ἔγχος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally derived from a tentative Proto-Indo-European root *h₁neǵʰ- (“to stab, pierce, spear”), and linked with νύσσω (nússō, “to thrust, sting, pierce”), Proto-Slavic *nožь (“knife”).^[1] However, according to Beekes, of uncertain origin but possibly from Pre-Greek.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /éŋ.kʰos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈeŋ.kʰos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈeŋ.xos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈeŋ.xos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈeŋ.xos/

Noun

ἔγχος • (énkhos) n (genitive ἔγχους or ἔγχεος); third declension

(Epic) spear, spearmanship
Synonym: ἐγχείη (enkheíē)
(later) weapons in general: sword, arrow, etc.
(metonymic) armed force

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ ἔγχος; τοῦ ἔγχους (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ἔγχος tò énkhos	τὼ ἔγχει tṑ énkhei	τᾰ̀ ἔγχη tằ énkhē
Genitive	τοῦ ἔγχους toû énkhous	τοῖν ἐγχοῖν toîn enkhoîn	τῶν ἐγχῶν tôn enkhôn
Dative	τῷ ἔγχει tōî énkhei	τοῖν ἐγχοῖν toîn enkhoîn	τοῖς ἔγχεσῐ / ἔγχεσῐν toîs énkhesĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸ ἔγχος tò énkhos	τὼ ἔγχει tṑ énkhei	τᾰ̀ ἔγχη tằ énkhē
Vocative	ἔγχος énkhos	ἔγχει énkhei	ἔγχη énkhē
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἔγχος; ἔγχεος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἔγχος énkhos	ἔγχει / ἔγχεε énkhei / énkhee	ἔγχεᾰ énkheă
Genitive	ἔγχεος / ἔγχευς énkheos / énkheus	ἐγχέοιν enkhéoin	ἐγχέων enkhéōn
Dative	ἔγχει / ἔγχεῐ̈ énkhei / énkheĭ̈	ἐγχέοιν enkhéoin	ἔγχεσῐ / ἔγχεσῐν énkhesĭ(n)
Accusative	ἔγχος énkhos	ἔγχει / ἔγχεε énkhei / énkhee	ἔγχεᾰ énkheă
Vocative	ἔγχος énkhos	ἔγχει / ἔγχεε énkhei / énkhee	ἔγχεᾰ énkheă
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Related terms

ἐγχείη (enkheíē)

References

^ Derksen, Rick (2008) “*nòžь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 358
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἔγχος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 372-3

“ἔγχος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ἔγχος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“ἔγχος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
ἔγχος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
“ἔγχος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
ἔγχος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- blade idem, page 81.
- brand idem, page 93.
- drive idem, page 253.
- rapier idem, page 672.
- sword idem, page 849.
ἔγχος, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

[EDSIL-1] Derksen, Rick (2008) “*nòžь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 358

[2] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἔγχος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 372-3

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