ἄναξ

See also: άναξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ϝάναξ (wánax) — Corinthian, Doric, Laconian
ἀνακός (anakós) — unknown

Etymology

From earlier ϝάναξ (wánax), ϝάνακος (wánakos). Cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀷𐀙𐀏 (wa-na-ka) as well as Phrygian ουανακταν (ouanaktan /⁠wanaktan⁠/), Old Phrygian ϝανακτει (vanaktei), which may be an early loan from Greek^[1] or from a common third source.

The further origin is unknown, but likely a borrowing from a Pre-Greek substrate language, compare Aquitanian andox.^[1] Various alternative Indo-European etymologies have been proposed, including:

Cognate with Tocharian A nātäk (“lord”) (female counterpart nāśi (“queen”); cf. ᾰ̓́νασσᾰ (ắnassă)), from a Proto-Indo-European *w(n̥)nákts (“lord”).^[2]
Cognate with Sanskrit वणिज् (vaṇíj, “merchant, businessman”, an epithet of Indra in Vedic texts) from a Proto-Indo-European compound *wn̥-h₂eǵ-(t)- composed of *wenh₁- (“to strive”) + *h₂eǵ- (“to drive, lead”).^[3]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /á.naks/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈa.naks/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.naks/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.naks/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈa.naks/

Noun

ἄνᾰξ • (ánăx) m (genitive ἄνᾰκτος); third declension

lord, king
1. (of men)
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.442–443:
    ὦ Χρύση, πρό μ’ ἔπεμψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
    παῖδά τε σοὶ ἀγέμεν
    ô Khrúsē, pró m’ épempsen ánax andrôn Agamémnōn
    paîdá te soì agémen
    Chryses, Agamemnon, king of men, sent me forth
    to bring to you your daughter.
2. (of gods, often Apollo and Zeus)
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 3.351:
    Ζεῦ ἄνα δὸς τῑ́σασθαι ὅ με πρότερος κάκ’ ἔοργε
    δῖον Ἀλέξανδρον, καὶ ἐμῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶ δάμασσον
    Zeû ána dòs tī́sasthai hó me próteros kák’ éorge
    dîon Aléxandron, kaì emēîs hupò khersì dámasson
    O Lord Zeus, grant me to punish the man who first has done me wrong,
    noble Alexander, and beat him down under my hands
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Homeric Hymn to Apollo 14–15:
    χαῖρε, μάκαιρ’ ὦ Λητοῖ, ἐπεὶ τέκες ἀγλαὰ τέκνα,
    Ᾱ̓πόλλωνά τ’ ἄνακτα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ῑ̓οχέαιραν,
    khaîre, mákair’ ô Lētoî, epeì tékes aglaà tékna,
    Āpóllōná t’ ánakta kaì Ártemin īokhéairan,
    Rejoice, blessed Leto, since you have borne glorious children —
    the lord Apollo and Artemis strewer of arrows,
  - 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 513:
    νῦν δ’ αὖτε σωτὴρ ἴσθι καὶ παιώνιος,
    ἄναξ Ἄπολλον.
    nûn d’ aûte sōtḕr ísthi kaì paiṓnios,
    ánax Ápollon.
    But, in other mood, be our preserver and our healer,
    O lord Apollo.
master, owner
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.397–398:
  αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν οἴκοιο ἄναξ ἔσομ’ ἡμετέροιο
  καὶ δμώων, οὕς μοι ληίσσατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.
  autàr egṑn oíkoio ánax ésom’ hēmetéroio
  kaì dmṓōn, hoús moi lēíssato dîos Odusseús.
  [Telemachus:] But I shall be lord of our own house
  and of the slaves that godlike Odysseus won for me."

Usage notes

Often used to refer to Apollo. The vocative ᾰ̓́νᾰ (ắnă) is used only as an address to gods, for example in Ζεῦ ἄνα (Zeû ána, “O Zeus”).
The vocative ἄναξ (ánax) can be combined with the vocative particle ὦ (ô) to form ὦναξ (ônax, “O lord”).

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ ᾰ̓́ναξ; τοῦ ᾰ̓́νακτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ᾰ̓́ναξ ho ắnax	τὼ ᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ ắnakte	οἱ ᾰ̓́νακτες hoi ắnaktes
Genitive	τοῦ ᾰ̓́νακτος toû ắnaktos	τοῖν ᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn ănáktoin	τῶν ᾰ̓νάκτων tôn ănáktōn
Dative	τῷ ᾰ̓́νακτῐ tōî ắnaktĭ	τοῖν ᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn ănáktoin	τοῖς ᾰ̓́ναξῐ / ᾰ̓́ναξῐν toîs ắnaxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν ᾰ̓́νακτᾰ tòn ắnaktă	τὼ ᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ ắnakte	τοὺς ᾰ̓́νακτᾰς toùs ắnaktăs
Vocative	ᾰ̓́ναξ / ᾰ̓́νᾰ ắnax / ắnă	ᾰ̓́νακτε ắnakte	ᾰ̓́νακτες ắnaktes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ ϝᾰ̓́ναξ; τοῦ ϝᾰ̓́νακτος (Laconian)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ϝᾰ̓́ναξ ho wắnax	τὼ ϝᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ wắnakte	τοὶ ϝᾰ̓́νακτες toì wắnaktes
Genitive	τοῦ ϝᾰ̓́νακτος toû wắnaktos	τοῖν ϝᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn wănáktoin	τῶν ϝᾰ̓νάκτων tôn wănáktōn
Dative	τῷ ϝᾰ̓́νακτῐ tōî wắnaktĭ	τοῖν ϝᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn wănáktoin	τοῖς ϝᾰ̓́ναξῐ / ϝᾰ̓́ναξῐν toîs wắnaxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν ϝᾰ̓́νακτᾰ tòn wắnaktă	τὼ ϝᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ wắnakte	τὼς ϝᾰ̓́νακτᾰς tṑs wắnaktăs
Vocative	ϝᾰ̓́ναξ / ϝᾰ̓́νᾰ wắnax / wắnă	ϝᾰ̓́νακτε wắnakte	ϝᾰ̓́νακτες wắnaktes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Synonyms

(lord, master, king): ᾰ̓́νασσᾰ (ắnassă, “queen”) (feminine), βᾰσῐλεύς (băsĭleús), δεσπότης (despótēs), κοίρᾰνος (koírănos), κῡ́ρῐος (kū́rĭos), μεδέων (medéōn), μέδων (médōn), πρύτᾰνῐς (prútănĭs), τύραννος (túrannos)

Derived terms

ᾰ̓νακτορῐ́ᾱ (ănaktorĭ́ā)
Ἀνακτορία (Anaktoría)
ᾰ̓νακτόρῐος (ănaktórĭos)
ᾰ̓νάκτορον (ănáktoron)
Ᾰ̓νακτοτελέσται (Ănaktoteléstai)
ᾰ̓νάκτωρ (ănáktōr)
Ᾰ̓ναξᾰγόρᾱς (Ănaxăgórās)
Ἀναξάνδρα (Anaxándra)
Ἀνάξανδρος (Anáxandros)
Ᾰ̓ναξᾰρέτη (Ănaxărétē)
Ᾰ̓νάξαρχος (Ănáxarkhos)
ᾰ̓ναξῐ́ᾱ (ănaxĭ́ā)
ᾰ̓ναξίαλος (ănaxíalos)
Ἀναξίβια (Anaxíbia)
Ᾰ̓ναξίβιος (Ănaxíbios)
ᾰ̓ναξιβρέντας (ănaxibréntas)
ᾰ̓ναξιδώρᾱ (ănaxidṓrā)
Ᾰ̓νᾰξῐκρᾰ́της (Ănăxĭkrắtēs)
Ᾰ̓ναξῐ́μανδρος (Ănaxĭ́mandros)
Ᾰ̓ναξιμένης (Ănaximénēs)
ᾰ̓ναξίμολπος (ănaxímolpos)
Ἀνάξιππος (Anáxippos)
ᾰ̓ναξιφόρμιγξ (ănaxiphórminx)
ᾰ̓νάσσω (ănássō)
Ἀστυάναξ (Astuánax)
Ἀστυάνασσα (Astuánassa)
εὐδῐᾰ́νᾰξ (eudĭắnăx)
Εὐρυάνασσα (Euruánassa)
ῐ̔ππιᾰ́νᾰξ (hĭppiắnăx)
Ἱππῶνᾰξ (Hippônăx)
οἰκῶνᾰξ (oikônăx)
πᾱσῐᾰ́νᾰξ (pāsĭắnăx)
Πλειστοᾰ́νᾰξ (Pleistoắnăx)
πῠριπηγᾰ́νᾰξ (pŭripēgắnăx)
Τῑμῶνᾰξ (Tīmônăx)
χειρῶνᾰξ (kheirônăx)

Related terms

ᾰ̓́νασσᾰ (ắnassă, “queen”)

Descendants

Greek: άναξ (ánax)
→ Translingual: Anax

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἄναξ, -ακτος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 98-99
^ Mallory, J. P. with Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (Oxford Linguistics), New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 268
^ Wodtko, Dagmar S., Irslinger, Britta, Schneider, Carolin (2008) “*h₂eĝ-”, in Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon [Nouns in the Indo-European Lexicon] (in German), Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, pages 267, 270