βρεκεκεκέξ
Ancient Greek
Etymology
Onomatopoeic, a sound to imitate the croaking of frogs.
Pronunciation
- (5th BCE Attic) IPA(key): /bre.ke.ke.kéks/
- (1st CE Egyptian) IPA(key): /bre.ke.keˈkeks/
- (4th CE Koine) IPA(key): /βre.ce.ceˈceks/
- (10th CE Byzantine) IPA(key): /vre.ce.ceˈceks/
- (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA(key): /vre.ce.ceˈceks/
Interjection
βρεκεκεκέξ • (brekekekéx)
- (onomatopoeia) ribbit (the sound of a croaking frog), a croak.
- Aristophanes, The Frogs, 239-240 (c. 405 BC), tr. Jeffrey Henderson:
- Βάτραχοι: βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.
Διόνυσος: ἀλλ᾽ ὦ φιλῳδὸν γένος, παύσασθε.- Frogs: Rrrribbit, croak croak.
Dionysus: Ah, you songful race, do stop!
- Frogs: Rrrribbit, croak croak.
- Idem, 250-252:
- Διόνυσος καὶ Βάτραχοι: βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.
Διόνυσος: τουτὶ παρ᾿ ὑμῶν λαμβάνω.
Βάτραχοι: δεινὰ τἄρα πεισόμεσθα.- Dionysus and Frogs: Rrrribbit, croak croak.
Dionysus: I'm borrowing this from you!
Frogs: What an awful thing to do!
- Dionysus and Frogs: Rrrribbit, croak croak.
- Idem, 260-262:
- Διόνυσος καὶ Βάτραχοι: βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.
Διόνυσος: τούτῳ γὰρ οὐ νικήσετε.
Βάτραχοι: οὐδὲ μὴν ἡμᾶς σὺ πάντως.- Diónusos kaì Bátrakhoi: brekekekèx koàx koáx.
Diónusos: toútōi gàr ou nikḗsete.
Bátrakhoi: oudè mḕn hēmâs sù pántōs. - Dionysus and Frogs: Rrrribbit, croak croak.
Dionysus: You won't beat me at this!
Frogs: And you absolutely won’t beat us!
- Diónusos kaì Bátrakhoi: brekekekèx koàx koáx.
- Aristophanes, The Frogs, 239-240 (c. 405 BC), tr. Jeffrey Henderson:
Related terms
- κοάξ (koáx)
References
- “βρεκεκεκέξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “βρεκεκεκέξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
- βρεκεκεκέξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
- βρεκεκεκέξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
- Aristophanes: The Frogs