ἄγκυρα

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • ἄγκυρρα (ánkurrha)Lesbian

Etymology

Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk-ur-ya-, from *h₂enk- (corner, hirn) (whence also ἄγκος (ánkos)). This is supported by the OED;[1] however, Beekes is skeptical, due to the suffix -ῡρα (-ūra) being associated with presumably-substrate words including γέφῡρᾰ (géphūră, dam, dike) and γόργῡρα (górgūra, underground sewer), and takes the word as Pre-Greek.[2] The Greek word is the origin of or from the same source as Latin ancora.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

ᾰ̓́γκῡρᾰ • (ắnkūrăf (genitive ᾰ̓γκῡ́ρᾱς); first declension

  1. anchor
  2. hook

Inflection

Descendants

References

  1. ^ James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Ἄγκυρα”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.
  2. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἄγκῡρα”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 13

Further reading