ὄρπηξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ὄρπαξ (órpax) — Doric
ὅρπηξ (hórpēx) — Attic

Etymology

The formation is like σκώληξ (skṓlēx), κάχληξ (kákhlēx) and νάρθηξ (nárthēx). The comparison with Lithuanian várpa (“ear of corn”) is not very illuminating. Commonly derived from the root of Latin sarpō (“to trim”), Latin sarmentum (“osiers”) and ἅρπη (hárpē, “sickle”); Beekes, on the grounds that an o-grade of this root is not attested elsewhere, claims that it is a Pre-Greek word.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ór.pɛːks/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈor.pe̝ks/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈor.piks/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈor.piks/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈor.piks/

Noun

ὄρπηξ • (órpēx) m (genitive ὄρπηκος); third declension

(botany) sapling, sprig, young shoot
Synonyms: ἔρνος (érnos), θαλλός (thallós), πτόρθος (ptórthos), τέρχνος (térkhnos)
goad, lance, anything made with saplings
scion, descendant

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ ὄρπηξ; τοῦ ὄρπηκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὄρπηξ ho órpēx	τὼ ὄρπηκε tṑ órpēke	οἱ ὄρπηκες hoi órpēkes
Genitive	τοῦ ὄρπηκος toû órpēkos	τοῖν ὀρπήκοιν toîn orpḗkoin	τῶν ὀρπήκων tôn orpḗkōn
Dative	τῷ ὄρπηκῐ tōî órpēkĭ	τοῖν ὀρπήκοιν toîn orpḗkoin	τοῖς ὄρπηξῐ / ὄρπηξῐν toîs órpēxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν ὄρπηκᾰ tòn órpēkă	τὼ ὄρπηκε tṑ órpēke	τοὺς ὄρπηκᾰς toùs órpēkăs
Vocative	ὄρπηξ órpēx	ὄρπηκε órpēke	ὄρπηκες órpēkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

εὐόρπηξ (euórpēx)

References

“ὄρπηξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
ὄρπηξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
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