Definition
In ancient Athens, the wife or widow of a government official called the basileus, or the priestess of Dionysus who participated in sacred rites.
Etymology
From Greek basilissa, feminine form of basileus (king or official). This was a specific religious title in Athenian state religion.
Kelly Says
The Basilinna participated in shocking fertility rituals with a wooden phallus, showing that ancient religious ceremonies were far stranger than most people imagine, and that women held powerful ritual roles.
Translations
ARالعربية
بازيلينا
ba-zeel-ee-nah
BNবাংলা
বাসিলিনা
ba-see-li-na
CACatalà
basilinna
ba-see-lee-na
CSČeština
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
DADansk
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
DEDeutsch
basilinna
bah-zee-lee-NAH
ELΕλληνικά
βασιλινά
va-see-lee-nah
ESEspañol
basilinna
bah-see-lee-NNAH
FAفارسی
باسیلینا
ba-see-lee-na
FISuomi
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
FRFrançais
basilinna
bah-see-lee-NNAH
GUGU
બાસિલિના
ba-see-li-na
HAHA
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
HEעברית
בזילינה
ba-zee-lee-nah
HIहिन्दी
बासिलिना
baasili-na
HUMagyar
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
IDBahasa Indonesia
basilinna
ba-si-li-na
IGIG
basiriina
ba-see-ree-na
ITItaliano
basilinna
ba-zee-lee-NAH
KMKM
បាសិលីណា
ba-see-li-na
MRMR
बासिलिना
ba-see-li-na
MSBahasa Melayu
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
MYမြန်မာ
ဘာစီလီနာ
ba-see-lee-na
NLNederlands
basilinna
bah-see-lee-NAH
NONorsk
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
PAPA
ਬਾਸਿਲੀਨਾ
ba-see-lee-na
PLPolski
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
PTPortuguês
basilinna
bah-see-lee-NAH
RORomână
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
RUРусский
базиллина
bazillina
SVSvenska
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
SWKiswahili
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
TAதமிழ்
பேசில்லினை
pa-see-li-nai
TEతెలుగు
బాసిలిన
ba-see-li-na
THไทย
บาซิลิเน
ba-si-li-ne
TLTL
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
TRTürkçe
basilinna
bah-see-lee-NAH
UKУкраїнська
базиліна
bazili-na
URاردو
بزلینا
ba-zeeli-na
VITiếng Việt
basilinna
ba-si-li-na
YOYO
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
ZUZU
basilinna
bah-see-lee-nah
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Greek basilinna (queen, wife of basileus/king) embedded gender hierarchy into institutional titles. The feminine form explicitly marked women's status as derived from male rank rather than independent authority.
Inclusive Usage
In historical contexts, note the gendered naming. For contemporary governance, use gender-neutral titles like 'head of state' or specify role independently of spousal status.
Inclusive Alternatives
["monarch","sovereign","head of state","ruler"]
Empowerment Note
Women exercised actual power in ancient and medieval contexts but titles like basilinna often erased their autonomous authority, framing queenship as derivative from marriage rather than as independent rule.