Learn Greek › B1 › σπηλιά
σπηλιά
cave /spiˈlʝa/
nounB1#1717 most common
Also: cavern, grotto
Example sentences
Η σπηλιά είναι σκοτεινή.
The cave is dark.
Τα παιδιά βρήκαν μια σπηλιά κοντά στη θάλασσα.
The children found a cave near the sea.
Μπήκαμε στη σπηλιά με φακούς.
We entered the cave with flashlights.
Ο βοσκός κρατούσε τα πρόβατά του μέσα σε μια σπηλιά τον χειμώνα.
The shepherd kept his sheep inside a cave during winter.
Οι αρχαιολόγοι ανακάλυψαν ζωγραφιές στα τοιχώματα της σπηλιάς.
The archaeologists discovered paintings on the walls of the cave.
Η σπηλιά είχε διαμορφωθεί εδώ και χιλιάδες χρόνια από τη διάβρωση του νερού.
The cave had formed thousands of years ago from water erosion.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | η σπηλιά | οι σπηλιές |
| Genitive | της σπηλιάς | των σπηλιών |
| Accusative | τη σπηλιά | τις σπηλιές |
| Vocative | σπηλιά | σπηλιές |
Word family
σπήλαιοcave, cavern (formal term, used in geology/archaeology)
σπηλαιολόγοςspeleologist, cave researcher
σπηλαιολογίαspeleology, the study of caves
σπηλαιώδηςcave-like, cavernous
Etymology
The word comes from ancient Greek σπήλαιον (spēlaion), meaning cave or grotto. Over time the form shifted in popular speech to σπηλιά, the everyday Modern Greek word for cave. The root relates to the idea of a hollow or hidden space in rock.
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