ὄρπηξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ὄρπαξ (órpax) — Doric
• ὅρπηξ (hórpēx) — Attic

Etymology

The formation is like σκώληξ (skṓlēx), κάχληξ (kákhlēx) and νάρθηξ (nárthēx). The comparison with Lithuanian várpa (“ear of corn”) is not very illuminating. A derivation from the root of Latin sarpō (“to trim”), Latin sarmentum (“osiers”) and ἅρπη (hárpē, “sickle”) is unlikely too, as an o-grade of this root is not attested elsewhere. According to Beekes, it is rather a word.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ór.pɛːks/ → /ˈor.piks/ → /ˈor.piks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ór.pɛːks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈor.pe̝ks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈor.piks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈor.piks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈor.piks/

Noun

ὄρπηξ • (órpēx) m (genitive ὄρπηκος); third declension

1. (botany) sapling, sprig, young shoot

   Synonyms: ἔρνος (érnos), θαλλός (thallós), τέρχνος (térkhnos)

2. goad, lance, anything made with saplings
3. scion, descendant

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ ὄρπηξ; τοῦ ὄρπηκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὄρπηξ ho órpēx	τὼ ὄρπηκε tṑ órpēke	οἱ ὄρπηκες hoi órpēkes
Genitive	τοῦ ὄρπηκος toû órpēkos	τοῖν ὀρπήκοιν toîn orpḗkoin	τῶν ὀρπήκων tôn orpḗkōn
Dative	τῷ ὄρπηκῐ tôi órpēki	τοῖν ὀρπήκοιν toîn orpḗkoin	τοῖς ὄρπηξῐ / ὄρπηξῐν toîs órpēxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ὄρπηκᾰ tòn órpēka	τὼ ὄρπηκε tṑ órpēke	τοὺς ὄρπηκᾰς toùs órpēkas
Vocative	ὄρπηξ órpēx	ὄρπηκε órpēke	ὄρπηκες órpēkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• εὐόρπηξ (euórpēx)

References

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