φάλαγξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵ- (“beam, plank”), with cognates such as Latin sufflāmen and Old High German balcho, but regular derivation of φᾰ́λᾰγγ- from this root is phonetically impossible, and the suffix is prototypical of Pre-Greek.^[1] Possibly related to φάλκης (phálkēs) via the same substrate source.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰá.laŋks/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpʰa.laŋks/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɸa.laŋks/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈfa.laŋks/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈfa.laŋks/

Noun

φᾰ́λᾰγξ • (phắlănx) f (genitive φᾰ́λᾰγγος); third declension

line of battle, battle-array
(in the plural) ranks of an army
phalanx, a clustered mass of infantry
main body, center (as opposed to the periphery)
round piece of wood, trunk, log
(in the plural) rollers for moving heavy loads
beam of a balance or steelyard
bone between two joints of a finger or toe
row of eyelashes

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ φᾰ́λᾰγξ; τῆς φᾰ́λᾰγγος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ φᾰ́λᾰγξ hē phắlănx	τὼ φᾰ́λᾰγγε tṑ phắlănge	αἱ φᾰ́λᾰγγες hai phắlănges
Genitive	τῆς φᾰ́λᾰγγος tês phắlăngos	τοῖν φᾰλᾰ́γγοιν toîn phălắngoin	τῶν φᾰλᾰ́γγων tôn phălắngōn
Dative	τῇ φᾰ́λᾰγγῐ tēî phắlăngĭ	τοῖν φᾰλᾰ́γγοιν toîn phălắngoin	ταῖς φᾰ́λᾰγξῐ / φᾰ́λᾰγξῐν taîs phắlănxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν φᾰ́λᾰγγᾰ tḕn phắlăngă	τὼ φᾰ́λᾰγγε tṑ phắlănge	τᾱ̀ς φᾰ́λᾰγγᾰς tā̀s phắlăngăs
Vocative	φᾰ́λᾰγξ phắlănx	φᾰ́λᾰγγε phắlănge	φᾰ́λᾰγγες phắlănges
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

φαλαγγάρχης (phalangárkhēs)
φαλαγγαρχία (phalangarkhía)
φαλαγγηδόν (phalangēdón)
φαλάγγιον (phalángion)
φαλαγγίτης (phalangítēs)
φαλαγγομαχέω (phalangomakhéō)
φαλαγγομάχης (phalangomákhēs)
φαλαγγόω (phalangóō)
φαλάγγωμα (phalángōma)
φαλάγγωσις (phalángōsis)
φαλαγκτήριον (phalanktḗrion)

Descendants

Greek: φάλαγγα f (fálanga)
→ Classical Syriac: ܦܠܓܐ (plaggā)
→ Latin: phalanx (see there for further descendants)
→ Latin: phalanga (see there for further descendants)
→ Old Armenian: փաղանգ (pʻałang), փալանգ (pʻalang)
- → Armenian: փաղանգ (pʻaġang)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “φάλαγξ, -αγγος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1548–1549

“φάλαγξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“φάλαγξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“φάλαγξ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
φάλαγξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
φάλαγξ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- line idem, page 492.
- phalanx idem, page 610.
- scorpion idem, page 741.
- spider idem, page 801.

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “φάλαγξ, -αγγος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1548–1549

[1]