ἀκτίς

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Ancient Greek[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From an uncertain source apparently shared with Sanskrit अक्तु (aktú, beam, ray),[1] perhaps:

  • Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekt- (beam), from an unidentified root;
  • Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (sharp point), which would exclude the Sanskrit;
  • Proto-Indo-European *n̥kʷt-ín-, *n̥kʷt-ú-, from *nokʷt- (night), with an obscure semantic development, perhaps “end of the night” which shifted to “dawn”, as paralleled by Gothic 𐌿𐌷𐍄𐍅𐍉 (uhtwō, dawn), and then “first light of dawn; ray of (dawn sun)light”. This is evidenced by the night-related meanings in the Sanskrit cognate.[2] However, Beekes rejects this etymology due to the lack of evidence for a labiovelar.

The suffix is unexplained in any case.

Pronunciation[edit]

 

Noun[edit]

ἀκτῑ́ς (aktī́sf (genitive ἀκτῖνος); third declension

  1. ray, beam
  2. (figuratively) brightness, splendor
  3. spoke (of a wheel)

Declension[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Greek: ακτίνα (aktína)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀκτίς, -ῖνος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 58–59
  2. ^ Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 305

Further reading[edit]