon)
accusative	δίδυμο (dídymo)	δίδυμη (dídymi)	δίδυμο (dídymo)		δίδυμους (dídymous)	δίδυμες (dídymes)	δίδυμα (dídyma)
vocative	δίδυμε (dídyme)	δίδυμη (dídymi)	δίδυμο (dídymo)		δίδυμοι (dídymoi)	δίδυμες (dídymes)	δίδυμα (dídyma)

Noun

δίδυμος • (dídymos) m or f (plural δίδυμοι)

1. twin (either of two people who shared the same uterus, or of two similar or closely related objects)

Declension

Declension of δίδυμος

	singular	plural
nominative	δίδυμος (dídymos)	δίδυμοι (dídymoi)
genitive	διδύμου (didýmou)	διδύμων (didýmon)
accusative	δίδυμο (dídymo)	διδύμους (didýmous)
vocative	δίδυμε (dídyme)	δίδυμοι (dídymoi)

Related terms

• Δίδυμοι (Dídymoi)
• δίδυμο (dídymo)
• δίδυμοι (dídymoi)
• δίδυμες (dídymes)

Descendants

• didymous