What does it mean word for word?
σελήνη is likely related to σέλας, 'brightness, gleam', describing the moon's light rather than any idea of coldness or darkness.
Which one should you use?
As both a common noun and a goddess's name, σελήνη can mean either the physical moon or the deity depending on context, the same pattern seen with ἥλιος and Helios.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word is used in every register, from everyday remarks about moonlight to poetic invocations of the goddess.
Is it said differently in some regions?
σελήνη and her myths are consistent across Greek literature, though local cults sometimes emphasized different aspects of her identity.
How does it change in a sentence?
σελήνη is a regular feminine noun of the first declension, genitive σελήνης, one of the most common Greek noun patterns.
How do you pronounce it?
σελήνη stresses the third syllable, with a long final eta, close to 'se-LE-ne'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Confusing σελήνη with Σελήνη the goddess as entirely separate words is unnecessary, since Greek used the identical word for both, letting context decide.
When do people say it?
Selene is often linked in myth to Endymion, a mortal she loved and visited every night while he slept an eternal sleep, a story referenced often in later Greek and Roman poetry.
Did you know?
- In Greek myth, the goddess Selene visited the sleeping shepherd Endymion every night, a story that later poets used as an image of eternal, unchanging love.
- σελήνη likely shares its root with σέλας, 'brightness' or 'gleam', tying the moon's name to its light rather than to the night or darkness.
Examples in context
- ἡ σελήνη λάμπει τῆς νυκτός.he selene lampei tes nyktos.The moon shines at night.
- ἡ σελήνη πλήρης ἐστίν.he selene pleres estin.The moon is full.
- ὑπὸ τὴν σελήνην ἐκαθήμεθα.hypo ten selenen ekathemetha.We sat beneath the moon.
Example conversation
Two friends, Arete and Philon, walk home under a bright night sky.
- Areteὅρα τὴν σελήνην ἀπόψε.hora ten selenen apopse.Look at the moon tonight.
- Philonπλήρης ἐστί, καλή γε.pleres esti, kale ge.It is full, and beautiful too.
- Areteλέγουσι τὴν θεὸν Σελήνην ἐρᾶν Ἐνδυμίωνος.legousi ten theon Selenen eran Endymionos.They say the goddess Selene loves Endymion.
- Philonκαλὸς μῦθος οὗτος.kalos mythos houtos.That is a beautiful myth.
