Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• -της ‎(-tēs)

• (4th AD Koine) IPA^(key): /tís/

• (10th AD Byzantine) IPA^(key): /tís/

• (15th AD Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /tís/

Suffix

-τής • ‎(-tḗs) m ‎(genitive -τοῦ) first declension

1. Used to form agent nouns

   Βακχευτής ‎(Bakkheutḗs, “a Bacchanal”), from Βακχεύω ‎(Bakkheúō, “to keep the feast of Bacchus”)

   ἀγρευτής ‎(agreutḗs, “a hunter”), from ἀγρεύω ‎(agreúō, “to take by hunting”)

   αἰχμητής ‎(aikhmētḗs, “a spearman”), from αἰχμή ‎(aikhmḗ, “a spear”)

   αὐλητής ‎(aulētḗs, “a flute-player”), from αὐλέω ‎(auléō, “to play on the flute”)

   πειρατής ‎(peiratḗs, “a pirate, one who attacks ships”), from πειράω ‎(peiráō, “to make an attempt on something”)

   ποιητής ‎(poiētḗs, “a maker”), from ποιέω ‎(poiéō, “to make”)

With -ίζω ‎(-ízō) verbs:

Ἑλληνιστής ‎(****ēnistḗs, “one who uses the Greek language”), from Ἑλληνίζω ‎(****ēnízō, “to speak the Greek language”)

Ἡρακλειτιστής ‎(Hērakleitistḗs, “follower of Heraclitus”), from Ἡρακλειτίζω ‎(Hērakleitízō, “to be a follower of Heraclitus”)

ἀγωνιστής ‎(agōnistḗs, “a competitor”), from ἀγωνίζομαι ‎(agōnízomai, “to compete for a prize”)

βαπτιστής ‎(baptistḗs, “one that dips, a baptizer”), from βαπτίζω ‎(baptízō, “to dip in or under water”)

κιθαριστής ‎(kitharistḗs, “a player on the cithara”), from κιθαρίζω ‎(kitharízō, “to play the cithara”) (confer with the analogous recent guitarist)

With -άζω ‎(-ázō) verbs:

ἀγοραστής ‎(agorastḗs, “the slave who bought provisions for the house”), from ἀγοράζω ‎(agorázō, “to buy in the agora”)

βιαστής ‎(biastḗs, “one who uses force”), from βιάζω ‎(biázō, “to use force”)

δικαστής ‎(dikastḗs, “a judge”), from δικάζω ‎(dikázō, “to judge”)

ἐνθουσιαστής ‎(enthousiastḗs, “one inspired by god”), from ἐνθουσιάζω ‎(enthousiázō, “to be inspired by god”)

πελταστής ‎(peltastḗs, “one who bears a light shield, a targeteer”), from πελτάζω ‎(peltázō, “to serve as a targeteer”)

With -όζω ‎(-ózō) verbs:

ἁρμοστής ‎(harmostḗs, “one who arranges or governs, a harmost”), from ἁρμόζω ‎(harmózō, “to fit together”)

With -ύζω ‎(-úzō) verbs:

γογγυστής ‎(gongustḗs, “a murmurer”), from γογγύζω ‎(gongúzō, “to murmur”)

Declension

Descendants

• Latin: -tēs, -ta, -istēs, -ista, -astēs, -asta

See also

• -τήρ ‎(-tḗr)
• -τωρ ‎(-tōr)