πύργος

See also: Πύργος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The word is first attested in Homer, Iliad 7.219. Believed to be a borrowed word, perhaps from Urartian 𒁓𒂵𒈾 (bur-ga-na /⁠burgana⁠/, pillar, column; altar, base, or built-up foundation), however this may itself be a loan with no known Hurrian cognate; compare also Old Armenian բուրգն (burgn, pyramid). Others connect the word to Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (high), with cognates including Sanskrit बृहत् (bṛhát, lofty, high, tall), Old Armenian բարձր (barjr, high) and Old English burg (English borough). Kretschmer suggested a borrowing from Proto-Germanic *burgz (fortified town, hill-fort) mediated through some Northern Balkans language (Ancient Macedonian?). For Beekes, the abundance of Pre-Greek placenames, like e. g. Πέργαμον (Pérgamon), seems to indicate a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

πῠ́ργος • (pŭ́rgosm (genitive πῠ́ργου); second declension

  1. tower, watchtower
  2. (in the plural) towered wall
  3. the part of the house where women live
  4. castle, fortress, bulwark
  5. (military) division, column

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Greek: πύργος (pýrgos)
  • ? Albanian: burg
  • ? Late Latin: burgus (see there for further descendants)
  • Translingual: Pyrgus
  • Turkish: burgaz

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πύργος (púrgos).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpiɾ.ɣos/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: πύρ‧γος

Noun

πύργος • (pýrgosm (plural πύργοι)

  1. tower
    κεντρικός πύργοςkentrikós pýrgoscentral tower, castle keep
  2. (chess) rook

Declension

Declension of πύργος
singular plural
nominative πύργος (pýrgos) πύργοι (pýrgoi)
genitive πύργου (pýrgou) πύργων (pýrgon)
accusative πύργο (pýrgo) πύργους (pýrgous)
vocative πύργε (pýrge) πύργοι (pýrgoi)

Derived terms

See also

Chess pieces in Greek · πεσσοί (pessoí) (layout · text)
βασιλιάς (vasiliás) βασίλισσα (vasílissa) πύργος (pýrgos) αξιωματικός (axiomatikós), τρελός (trelós) ίππος (íppos) στρατιώτης (stratiótis), πιόνι (pióni)

Further reading