Despótis (δεσπότης) vs. despota (δεσποτα)

[Nestor_kea]

Some languages have different forms in nominative case and vocative case, meaning “basic form” of a noun, adjective… is different than when calling or addressing someone. For example, standard title for Byzantine rite bishop is “vladyka” but in some Slavic languages “Na mnohaja i blahaja lita, vladykO,” not vladyka. There is also Greek version (transliterated): “Is polla eti despota.” When I was trying to find “vladyka” in Greek, I obtained only “despotis”, not “despota”. Unfortunately, I do not speak Greek and so I would like to ask here if someone knows what the correct nominative form of “vladyka” is in Greek. Is this word (in any of the cases) the same in Greek millennium ago and now, or do they differ?

Thank you. And if possible, use diacritics as well, please.

 

[DaveBj]

Some languages have different forms in nominative case and vocative case, meaning “basic form” of a noun, adjective… is different than when calling or addressing someone. For example, standard title for Byzantine rite bishop is “vladyka” but in some Slavic languages “Na mnohaja i blahaja lita, vladykO,” not vladyka. There is also Greek version (transliterated): “Is polla eti despota.” When I was trying to find “vladyka” in Greek, I obtained only “despotis”, not “despota”. Unfortunately, I do not speak Greek and so I would like to ask here if someone knows what the correct nominative form of “vladyka” is in Greek. Is this word (in any of the cases) the same in Greek millennium ago and now, or do they differ?

Thank you. And if possible, use diacritics as well, please.

To clarify, are you looking for the word vladyka/vladyko in Greek, or are you looking for the Greek word from which the Slavic word vladyka/vladiko is translated?

Preliminarily, I can say that vladyka/vladyko is not a Greek word; the stem *vlad- identifies it as a Slavic word. I cannot address the difference between the -a/-o endings. In modern Russian владыка/wladyka means “ruler/sovereign/lord.”

 

[Nestor_kea]

No, vladyka (nominative) vs. vladyko (vocative) is just an example which some people may know from Slavic-based liturgies. I know and understand very exactly and precisely with great amount of etimology what the word vladyka means. (I myself speak a number of Slavic languages and understand even more.) What I am asking is how despotis, despota… work in Greek language. I suppose that despota is vocative (when addressing someone). But I do not know what the correct form of nominative (“basic form”) is. I guess despotis could be the answer but since I do not speak Greek language I need to ask someone who does or simply knows the answer.

 

[Vico]

No, vladyka (nominative) vs. vladyko (vocative) is just an example which some people may know from Slavic-based liturgies. I know and understand very exactly and precisely with great amount of etimology what the word vladyka means. (I myself speak a number of Slavic languages and understand even more.) What I am asking is how despotis, despota… work in Greek language. I suppose that despota is vocative (when addressing someone). But I do not know what the correct form of nominative (“basic form”) is. I guess despotis could be the answer but since I do not speak Greek language I need to ask someone who does or simply knows the answer.

case singluar
nominative δεσπότης
genitive δεσπότη
genitive δεσπότου [ancient Greek]
accusative δεσπότη
vocative δεσπότη
vocative δεσπότα [ancient Greek]

 

[Nestor_kea]

Thank you very much, Vico.

So:

• Good morning, δεσπότη. (today)
• Pray for me, δεσπότα. (who died many, many years ago)
• The Melchite Patriarch is His Beautide δεσπότης Gregory III Laham.

 

[DaveBj]

Vico beat me too it. I gotta get a little quicker on the draw with my working aids

 

[Cavaradossi]

Thank you very much, Vico.

So:

• Good morning, δεσπότη. (today)
• Pray for me, δεσπότα. (who died many, many years ago)
• The Melchite Patriarch is His Beautide δεσπότης Gregory III Laham.

The term δεσπότης is primarily liturgical in usage. I can’t recall the last time I’ve heard a Greek bishop called δέσποτα (note that the accent is on the first, not second syllable in the vocative) in conversation, which as I understand it is quite different from how vladyka is used. When one intends to make direct reference to a bishop, it is much more common to address a bishop by his honorific title. As a rule of thumb, σεβασμιώτατος is for most metropolitans and archbishops, whereas simple bishops are usually θεοφιλέστατος. For higher ranking bishops, you have to look up the particular term of address.