Argolid

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A historic district in the northeastern Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece, centred on the ancient city of Argos
2. The northeastern part of the Peloponnese in southern Greece, known for its archaeological sites such as Mycenae and Tiryns
3. A region of southern Greece on the Peloponnese peninsula, containing the plain and ancient cities once ruled by Argos and Mycenae

Etymology: "Argolid" is the name of a region in the northeastern Peloponnese of Greece, around the ancient city of Argos. The English word comes from Ancient Greek "Argolís," the adjective meaning "of Argos" or "Argive," formed from the name of the city. The final "-d" is not part of the original adjective: it comes from the oblique stem of the Greek word, the form the noun takes before most endings, which can be seen in the genitive "Argolídos." Used as a noun, the word names the district itself; used as an adjective, it describes things belonging to or associated with that area. The pattern is the same as in many English place-derived words, where a regional name is shaped by Greek grammar before it reaches us.