πελεκάν

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Derived from πέλεκυς (pélekus, “axe”), because of the functional and/or formal similarity with an axe. Compare similar bird names, like πελεκανός (pelekanós, “coot”), πελεκᾶς (pelekâs, “woodpecker”) and πελεκῖνος (pelekînos, “pelican”). Furnée compares σπέλεκτος (spélektos, “pelican”), suggesting a Pre-Greek etymology.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pe.le.kán/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pe.leˈkan/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /pe.leˈkan/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /pe.leˈkan/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /pe.leˈkan/

Noun

πελεκᾰ́ν • (pelekắn) m (genitive πελεκᾶνος); third declension

pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
Synonyms: ὀνοκρότᾰλος (onokrótălos), πελεκῖνος (pelekînos)

Declension

Third declension of ὁ πελεκᾰ́ν; τοῦ πελεκᾶνος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ πελεκᾰ́ν ho pelekắn	τὼ πελεκᾶνε tṑ pelekâne	οἱ πελεκᾶνες hoi pelekânes
Genitive	τοῦ πελεκᾶνος toû pelekânos	τοῖν πελεκᾱ́νοιν toîn pelekā́noin	τῶν πελεκᾱ́νων tôn pelekā́nōn
Dative	τῷ πελεκᾶνῐ tōî pelekânĭ	τοῖν πελεκᾱ́νοιν toîn pelekā́noin	τοῖς πελεκᾶσῐ / πελεκᾶσῐν toîs pelekâsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν πελεκᾶνᾰ tòn pelekână	τὼ πελεκᾶνε tṑ pelekâne	τοὺς πελεκᾶνᾰς toùs pelekânăs
Vocative	πελεκᾰ́ν pelekắn	πελεκᾶνε pelekâne	πελεκᾶνες pelekânes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

→ Latin: pelecānus (see there for further descendants)
→ Old Armenian: պեղական (pełakan)