καλός

See also: κάλος, κάλως, and καλώς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• κᾱ́λος (kā́los) — Aeolic
• κᾰλϝός (kălwós) — Boeotian
• κάλλιμος (kállimos) — Epic

Etymology

From earlier κᾰλϝός (kălwós), probably from Proto-Indo-European *kal-wo-s, formed from *kal- (“beautiful”).

Cognate with Sanskrit कल्य (kalya), Sanskrit क॒ल्याण॑ (kalyā́ṇa), Albanian kolmë. Note also Proto-Germanic *haliþaz (“hero”).

Pronunciation

(Attic, etc.):

 

• IPA^(key): /ka.lós/ → /kaˈlos/ → /kaˈlos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ka.lós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/

(Epic):

 

• IPA^(key): /kaː.lós/ → /kaˈlos/ → /kaˈlos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kaː.lós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/

Adjective

κᾰλός • (kălós) m (feminine κᾰλή, neuter κᾰλόν); first/second declension (Epic) κᾱλός • (kālós) m (feminine κᾱλή, neuter κᾱλόν); first/second declension

1. beautiful; lovely
2. useful; helpful; appropriate
3. good; right; moral; virtuous; noble

Usage notes

• The first syllable is usually long in Epic and early iambic poetry, due to its original form being κᾰλϝός (kălwós), resulting in a syllable ending in a consonant: /kal.ˈwos/: once the digamma was lost, the heavy syllable was reanalyzed as being the consequence of a long vowel in the first syllable: κᾱλός (kālós).

  c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.96–97:

  ὣς εἰποῦσ’ ὑπὸ ποσσὶν ἐδήσατο κᾱλὰ [= καλϝά] πέδῑλα,
  ἀμβρόσια χρῡ́σεια,

  hṑs eipoûs’ hupò possìn edḗsato kālà [= kalwá] pédīla,
  ambrósia khrū́seia,

  So saying, she tied beautiful immortal golden sandals under her feet,

• In lyric poetry and tragedy, the α is short; in elegiac, epigrammatic, and bucolic poets, it is variable.

Declension

First and second declension of κᾰλός; κᾰλή; κᾰλόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		κᾰλός kălós	κᾰλή kălḗ	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλώ kălṓ	κᾰλᾱ́ kălā́	κᾰλώ kălṓ		κᾰλοί kăloí	κᾰλαί kălaí	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Genitive		κᾰλοῦ kăloû	κᾰλῆς kălês	κᾰλοῦ kăloû		κᾰλοῖν kăloîn	κᾰλαῖν kălaîn	κᾰλοῖν kăloîn		κᾰλῶν kălôn	κᾰλῶν kălôn	κᾰλῶν kălôn
Dative		κᾰλῷ kălōî	κᾰλῇ kălēî	κᾰλῷ kălōî		κᾰλοῖν kăloîn	κᾰλαῖν kălaîn	κᾰλοῖν kăloîn		κᾰλοῖς kăloîs	κᾰλαῖς kălaîs	κᾰλοῖς kăloîs
Accusative		κᾰλόν kălón	κᾰλήν kălḗn	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλώ kălṓ	κᾰλᾱ́ kălā́	κᾰλώ kălṓ		κᾰλούς kăloús	κᾰλᾱ́ς kălā́s	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Vocative		κᾰλέ kălé	κᾰλή kălḗ	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλώ kălṓ	κᾰλᾱ́ kălā́	κᾰλώ kălṓ		κᾰλοί kăloí	κᾰλαί kălaí	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		κᾰλῶς κᾰλόν kălôs kălón				κᾰλλῑ́ων κᾰλλῐώτερος κᾰλώτερος kăllī́ōn kăllĭṓteros kălṓteros				κᾰ́λλῐστος κᾰλλῐώτᾰτος κᾰλώτᾰτος kắllĭstos kăllĭṓtătos kălṓtătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and second declension of κᾱλός; κᾱλή; κᾱλόν (Epic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		κᾱλός kālós	κᾱλή kālḗ	κᾱλόν kālón		κᾱλώ kālṓ	κᾱλᾱ́ kālā́	κᾱλώ kālṓ		κᾱλοί kāloí	κᾱλαί kālaí	κᾱλᾰ́ kālắ
Genitive		κᾱλοῖο κᾱλοῦ kāloîo kāloû	κᾱλῆς kālês	κᾱλοῖο κᾱλοῦ kāloîo kāloû		κᾱλοῖῐ̈ν kāloîĭ̈n	κᾱλαῖῐ̈ν kālaîĭ̈n	κᾱλοῖῐ̈ν kāloîĭ̈n		κᾱλῶν kālôn	κᾱλᾱ́ων κᾱλέων κᾱλῶν kālā́ōn kāléōn kālôn	κᾱλῶν kālôn
Dative		κᾱλῷ kālōî	κᾱλῇ kālēî	κᾱλῷ kālōî		κᾱλοῖῐ̈ν kāloîĭ̈n	κᾱλαῖῐ̈ν kālaîĭ̈n	κᾱλοῖῐ̈ν kāloîĭ̈n		κᾱλοῖσῐ κᾱλοῖσῐν κᾱλοῖς kāloîsĭ(n) kāloîs	κᾱλῇσῐ κᾱλῇσῐν κᾱλῇς κᾱλαῖς kālēîsĭ(n) kālēîs kālaîs	κᾱλοῖσῐ κᾱλοῖσῐν κᾱλοῖς kāloîsĭ(n) kāloîs
Accusative		κᾱλόν kālón	κᾱλήν kālḗn	κᾱλόν kālón		κᾱλώ kālṓ	κᾱλᾱ́ kālā́	κᾱλώ kālṓ		κᾱλούς kāloús	κᾱλᾱ́ς kālā́s	κᾱλᾰ́ kālắ
Vocative		κᾱλέ kālé	κᾱλή kālḗ	κᾱλόν kālón		κᾱλώ kālṓ	κᾱλᾱ́ kālā́	κᾱλώ kālṓ		κᾱλοί kāloí	κᾱλαί kālaí	κᾱλᾰ́ kālắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		κᾱλῶς kālôs				κᾰλλῑ́ων kăllī́ōn				κᾰ́λλῐστος kắllĭstos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First and second declension of κᾰλός; κᾰλή; κᾰλόν (Ionic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		κᾰλός kălós	κᾰλή kălḗ	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλώ kălṓ	κᾰλᾱ́ kălā́	κᾰλώ kălṓ		κᾰλοί kăloí	κᾰλαί kălaí	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Genitive		κᾰλοῦ kăloû	κᾰλῆς kălês	κᾰλοῦ kăloû		κᾰλοῖν kăloîn	κᾰλαῖν kălaîn	κᾰλοῖν kăloîn		κᾰλῶν kălôn	κᾰλέων κᾰλῶν kăléōn kălôn	κᾰλῶν kălôn
Dative		κᾰλῷ kălōî	κᾰλῇ kălēî	κᾰλῷ kălōî		κᾰλοῖν kăloîn	κᾰλαῖν kălaîn	κᾰλοῖν kăloîn		κᾰλοῖσῐ κᾰλοῖσῐν kăloîsĭ(n)	κᾰλῇσῐ κᾰλῇσῐν kălēîsĭ(n)	κᾰλοῖσῐ κᾰλοῖσῐν kăloîsĭ(n)
Accusative		κᾰλόν kălón	κᾰλήν kălḗn	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλώ kălṓ	κᾰλᾱ́ kălā́	κᾰλώ kălṓ		κᾰλούς kăloús	κᾰλᾱ́ς kălā́s	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Vocative		κᾰλέ kălé	κᾰλή kălḗ	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλώ kălṓ	κᾰλᾱ́ kălā́	κᾰλώ kălṓ		κᾰλοί kăloí	κᾰλαί kălaí	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		κᾰλῶς κᾰλόν kălôs kălón				κᾰλλῑ́ων kăllī́ōn				κᾰ́λλῐστος kắllĭstos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First and second declension of κᾰλός; κᾰλή; κᾰλόν (Byzantine)

Number		Singular				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		κᾰλός kălós	κᾰλή kălḗ	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλοί kăloí	κᾰλαί kălaí	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Genitive		κᾰλοῦ kăloû	κᾰλῆς kălês	κᾰλοῦ kăloû		κᾰλῶν kălôn	κᾰλῶν kălôn	κᾰλῶν kălôn
Dative		κᾰλῷ kălōî	κᾰλῇ kălēî	κᾰλῷ kălōî		κᾰλοῖς kăloîs	κᾰλαῖς kălaîs	κᾰλοῖς kăloîs
Accusative		κᾰλόν kălón	κᾰλήν kălḗn	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλούς kăloús	κᾰλᾱ́ς kălā́s	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ
Vocative		κᾰλέ kălé	κᾰλή kălḗ	κᾰλόν kălón		κᾰλοί kăloí	κᾰλαί kălaí	κᾰλᾰ́ kălắ

Derived terms

• κᾰ́λλῐστος (kắllĭstos)
• Κᾰλλῐστώ (Kăllĭstṓ)
• κᾰλλῑ́ων (kăllī́ōn)
• κᾰλόγηρος (kălógēros)
• κᾰλόπους (kălópous)

Related terms

• κᾰ́λλος (kắllos)

Descendants

• Greek: καλός (kalós, “good”)
• Arabic: قالون (“Qālūn”)

Further reading

• “καλός, ή, όν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “καλός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “καλός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• “καλός” in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001), A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• καλός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “καλός”, in Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G2570 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• καλός in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007), Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • admirable idem, page 12.
  • artistic idem, page 42.
  • auspicious idem, page 53.
  • beautiful idem, page 68.
  • buxom idem, page 107.
  • capital idem, page 111.
  • comely idem, page 145.
  • creditable idem, page 183.
  • elegant idem, page 265.
  • estimable idem, page 283.
  • excellent idem, page 288.
  • exquisite idem, page 296.
  • fair idem, page 302.
  • favourable idem, page 311.
  • fine idem, page 321.
  • fortunate idem, page 340.
  • good idem, page 366.
  • goodly idem, page 367.
  • handsome idem, page 383.
  • happy idem, page 384.
  • high-principled idem, page 400.
  • honourable idem, page 405.
  • hopeful idem, page 405.
  • lovely idem, page 502.
  • lucky idem, page 504.
  • noble idem, page 559.
  • ornamental idem, page 580.
  • picturesque idem, page 611.
  • plausible idem, page 618.
  • pomantic idem, page 625.
  • principled idem, page 641.
  • promising idem, page 653.
  • propitious idem, page 653.
  • reputable idem, page 699.
  • righteous idem, page 715.
  • skilful idem, page 780.
  • specious idem, page 799.
  • spruce idem, page 806.
  • virtuous idem, page 954.
  • well-favoured idem, page 974.
• καλός, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κᾰλός (“beautiful, morally beautiful, of good quality”), from Proto-Indo-European *kal-wo-s, form of *kal- (“beautiful”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈlos/
• Hyphenation: κα‧λός
• Homophone: καλώς (kalós)

Adjective

καλός • (kalós) m (feminine καλή, neuter καλό)

1. good

   Antonym: κακός (kakós)

2. nice, likeable

Declension

Declension of καλός

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	καλός (kalós)	καλή (kalí)	καλό (kaló)		καλοί (kaloí)	καλές (kalés)	καλά (kalá)
genitive	καλού (kaloú)	καλής (kalís)	καλού (kaloú)		καλών (kalón)	καλών (kalón)	καλών (kalón)
accusative	καλό (kaló)	καλή (kalí)	καλό (kaló)		καλούς (kaloús)	καλές (kalés)	καλά (kalá)
vocative	καλέ (kalé)	καλή (kalí)	καλό (kaló)		καλοί (kaloí)	καλές (kalés)	καλά (kalá)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο καλός, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο καλός, etc.)

Degrees of comparison: see absolute comparative καλύτερος (kalýteros) and superlatives άριστος (áristos), learned κάλλιστος. Also, the less common καλότατος (kalótatos).

Derived terms

• καλό ταξίδι (kaló taxídi, “bon voyage”, literally “good journey”)
• καλή όρεξη (kalí órexi, “bon appetit”, literally “good appetite”)
• καλό μήνα (kaló mína, literally “good month”) (a greeting for the new month)

Related terms

• καλό (kaló)

Noun

καλός • (kalós) m (plural καλοί)

1. the good man

   Οι καλοί θα πάνε στον Παράδεισο. ― Oi kaloí tha páne ston Parádeiso. ― The good will go to Heaven.

2. goodie, goody
3. sweetheart

Declension

Declension of καλός

	singular	plural
nominative	καλός (kalós)	καλοί (kaloí)
genitive	καλού (kaloú)	καλών (kalón)
accusative	καλό (kaló)	καλούς (kaloús)
vocative	καλέ (kalé)	καλοί (kaloí)