Κύκλωψ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Superficially decomposes as κύκλος (kúklos, “wheel, circle”) + ὤψ (ṓps, “eye”). This is thought to be a folk etymology, with the true etymology in Proto-Indo-European *pḱu-klōps (“cattle thief”) becoming obscured after the loss of the word *péḱu. Cattle thieves are pervasive in Indo-European mythology; before the folk etymology, the Cyclops would have been a cattle thief of no unusual facial disposition.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ký.klɔːps/ → /ˈcy.klops/ → /ˈci.klops/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ký.klɔːps/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈky.klops/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈcy.klops/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈcy.klops/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈci.klops/

Noun

Κύκλωψ • (Kúklōps) m (genitive Κύκλωπος or Κύκλοπος); third declension

1. a Cyclops

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ Κύκλωψ; τοῦ Κύκλωπος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ Κύκλωψ ho Kúklōps	τὼ Κύκλωπε tṑ Kúklōpe	οἱ Κύκλωπες hoi Kúklōpes
Genitive	τοῦ Κύκλωπος toû Kúklōpos	τοῖν Κυκλώποιν toîn Kuklṓpoin	τῶν Κυκλώπων tôn Kuklṓpōn
Dative	τῷ Κύκλωπῐ tôi Kúklōpi	τοῖν Κυκλώποιν toîn Kuklṓpoin	τοῖς Κύκλωψῐ / Κύκλωψῐν toîs Kúklōpsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν Κύκλωπᾰ tòn Kúklōpa	τὼ Κύκλωπε tṑ Kúklōpe	τοὺς Κύκλωπᾰς toùs Kúklōpas
Vocative	Κύκλωψ Kúklōps	Κύκλωπε Kúklōpe	Κύκλωπες Kúklōpes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ Κύκλωψ; τοῦ Κύκλοπος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ Κύκλωψ ho Kúklōps	τὼ Κύκλοπε tṑ Kúklope	οἱ Κύκλοπες hoi Kúklopes
Genitive	τοῦ Κύκλοπος toû Kúklopos	τοῖν Κυκλόποιν toîn Kuklópoin	τῶν Κυκλόπων tôn Kuklópōn
Dative	τῷ Κύκλοπῐ tôi Kúklopi	τοῖν Κυκλόποιν toîn Kuklópoin	τοῖς Κύκλοψῐ / Κύκλοψῐν toîs Kúklopsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν Κύκλοπᾰ tòn Kúklopa	τὼ Κύκλοπε tṑ Kúklope	τοὺς Κύκλοπᾰς toùs Kúklopas
Vocative	Κύκλωψ Kúklōps	Κύκλοπε Kúklope	Κύκλοπες Kúklopes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• Κυκλωπεία (Kuklōpeía)
• Κυκλώπειος (Kuklṓpeios)
• Κυκλωπία (Kuklōpía)
• Κυκλωπικός (Kuklōpikós)
• Κυκλωπικῶς (Kuklōpikôs)
• Κυκλώπιον (Kuklṓpion)
• Κυκλώπιος (Kuklṓpios)
• Κυκλωπίς (Kuklōpís)

 

Descendants

• → English: cyclops
• Greek: Κύκλωψ (Kýklops), Κύκλωπας (Kýklopas)
• → Latin: cyclōps

References

• “Κύκλωψ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Κύκλωψ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[2], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,007