ὠκύς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁oh₁ḱús (“quick, swift”). Cognate with Sanskrit आशु (āśú) and Latin ocior, and possibly related to ἵππος (híppos, “horse”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɔː.kýs/ → /oˈcys/ → /oˈcis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɔː.kýs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /oˈkys/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /oˈcys/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /oˈcys/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /oˈcis/

Adjective

ὠκῠ́ς • (ōkús) m (feminine ὠκεῖᾰ, neuter ὠκῠ́); first/third declension

1. (chiefly poetic) fast, swift, quick
2. (with accusative of respect, in the epithet πόδας ὠκύς (pódas ōkús), referring to Achilles) swift of foot, swift-footed
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.84:

     Τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

     Tòn d’ apameibómenos proséphē pódas ōkùs Akhilleús;

     Answering him, swift-footed Achilles said to [him]:

Inflection

The feminine singular ὠκέᾰ (ōkéa) is used by Homer for metrical reasons, especially in the phrase (πόδας) ὠκέᾰ Ἶρῐς ((pódas) ōkéa Îris) (short–short—long–short–short—long–long), used at the end of a line, where ὠκεῖᾰ (ōkeîa) would yield an unmetrical short–short—long–long–short–long–long.

First and third declension of ὠκῠ́ς; ὠκεῖᾰ; ὠκῠ́ (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ὠκῠ́ς ōkús	ὠκεῖᾰ ōkeîa	ὠκῠ́ ōkú		ὠκέε ōkée	ὠκείᾱ ōkeíā	ὠκέε ōkée		ὠκεῖς ōkeîs	ὠκεῖαι ōkeîai	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa
Genitive		ὠκέος ōkéos	ὠκείᾱς ōkeíās	ὠκέος ōkéos		ὠκέοιν ōkéoin	ὠκείαιν ōkeíain	ὠκέοιν ōkéoin		ὠκέων ōkéōn	ὠκειῶν ōkeiôn	ὠκέων ōkéōn
Dative		ὠκεῖ ōkeî	ὠκείᾳ ōkeíāi	ὠκεῖ ōkeî		ὠκέοιν ōkéoin	ὠκείαιν ōkeíain	ὠκέοιν ōkéoin		ὠκέσῐ / ὠκέσῐν ōkési(n)	ὠκείαις ōkeíais	ὠκέσῐ / ὠκέσῐν ōkési(n)
Accusative		ὠκῠ́ν ōkún	ὠκεῖᾰν ōkeîan	ὠκῠ́ ōkú		ὠκέε ōkée	ὠκείᾱ ōkeíā	ὠκέε ōkée		ὠκεῖς ōkeîs	ὠκείᾱς ōkeíās	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa
Vocative		ὠκῠ́ ōkú	ὠκεῖᾰ ōkeîa	ὠκῠ́ ōkú		ὠκέε ōkée	ὠκείᾱ ōkeíā	ὠκέε ōkée		ὠκεῖς ōkeîs	ὠκεῖαι ōkeîai	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ὠκέως ōkéōs				ὠκῠ́τερος ōkúteros				ὠκῠ́τᾰτος ōkútatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of ὠκῠ́ς; ὠκέᾰ; ὠκῠ́ (Epic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ὠκῠ́ς ōkús	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa	ὠκῠ́ ōkú		ὠκέε ōkée	ὠκείᾱ ōkeíā	ὠκέε ōkée		ὠκέες ōkées	ὠκεῖαι ōkeîai	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa
Genitive		ὠκέος ōkéos	ὠκείης ōkeíēs	ὠκέος ōkéos		ὠκέοιῐν ōkéoiin	ὠκείαιν / ὠκείαιῐν / ὠκείῃῐν ōkeíai(i)n / ōkeíēiin	ὠκέοιῐν ōkéoiin		ὠκέων ōkéōn	ὠκειᾱ́ων / ὠκειέ͜ων / ὠκειῶν ōkeiā́ōn / ōkeié͜ōn / ōkeiôn	ὠκέων ōkéōn
Dative		ὠκεῖ ōkeî	ὠκείῃ ōkeíēi	ὠκεῖ ōkeî		ὠκέοιῐν ōkéoiin	ὠκείαιν / ὠκείαιῐν / ὠκείῃῐν ōkeíai(i)n / ōkeíēiin	ὠκέοιῐν ōkéoiin		ὠκέεσσῐ / ὠκέεσσῐν / ὠκέεσῐ / ὠκέεσῐν / ὠκέσῐ / ὠκέσῐν ōkéessi(n) / ōkéesi(n) / ōkési(n)	ὠκείῃσῐ / ὠκείῃσῐν / ὠκείῃς / ὠκείαις ōkeíēisi(n) / ōkeíēis / ōkeíais	ὠκέεσσῐ / ὠκέεσσῐν / ὠκέεσῐ / ὠκέεσῐν / ὠκέσῐ / ὠκέσῐν ōkéessi(n) / ōkéesi(n) / ōkési(n)
Accusative		ὠκῠ́ν ōkún	ὠκεῖᾰν ōkeîan	ὠκῠ́ ōkú		ὠκέε ōkée	ὠκείᾱ ōkeíā	ὠκέε ōkée		ὠκέᾰς ōkéas	ὠκείᾱς ōkeíās	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa
Vocative		ὠκῠ́ ōkú	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa	ὠκῠ́ ōkú		ὠκέε ōkée	ὠκείᾱ ōkeíā	ὠκέε ōkée		ὠκέες ōkées	ὠκεῖαι ōkeîai	ὠκέᾰ ōkéa
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ὠκέως ōkéōs				ὠκῠ́τερος ōkúteros				ὠκῠ́τᾰτος ōkútatos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Synonyms

• ταχύς (takhús)

Derived terms

• ποδώκης (podṓkēs)
• ὠκύπορος (ōkúporos)
• ὠκύροος (ōkúroos)

 

Related terms

• ὀξύς (oxús)
• ἀκή (akḗ)
• ἀκμή (akmḗ)

References

• “ὠκύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ὠκύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ὠκύς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ὠκύς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ὠκύς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ὠκύς”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • fast idem, page 308.
  • fleet idem, page 327.
  • hasty idem, page 387.
  • nimble idem, page 558.
  • quick idem, page 665.
  • swift idem, page 848.