πέλεκυς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain: Compare Sanskrit परशु (paraśú, “axe”) and Ossetian фӕрӕт (færæt, “axe”), pointing to a late, dialectal Proto-Indo-European word like *peleḱu- which does not appear to be a native formation. This etymon is often considered a Wanderwort, with similarity to Akkadian 𒁄 (pilakku, pilaqqu, “wooden handle; spindle, harp”), itself from Sumerian 𒁄 (balag, “wooden handle; spindle, harp; possibly a split piece of wood or wooden wedge”); compare Arabic فَلَقَ (falaqa, “to split apart”) and πέλεκκον (pélekkon, “axe handle”). This has led some to suggest that the Proto-Indo-European terms are ultimately borrowed through the Akkadian or another Semitic source. Furnée points to βέλεκκος (bélekkos, “kind of pulse”), suggesting a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

πέλεκῠς • (pélekŭs) m (genitive πελέκεως); third declension

  1. two-edged axe for felling trees
  2. battle axe, executioner's axe

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ πέλεκῠς; τοῦ πελέκεως (Attic)
Case / # Singular Dual Plural
Nominative ὁ πέλεκῠς
ho pélekŭs 		τὼ πελέκει
tṑ pelékei 		οἱ πελέκεις
hoi pelékeis
Genitive τοῦ πελέκεως
toû pelékeōs 		τοῖν πελεκέοιν
toîn pelekéoin 		τῶν πελέκεων
tôn pelékeōn
Dative τῷ πελέκει
tōî pelékei 		τοῖν πελεκέοιν
toîn pelekéoin 		τοῖς πελέκεσῐ / πελέκεσῐν
toîs pelékesĭ(n)
Accusative τὸν πέλεκῠν
tòn pélekŭn 		τὼ πελέκει
tṑ pelékei 		τοὺς πελέκεις
toùs pelékeis
Vocative πέλεκῠ
pélekŭ 		πελέκει
pelékei 		πελέκεις
pelékeis
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.
Third declension of πέλεκῠς; πελέκεος (Epic)
Case / # Singular Dual Plural
Nominative πέλεκῠς
pélekŭs 		πελέκει
pelékei 		πελέκεες
pelékees
Genitive πελέκεος
pelékeos 		πελεκέοιν / πελεκέοιῐν
pelekéoi(ĭ)n 		πελέκεων
pelékeōn
Dative πελέκει
pelékei 		πελεκέοιν / πελεκέοιῐν
pelekéoi(ĭ)n 		πελέκεσσι / πελέκεσσιν
pelékessi(n)
Accusative πέλεκῠν
pélekŭn 		πελέκει
pelékei 		πελέκεᾰς
pelékeăs
Vocative πέλεκῠ
pélekŭ 		πελέκει
pelékei 		πελέκεες
pelékees
Notes:
  • Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

  • ἑξαπέλεκυς (hexapélekus)
  • πελεκάω (pelekáō)
  • πελέκημα (pelékēma)
  • πελέκησις (pelékēsis)
  • πελεκητής (pelekētḗs)
  • πελεκητός (pelekētós)
  • πελεκητρίς (pelekētrís)
  • πελεκήτωρ (pelekḗtōr)
  • πελεκίζω (pelekízō)
  • πελεκῑνοειδής (pelekīnoeidḗs)
  • πελεκῖνος (pelekînos)
  • πελέκιον (pelékion)
  • πελεκισμός (pelekismós)
  • πελεκοφόρος (pelekophóros)
  • πελεκυνάριον (pelekunárion)
  • σφυροπέλεκυς (sphuropélekus)

Descendants

  • Greek: πέλεκυς (pélekys)

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πέλεκυς (pélekus), cognate with Sanskrit परशु (paraśú, “axe”), which would reflect Proto-Indo-European *peleḱús if reconstructed back to PIE.[1] Beekes suggested a Pre-Greek origin.[2] Compare also German Beil (“axe”) as well as Hungarian and Turkish balta, both meaning "axe."

Noun

πέλεκυς • (pélekys) m (plural πελέκεις)

  1. battle axe, double-headed axe
    Synonyms: τσεκούρι n (tsekoúri), πελέκι n (peléki)
  2. a force that punishes severely
    Synonyms: ποινή f (poiní), απειλή f (apeilí), τιμωρία f (timoría)
    Βαρύς θα είναι ο πέλεκυς τού υπουργείου για τις κλινικές που δεν συμμορφώνονται με τον κανονισμό.
    Varýs tha eínai o pélekys toú ypourgeíou gia tis klinikés pou den symmorfónontai me ton kanonismó.
    The ministry's penalty will be severe for clinics that do not conform to the regulation.

Declension

Declension of πέλεκυς
singular plural
nominative πέλεκυς (pélekys) πελέκεις (pelékeis)
genitive πέλεκυ (péleky) πελέκεων (pelékeon)
accusative πέλεκυ (péleky) πελέκεις (pelékeis)
vocative πέλεκυ (péleky) πελέκεις (pelékeis)

  there is an alternative genitive singular: πελέκεως (pelékeos)

  • χειροπέλεκυς m (cheiropélekys, “handaxe, handpick, chisel”)

References

  1. ^ J. P. Mallory, D. Q. Adams, The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European (2006, →ISBN): "We find cognates in Grk pélekus, Oss færæt, and Skt paraśú, and the proto-form is often compared with Semitic forms, e.g. Akkadian pilakku which some translate as 'axe' but others translate as 'spindle', which is semantically very distant."
  2. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “πέλεκυς”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, pages 1166-1167

Further reading

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