βάμβαξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• βάμβηξ (bámbēx)
• βάμβιξ (bámbix)
• πάμβαξ (pámbax)

Etymology

Herodotus describes the word as Indian, while Theophrastus says that it was found near the Persian Gulf. From the same root are Middle Persian pmbk', Old Armenian բամբակ (bambak) and Ottoman Turkish پاموق (pamuk).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /bám.baks/ → /ˈβam.baks/ → /ˈvam.baks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /bám.baks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈbam.baks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈβam.baks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈvam.baks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈvam.baks/

Noun

βάμβαξ • (bámbax) m (genitive βάμβακος); third declension

1. cotton

   Synonyms: γοσσύπιον (gossúpion), ἐριόξυλον (erióxulon)

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ βάμβαξ; τοῦ βάμβακος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βάμβαξ ho bámbax	τὼ βάμβακε tṑ bámbake	οἱ βάμβακες hoi bámbakes
Genitive	τοῦ βάμβακος toû bámbakos	τοῖν βαμβάκοιν toîn bambákoin	τῶν βαμβάκων tôn bambákōn
Dative	τῷ βάμβακῐ tôi bámbaki	τοῖν βαμβάκοιν toîn bambákoin	τοῖς βάμβαξῐ / βάμβαξῐν toîs bámbaxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν βάμβακᾰ tòn bámbaka	τὼ βάμβακε tṑ bámbake	τοὺς βάμβακᾰς toùs bámbakas
Vocative	βάμβαξ bámbax	βάμβακε bámbake	βάμβακες bámbakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• βαμβάκινος (bambákinos)
• βαμβάκιον (bambákion)
• βαμβακοειδής (bambakoeidḗs)

 

Descendants

• ⇒ Byzantine Greek: βαμβάκιον (bambákion)
  • Greek: βαμβάκι (vamváki)
  • → Medieval Latin: bombacium, bambacium, bombecium, bambecium
    • Italo-Dalmatian:
      • Italian: bambagia
    • Venetian: bonbaxo, bombàxo, bombàs
      • → Cimbrian: bombaas
      • → Slovene: bombaž
• → Late Latin: bombax, bambax, bombix, bambix, *bombacum
  • Eastern Romance:
    • Aromanian: bumbac
    • Romanian: bumbac
  • Rhaeto-Romance:
    • Romansch: bambesch ?

Further reading

• βάμβαξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• 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