κνέφαλλον

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• γνάφαλλον (gnáphallon), γνόφαλλον (gnóphallon), κνάφαλλον (knáphallon)

Etymology

Ultimately from κνάπτω (knáptō, “to card wool”), compared with Proto-Celtic *knawī (“fleece”), but the variation in forms suggests a Pre-Greek origin instead. See also κνάφος (knáphos, “prickly teasel”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kné.pʰal.lon/ → /ˈkne.ɸal.lon/ → /ˈkne.fa.lon/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kné.pʰal.lon/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈkne.pʰal.lon/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈkne.ɸal.lon/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈkne.fal.lon/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈkne.fa.lon/

Noun

κνέφᾰλλον • (knéphallon) n (genitive κνεφᾰ́λλου); second declension

1. wool torn off in carding or fulling cloth
2. flock used for stuffing pillows and cushions
3. (in general) cushion, pillow

Inflection

Second declension of τὸ κνέφᾰλλον; τοῦ κνεφᾰ́λλου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ κνέφᾰλλον tò knéphallon	τὼ κνεφᾰ́λλω tṑ knephállō	τᾰ̀ κνέφᾰλλᾰ tà knéphalla
Genitive	τοῦ κνεφᾰ́λλου toû knephállou	τοῖν κνεφᾰ́λλοιν toîn knephálloin	τῶν κνεφᾰ́λλων tôn knephállōn
Dative	τῷ κνεφᾰ́λλῳ tôi knephállōi	τοῖν κνεφᾰ́λλοιν toîn knephálloin	τοῖς κνεφᾰ́λλοις toîs knephállois
Accusative	τὸ κνέφᾰλλον tò knéphallon	τὼ κνεφᾰ́λλω tṑ knephállō	τᾰ̀ κνέφᾰλλᾰ tà knéphalla
Vocative	κνέφᾰλλον knéphallon	κνεφᾰ́λλω knephállō	κνέφᾰλλᾰ knéphalla
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• γναφάλλιον (gnaphállion)
• γναφαλλίς (gnaphallís)
• γναφαλλολόγος (gnaphallológos)
• γναφαλλοπώλης (gnaphallopṓlēs)
• γναφαλλοϋφάντης (gnaphalloüphántēs)
• γναφαλώδης (gnaphalṓdēs)

 

Further reading

• “κνέφαλλον”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• κνέφαλλον in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette