κωκύω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. Traditionally from Proto-Indo-European *kew(H)-, a problematic and probably onomatopoeic root or roots, but formal derivation from it is impossible anyway, hence Pokorny assumes dissimilation from *kū-kū́-.^[1] He further assumes that this form is an intensive reduplication, based on the comparison with Sanskrit कौति (kauti, “to cry, moan”) and कोकूयते (kokūyate), but, as Beekes notes, these are only attested by grammarians. Alternatively, compare Old Armenian քուք (kʻukʻ, “groan, moan, wail, sigh”). According to Beekes, the word is not Indo-European and, thus, probably Pre-Greek.^[2] Compare also Ancient Greek κώκαλον (kṓkalon, adjective) in the sense “a kind of cock”, similarly resembling onomatopoeia.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kɔː.ky̌ː.ɔː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /koˈky.o/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /koˈcy.o/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /koˈcy.o/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /koˈci.o/

Verb

κωκῡ́ω • (kōkū́ō)

(especially of women) to shriek, wail
Synonyms: θρέομαι (thréomai), ὀδῡ́ρομαι (odū́romai)
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.703:
  κώκυσέν τ’ ἄρ’ ἔπειτα γέγωνέ τε πᾶν κατὰ ἄστυ·
  kṓkusén t’ ár’ épeita gégōné te pân katà ástu;
  Thereupon, she shrieked and cried all through the city:
to lament or shriek over one dead

Inflection

Present: κωκῡ́ω, κωκῡ́ομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	κωκῡ́ω	κωκῡ́εις	κωκῡ́ει	κωκῡ́ετον	κωκῡ́ετον	κωκῡ́ομεν	κωκῡ́ετε	κωκῡ́ουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	κωκῡ́ω	κωκῡ́ῃς	κωκῡ́ῃ	κωκῡ́ητον	κωκῡ́ητον	κωκῡ́ωμεν	κωκῡ́ητε	κωκῡ́ωσῐ(ν)
	optative	κωκῡ́οιμῐ	κωκῡ́οις	κωκῡ́οι	κωκῡ́οιτον	κωκῡοίτην	κωκῡ́οιμεν	κωκῡ́οιτε	κωκῡ́οιεν
	imperative		κώκῡε	κωκῡέτω	κωκῡ́ετον	κωκῡέτων		κωκῡ́ετε	κωκῡόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	κωκῡ́ομαι	κωκῡ́ῃ / κωκῡ́ει	κωκῡ́εται	κωκῡ́εσθον	κωκῡ́εσθον	κωκῡόμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́εσθε	κωκῡ́ονται
	subjunctive	κωκῡ́ωμαι	κωκῡ́ῃ	κωκῡ́ηται	κωκῡ́ησθον	κωκῡ́ησθον	κωκῡώμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́ησθε	κωκῡ́ωνται
	optative	κωκῡοίμην	κωκῡ́οιο	κωκῡ́οιτο	κωκῡ́οισθον	κωκῡοίσθην	κωκῡοίμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́οισθε	κωκῡ́οιντο
	imperative		κωκῡ́ου	κωκῡέσθω	κωκῡ́εσθον	κωκῡέσθων		κωκῡ́εσθε	κωκῡέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		κωκῡ́ειν				κωκῡ́εσθαι
participle	m	κωκῡ́ων				κωκῡόμενος
	f	κωκῡ́ουσᾰ				κωκῡομένη
	n	κωκῦον				κωκῡόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: κωκῡ́σω, κωκῡ́σομαι, κωκῡθήσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	κωκῡ́σω	κωκῡ́σεις	κωκῡ́σει	κωκῡ́σετον	κωκῡ́σετον	κωκῡ́σομεν	κωκῡ́σετε	κωκῡ́σουσῐ(ν)
active	optative	κωκῡ́σοιμῐ	κωκῡ́σοις	κωκῡ́σοι	κωκῡ́σοιτον	κωκῡσοίτην	κωκῡ́σοιμεν	κωκῡ́σοιτε	κωκῡ́σοιεν
middle	indicative	κωκῡ́σομαι	κωκῡ́σῃ / κωκῡ́σει	κωκῡ́σεται	κωκῡ́σεσθον	κωκῡ́σεσθον	κωκῡσόμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́σεσθε	κωκῡ́σονται
middle	optative	κωκῡσοίμην	κωκῡ́σοιο	κωκῡ́σοιτο	κωκῡ́σοισθον	κωκῡσοίσθην	κωκῡσοίμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́σοισθε	κωκῡ́σοιντο
passive	indicative	κωκῡθήσομαι	κωκῡθήσῃ	κωκῡθήσεται	κωκῡθήσεσθον	κωκῡθήσεσθον	κωκῡθησόμεθᾰ	κωκῡθήσεσθε	κωκῡθήσονται
passive	optative	κωκῡθησοίμην	κωκῡθήσοιο	κωκῡθήσοιτο	κωκῡθήσοισθον	κωκῡθησοίσθην	κωκῡθησοίμεθᾰ	κωκῡθήσοισθε	κωκῡθήσοιντο
		active			middle		passive
infinitive		κωκῡ́σειν			κωκῡ́σεσθαι		κωκῡθήσεσθαι
participle	m	κωκῡ́σων			κωκῡσόμενος		κωκῡθησόμενος
	f	κωκῡ́σουσᾰ			κωκῡσομένη		κωκῡθησομένη
	n	κωκῦσον			κωκῡσόμενον		κωκῡθησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἐκώκῡσᾰ, ἐκωκῡσᾰ́μην, ἐκωκῡ́θην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐκώκῡσᾰ	ἐκώκῡσᾰς	ἐκώκῡσε(ν)	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰτον	ἐκωκῡσᾰ́την	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰμεν	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰτε	ἐκώκῡσᾰν
	subjunctive	κωκῡ́σω	κωκῡ́σῃς	κωκῡ́σῃ	κωκῡ́σητον	κωκῡ́σητον	κωκῡ́σωμεν	κωκῡ́σητε	κωκῡ́σωσῐ(ν)
	optative	κωκῡ́σαιμῐ	κωκῡ́σειᾰς / κωκῡ́σαις	κωκῡ́σειε(ν) / κωκῡ́σαι	κωκῡ́σαιτον	κωκῡσαίτην	κωκῡ́σαιμεν	κωκῡ́σαιτε	κωκῡ́σειᾰν / κωκῡ́σαιεν
	imperative		κώκῡσον	κωκῡσᾰ́τω	κωκῡ́σᾰτον	κωκῡσᾰ́των		κωκῡ́σᾰτε	κωκῡσᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἐκωκῡσᾰ́μην	ἐκωκῡ́σω	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰτο	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰσθον	ἐκωκῡσᾰ́σθην	ἐκωκῡσᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰσθε	ἐκωκῡ́σᾰντο
	subjunctive	κωκῡ́σωμαι	κωκῡ́σῃ	κωκῡ́σηται	κωκῡ́σησθον	κωκῡ́σησθον	κωκῡσώμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́σησθε	κωκῡ́σωνται
	optative	κωκῡσαίμην	κωκῡ́σαιο	κωκῡ́σαιτο	κωκῡ́σαισθον	κωκῡσαίσθην	κωκῡσαίμεθᾰ	κωκῡ́σαισθε	κωκῡ́σαιντο
	imperative		κώκῡσαι	κωκῡσᾰ́σθω	κωκῡ́σᾰσθον	κωκῡσᾰ́σθων		κωκῡ́σᾰσθε	κωκῡσᾰ́σθων
passive	indicative	ἐκωκῡ́θην	ἐκωκῡ́θης	ἐκωκῡ́θη	ἐκωκῡ́θητον	ἐκωκῡθήτην	ἐκωκῡ́θημεν	ἐκωκῡ́θητε	ἐκωκῡ́θησᾰν
	subjunctive	κωκῡθῶ	κωκῡθῇς	κωκῡθῇ	κωκῡθῆτον	κωκῡθῆτον	κωκῡθῶμεν	κωκῡθῆτε	κωκῡθῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	κωκῡθείην	κωκῡθείης	κωκῡθείη	κωκῡθεῖτον / κωκῡθείητον	κωκῡθείτην / κωκῡθειήτην	κωκῡθεῖμεν / κωκῡθείημεν	κωκῡθεῖτε / κωκῡθείητε	κωκῡθεῖεν / κωκῡθείησᾰν
	imperative		κωκῡ́θητῐ	κωκῡθήτω	κωκῡ́θητον	κωκῡθήτων		κωκῡ́θητε	κωκῡθέντων
		active			middle		passive
infinitive		κωκῦσαι			κωκῡ́σᾰσθαι		κωκῡθῆναι
participle	m	κωκῡ́σᾱς			κωκῡσᾰ́μενος		κωκῡθείς
	f	κωκῡ́σᾱσᾰ			κωκῡσᾰμένη		κωκῡθεῖσᾰ
	n	κωκῦσᾰν			κωκῡσᾰ́μενον		κωκῡθέν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ἀνᾰκωκῡ́ω (anăkōkū́ō)
ἐπῐκωκῡ́ω (epĭkōkū́ō)
κώκῡμᾰ (kṓkūmă)
κωκῡτῐ́ς (kōkūtĭ́s)
Κωκῡτός (Kōkūtós)
κωκῡτός (kōkūtós)

References

^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “kău-, kĕu- kū-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 535-6
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “κωκύω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 813