Genus names of Greek origin
Genus names whose last component is an Ancient Greek noun (or Ancient Greek adjective treated like a noun) obtain their gender from the gender of that noun [Rule 65 (1), Rule 65 (2)]. A list of genus names formed in that manner is provided below, together with the gender of the terminal Ancient Greek noun. For instance, it should be noted that nouns of Greek origin ending in -ma are neuter and declined according to the third declension while Latin nouns ending in -a are usually feminine and belong to the first declension.
Names with Ancient Greek components in other positions are not listed here. The list neither includes names whose last component is a Neolatin word that was strongly modified compared to the original Ancient Greek word from which it was derived, particularly if this modification affected the gender. (Thus bacter , which is masculine, and bacterium , which is neuter, are not listed.) The list includes names with minor modifications, which are shown in parentheses after the Ancient Greek original. See also the LPSN introductory page on forming names .
aktis (actis) — ἀκτίς
allâs (allas) — ἀλλᾶς
alôa (aloa) — ἀλωά
alôa (haloa) — ἀλωά
amorphos — ἄμορφος
Gender: masculine or feminine
Examples: Amorphus
amphirytos — ἀμφίρυτος
angeîon (angium) — ἀγγεῖον
anthê (anthe) — ἄνθη
anthos — ἄνθος
arachnê (arachne) — ἀράχνη
ateles — ἀτελές
baktron (bactron) — βάκτρον
baktron (bactrum) — βάκτρον
baktron — βάκτρον
basis — βάσις
bdella — βδέλλα
bios (bius) — βίος
bios — βίος
blastos (blastus) — βλαστός
boros (borus) — βορός
botrys — βότρυς
byrsa — βύρσα
chaitê (chaeta) — χαίτη
chaitê (chaete) — χαίτη
chlamys — χλαμύς
chlidê (chlide) — χλιδή
chlôris (chloris) — χλωρίς
chlôron (chloron) — χλωρόν
chlôros (chloros) — χλωρός
chroa — χρόα
dapis — δάπις
Gender: feminine
Examples: Dapis
dendron — δένδρον
derma — δέρμα
dermation (dermatium) — δερμάτιον
desmion (desmium) — δέσμιον
desmis — δεσμίς
diktyon (dictium) — δίκτυον
diktyon (dictyon) — δίκτυον
enoikos (enecus) — ἔνοικος
eryma — ἔρυμα
Gaîa (gaea) — Γαῖα
gastêr (gaster) — γαστήρ
genikos (genicus) — γενικός
gloia (gloea) — γλοία
helix — ἕλιξ
herpeton — ἑρπετόν
hormos (ormus) — ὅρμος
hydnon (hydnum) — ὕδνον
ichthya — ἰχθύα
kapsis (capsis) — κάψις
kêlis (celis) — κηλίς
kentron — κέντρον
kladion (cladium) — κλάδιον
klados (cladus) — κλάδος
klôstêr (closter) — κλωστήρ
koinônia (koinonia) — κοινωνία
koinônia — κοινωνία
kokkos (kokkus) — κόκκος
koleon (coleum) — κολεόν
konis (conis) — κόνις
korynê (coryne) — κορύνη
korys (corys) — κόρυς
kryptos (kryptus) — κρυπτός
ktonos (kthonos) — κτόνος
kybos (kybus) — κύβος
Kyklôps (cyclops) — Κύκλωψ
Kymatolêgê — Κυματολήγη
kystis (cystis) — κύστις
lemma — λέμμα
liparon (liparum) — λιπαρόν
liparos (liparus) — λιπαρός
lithos (lithia) — λίθος
Gender: masculine or feminine
Examples: Epilithia
lithos (lithus) — λίθος
Melia — Μελία
mêniskos — μηνίσκος
mitos — μίτος
mitos (mitus) — μίτος
moron — μόρον
morphôtria (morphotria) — μορφώτρια
mykês (myces) — μύκης
myria — μυρία
myxa — μύξα
Naïas (naias) — Ναϊάς
nastêr (naster) — ναστήρ
nêma (nema) — νῆμα
nephros (nephron) — νεφρός
Nêreus (nereus) — Νηρεύς
opsis — ὄψις
ousia — οὐσία
pedion (pedium) — πεδίον
pelagos — πέλαγος
peltê (pelta) — πέλτη
pepsis — πέψις
phakos (phacus) — φακός
phanon — φανόν
phasêlos (phaselus) — φάσηλος
phonos (phonus) — φόνος
phoron — φορόν
physalis — φυσαλίς
phŷsa (physa) — φῦσα
phytarion — φυτάριον
phyton — φυτόν
planês (planes) — πλάνης
planktos — πλαγκτός
plasma — πλάσμα
plokê (ploca) — πλοκή
pneumonia — πνευμονία
pôgôn (pogon) — πώγων
prodotês (prodota) — προδότης
psychros (psychrus) — ψυχρός
ptychê (ptyche) — πτυχή
pygê (pyga) — πυγή
pŷr (pyrum) — πῦρ
pyxis — πυξίς
rhabdion (rhabdium) — ῥαβδίον
rhabdos (rhabdus) — ῥάβδος
rhaphis (raphis) — ῥαφίς
rhapis — ῥαπίς
Sapphô (Sappho) — Σαπφώ
seira — σειρά
seira (sira) — σειρά
selênê (selena) — σελήνη
sigma — σίγμα
siphôn (siphon) — σίφων
skêptron (sceptrum) — σκῆπτρον
skia (scia) — σκιά
sôma (soma) — σῶμα
speîra (spira) — σπεῖρα
sperma — σπέρμα
sperma (spermum) — σπέρμα
sphaîra (sphaera) — σφαῖρα
spora — σπορά
stegê (stega) — στέγη
stêmôn (stemon) — στήμων
stichos (stichus) — στίχος
strôma (stroma) — στρῶμα
stŷlos (stylon) — στῦλος
symbion — σύμβιον
symbiôtês — συμϐιωτής
symbiôtês (symbiotes) — συμϐιωτής
symplokos — σύμπλοκος
tetras — τετράς
thamnion — θαμνίον
thamnos — θάμνος
thaûma (thauma) — θαῦμα
thêkê (thece) — θήκη
Thoê (thoe) — Θόη
tholos — θόλος
thrix — θρίξ
thrix (trichia) — θρίξ
thrix (trichion) — θρίξ
thrix (trichon) — θρίξ
tîlos (tilum) — τῖλος
tîlos (tilus) — τῖλος
toîchos (teichus) — τοῖχος
topos (topis) — τόπος
trophê (trophia) — τροφή
trophos — τροφός
trophos (tropha) — τροφός
trophos (trophus) — τροφός
tropos (tropium) — τροπός
tropos (tropus) — τροπός
xenos (xenus) — ξένος
zôon (zoon) — ζῷον
zygê (zyga) — ζυγή
This LPSN page was printed on 2026-08-12 09:27:11