δορκάς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

δόρκος (dórkos)
δόρκων (dórkōn)
δόρξ (dórx)
ζορκάς (zorkás) — Ionic
ζόρξ (zórx)
ἴορκος (íorkos)

Etymology

Uncertain. Compare Cornish yorch, Welsh iwrch, which leads to a Proto-Indo-European *yorkos (“roe deer”). However, the δ is unexplained, except perhaps by connection with δέρκομαι (dérkomai, “I see clearly”). Has traditionally been explained as a simple derivative of δέρκομαι (dérkomai), because of their bright eyes.

The suffix might be identified as -άς (-ás); cf. semantically related κεμάς (kemás, “pricket”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /dor.kás/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /dorˈkas/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ðorˈkas/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ðorˈkas/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ðorˈkas/

Noun

δορκᾰ́ς • (dorkắs) f (genitive δορκᾰ́δος); third declension

roe, gazelle, antelope

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ δορκᾰ́ς; τῆς δορκᾰ́δος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ δορκᾰ́ς hē dorkắs	τὼ δορκᾰ́δε tṑ dorkắde	αἱ δορκᾰ́δες hai dorkắdes
Genitive	τῆς δορκᾰ́δος tês dorkắdos	τοῖν δορκᾰ́δοιν toîn dorkắdoin	τῶν δορκᾰ́δων tôn dorkắdōn
Dative	τῇ δορκᾰ́δῐ tēî dorkắdĭ	τοῖν δορκᾰ́δοιν toîn dorkắdoin	ταῖς δορκᾰ́σῐ / δορκᾰ́σῐν taîs dorkắsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν δορκᾰ́δᾰ tḕn dorkắdă	τὼ δορκᾰ́δε tṑ dorkắde	τᾱ̀ς δορκᾰ́δᾰς tā̀s dorkắdăs
Vocative	δορκᾰ́ς dorkắs	δορκᾰ́δε dorkắde	δορκᾰ́δες dorkắdes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension. Nominative singular -ς (-s) arose by reduction of the original cluster *-ds.

References

“δορκάς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“δορκάς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
δορκάς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
δορκάς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- antelope idem, page 32.
- doe idem, page 246.
- gazelle idem, page 355.
- hind idem, page 400.
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

Greek

Noun

δορκάς • (dorkás) f (plural δορκάδες)

roe deer

Declension

Declension of **δορκάς**
	singular	plural
nominative	δορκάς (dorkás)	δορκάδες (dorkádes)
genitive	δορκά (dorká)	δορκάδων (dorkádon)
accusative	δορκά (dorká)	δορκάδες (dorkádes)
vocative	δορκά (dorká)	δορκάδες (dorkádes)

Synonyms

ζαρκάδι n (zarkádi)