ἀκοστή

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • ἀγοσταί (agostaí)

Etymology

Unknown, maybe substrate. Compare perhaps Proto-Slavic *ęčьmy (barley). Beekes rejects a connection to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (sharp, pointed) (cf. in particular Latin acus (bran, awn), Gothic 𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌰 (ahana, awn, chaff), Proto-West Germanic *agil (awn)), suggesting instead a foreign origin.

See also ἄχυρον (ákhuron, chaff, bran; debris, slag), traditionally linked to the above but now understood to be Pre-Greek.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

ἀκοστή • (akostḗf (genitive ἀκοστῆς); first declension

  1. barley
    Synonym: κριθή (krithḗ)
    • 200 BCE – 100 BCE, Nicander, Alexipharmaca 106

Inflection

References