πῆχυς

See also: πήχυς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *pā́kʰus, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰús. Cognates include Sanskrit बाहु (bāhu, arm), Old Persian 𐎲𐎠𐏀𐎢 (b-a-z-u /⁠bāzu⁠/) (Persian بازو (bâzu)), and Old English bōg (English bough).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

πῆχῠς • (pêkhŭsm (genitive πήχεως); third declension

  1. forearm, from the wrist to the elbow
    • 460 BCE – 370 BCE, Hippocrates of Kos, Τοῦ μεγάλου Ἱπποκράτους πάντων τῶν ἰατρῶν κορυφαίου τὰ εὑρισκόμενα. Magni Hippocratis medicorum omnium facile principis, opera omnia quæ extant. 751C
  2. the centrepiece, which joined the two horns of an ancient bow
  3. (in the plural) the horns or sides of the lyre
  4. (in the balance) the beam
    • Theological Principles of Arithmetic 39
  5. (as a measure of length) cubit, the distance from the point of the elbow to that of the little finger
    • ante 177 CE, Pollux, Onomasticon 2.158
    1. a cubit-rule, foot-rule
  6. (in the plural) the cubits, small children one cubit in height represented in pictures as playing round the Nile
    • 125 CE – 200 CE, Lucian, A Professor of Public Speaking 6
    • 170 CE – 250 CE, Philostratus, Collected Works 769

Inflection

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of lyre horns): ζυγόν (zugón, bridge)

Descendants

  • Greek: πήχης (píchis)
  • Italian: pechiagra

References