μύσταξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• βύσταξ (bústax)
• μύττακες (múttakes)

Etymology

According to Beekes, both the variants listed in the alternative forms section suggest a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mýs.taks/ → /ˈmys.taks/ → /ˈmis.taks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mýs.taks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈmys.taks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmys.taks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmys.taks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmis.taks/

Noun

μύστᾰξ • (mústax) m (genitive μύστᾰκος); third declension

1. upper lip or moustache

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ μῠ́στᾰξ; τοῦ μῠ́στᾰκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μῠ́στᾰξ ho mústax	τὼ μῠ́στᾰκε tṑ mústake	οἱ μῠ́στᾰκες hoi mústakes
Genitive	τοῦ μῠ́στᾰκος toû mústakos	τοῖν μῠστᾰ́κοιν toîn mustákoin	τῶν μῠστᾰ́κων tôn mustákōn
Dative	τῷ μῠ́στᾰκῐ tôi mústaki	τοῖν μῠστᾰ́κοιν toîn mustákoin	τοῖς μῠ́στᾰξῐ / μῠ́στᾰξῐν toîs mústaxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν μῠ́στᾰκᾰ tòn mústaka	τὼ μῠ́στᾰκε tṑ mústake	τοὺς μῠ́στᾰκᾰς toùs mústakas
Vocative	μῠ́στᾰξ mústax	μῠ́στᾰκε mústake	μῠ́στᾰκες mústakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• ⇒ Byzantine Greek: μουστάκιον (moustákion)
  • Greek: μουστάκι (moustáki)
  • Pontic Greek: μουστάκιν (moustákin), μουστάκι (moustáki), μουστάκ' (mousták')
    • → Laz: მუსტაკი (musťaǩi), მუსტაჭი (musťaç̌i)
  • → Medieval Latin: mustācium (see there for further descendants)
  • → Sicilian: mustacchiu
    • → Italian: mustacchio
      • → English: mustachio
• →⇒ English: mystacial
• →⇒ French: mystaciale

Further reading

• “μύσταξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• μύσταξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette