φάλαγξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵ- (“beam, plank”). Compare Latin sufflamen and Old High German balcho.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pʰá.laŋks/ → /ˈɸa.laŋks/ → /ˈfa.laŋks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰá.laŋks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpʰa.laŋks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɸa.laŋks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈfa.laŋks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈfa.laŋks/

Noun

φᾰ́λᾰγξ • (phálanx) f (genitive φᾰ́λᾰγγος); third declension

1. battle order, array
2. line or rank of an army
3. phalanx: a clustered mass of infantry
4. main body, center (as opposed to the periphery)
5. round piece of wood: trunk, log
6. (in the plural) rollers (Latin: palangae)
7. the beam of a balance
8. the bone between two joints of a finger or toe
9. spider

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ φᾰ́λᾰγξ; τῆς φᾰ́λᾰγγος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ φᾰ́λᾰγξ hē phálanx	τὼ φᾰ́λᾰγγε tṑ phálange	αἱ φᾰ́λᾰγγες hai phálanges
Genitive	τῆς φᾰ́λᾰγγος tês phálangos	τοῖν φᾰλᾰ́γγοιν toîn phalángoin	τῶν φᾰλᾰ́γγων tôn phalángōn
Dative	τῇ φᾰ́λᾰγγῐ têi phálangi	τοῖν φᾰλᾰ́γγοιν toîn phalángoin	ταῖς φᾰ́λᾰγξῐ / φᾰ́λᾰγξῐν taîs phálanxi(n)
Accusative	τὴν φᾰ́λᾰγγᾰ tḕn phálanga	τὼ φᾰ́λᾰγγε tṑ phálange	τᾱ̀ς φᾰ́λᾰγγᾰς tā̀s phálangas
Vocative	φᾰ́λᾰγξ phálanx	φᾰ́λᾰγγε phálange	φᾰ́λᾰγγες phálanges
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: φάλαγγα f (fálanga)
• → Classical Syriac: ܦܠܓܐ (plaggā)
• → Latin: phalanx (see there for further descendants)
• → Latin: phalanga (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Armenian: փաղանգ (pʻałang), փալանգ (pʻalang)
  • → Armenian: փաղանգ (pʻaġang)

Further reading

• “φάλαγξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “φάλαγξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “φάλαγξ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• φάλαγξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• φάλαγξ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • line idem, page 492.
  • phalanx idem, page 610.
  • scorpion idem, page 741.
  • spider idem, page 801.