ἄσπαλος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷálos (“sheatfish”) and cognate with Latin squalus (“kind of big fish, shark”), Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬭𐬀 (kara, “kind of fish”), Old Prussian kalis, and Old English hwæl (“whale”). However, according to Beekes, it is rather a Pre-Greek word.

Pronunciation

(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈas.pa.los/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈas.pa.los/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈas.pa.los/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈas.pa.los/

Noun

ἄσπαλος • (áspalos)

Hesychius gives the definition as: ἰχθύς (ikhthús, “fish”).

Derived terms

ἀσπᾰλῐ́ᾱ (aspălĭ́ā)
ἀσπᾰλῐεύομαι (aspălĭeúomai)
ἀσπᾰλῐεύς (aspălĭeús)
ἀσπᾰλῐευτής (aspălĭeutḗs)
ἀσπᾰλῐευτῐκός (aspălĭeutĭkós)

Further reading

“ἄσπαλος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
ἄσπαλος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
Hesychius' Lexicon: α