σπάλαξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀσπᾰ́λᾰξ (aspálax), ἀσφᾰ́λᾰξ (asphálax)
• σφᾰ́λᾰξ (sphálax)

Etymology

According to Beekes, of Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /spá.laks/ → /ˈspa.laks/ → /ˈspa.laks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spá.laks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.laks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.laks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.laks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.laks/

Noun

σπᾰ́λᾰξ • (spálax) f (genitive σπᾰ́λᾰκος); third declension

1. Greater blind mole-rat, Spalax microphthalmus
2. meadow saffron, Colchicum parnassicum

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ σπᾰ́λᾰξ; τῆς σπᾰ́λᾰκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ σπᾰ́λᾰξ hē spálax	τὼ σπᾰ́λᾰκε tṑ spálake	αἱ σπᾰ́λᾰκες hai spálakes
Genitive	τῆς σπᾰ́λᾰκος tês spálakos	τοῖν σπᾰλᾰ́κοιν toîn spalákoin	τῶν σπᾰλᾰ́κων tôn spalákōn
Dative	τῇ σπᾰ́λᾰκῐ têi spálaki	τοῖν σπᾰλᾰ́κοιν toîn spalákoin	ταῖς σπᾰ́λᾰξῐ / σπᾰ́λᾰξῐν taîs spálaxi(n)
Accusative	τὴν σπᾰ́λᾰκᾰ tḕn spálaka	τὼ σπᾰ́λᾰκε tṑ spálake	τᾱ̀ς σπᾰ́λᾰκᾰς tā̀s spálakas
Vocative	σπᾰ́λᾰξ spálax	σπᾰ́λᾰκε spálake	σπᾰ́λᾰκες spálakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• (Spalax microphthalmus): σκᾰ́λοψ (skálops), σιφνεύς (siphneús), πᾰλᾰμίς (palamís), ἴνδουρος (índouros)

Derived terms

• σπαλακία (spalakía)
• σπαλακορύπαινα (spalakorúpaina)
• σπαλακός (spalakós)

Descendants

• Translingual: Spalax, Spalacolestes, Spalacolestinae, Spalacotheriidae, Spalacotheridium, Spalacotherium, Spalacotheroides,

References

• “σπάλαξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σπάλαξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN