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ἵππος

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: ίππος

Ancient Greek

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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    PIE word
    *h₁éḱwos

    From Proto-Hellenic *íkkʷos (compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀂𐀦 (i-qo)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos, from *h₁oh₁ḱu- (swift). Unexplained is ι for ε, the word initial heavy breathing (h) and the double π (hίππος instead of expected **έπος), possibly borrowed from another Indo-European language where such a sound change is regular. Cognates include Sanskrit अश्व (áśva), Latin equus, Lithuanian ašva, Gaulish epos, Old Armenian էշ (ēš, donkey), Icelandic jór, and Old Irish ech.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́pposm or f (genitive ῐ̔́ππου); second declension (Epic, Attic, Ionic, Doric, Koine)

    1. a horse, (feminine) a mare
      • New Testament, Revelation 6:8:
        καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος χλωρός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ὄνομα αὐτῷ [ὁ] Θάνατος, καὶ ὁ ἅδης ἠκολούθει μετ' αὐτοῦ
        kaì eîdon, kaì idoù híppos khlōrós, kaì ho kathḗmenos epánō autoû ónoma autôi [ho] Thánatos, kaì ho hádēs ēkoloúthei met’ autoû
        And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. (KJV)
    2. (feminine) cavalry, horsemen

    Usage notes

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    • When used as a collective noun ("horse, cavalry"), this word is always feminine singular, even with numerals.
      460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.41:
      μετὰ δὲ ἵππος ἄλλη χιλίη ἐκ Περσέων ἀπολελεγμένη
      metà dè híppos állē khilíē ek Perséōn apolelegménē
      and after them came another thousand horsemen chosen out from the Persians

    Declension

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    Derived terms

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    Descendants

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    • Greek: ίππος (íppos)
    • English: hippo-
    • French: hippo-
    • Italian: ippo-
    • Portuguese: hipo-
    • Spanish: hipo-

    Further reading

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