κνίψ

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 27 October 2024

Alternative forms

  • σκνίψ (skníps)

Etymology

Formation rhyming with θρίψ (thríps, woodworm) and ἴψ (íps, kind of worm). It has been compared with words for "pinching" in Baltic and Germanic, but these are rather European substrate words. The whole picture is that of a Pre-Greek word: very small animal, long , prothetic σ-.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

κνῑ́ψ • (knī́psm (genitive κνῑπός); third declension

  1. kind of insect that infests fig and oak trees and devours the gallfly

Declension

Derived terms

  • κνῑπείᾱ (knīpeíā)
  • κνῑπειον (knīpeion)
  • κνῑπεύω (knīpeúō)
  • κνῑπολόγος (knīpológos)
  • κνῑπόομαι (knīpóomai)
  • κνῑπότης (knīpótēs)

Further reading