πέλεκυς

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πέλεκυς (pélekus), further origins uncertain. Possibly inherited from Proto-Indo-European *peleḱús and cognate with Sanskrit परशु (paraśú, “axe”)[1] Beekes suggested a Pre-Greek origin[2]. Compare also German Beil (“axe”) as well as Hungarian and Turkish balta, both meaning "axe."

Noun

πέλεκυς • (pélekys) m (plural πελέκεις)

  1. battle axe, double-headed axe

Declension
declension of πέλεκυς
singular plural
nominative πέλεκυς • πελέκεις •
genitive πέλεκεως • πελέκεων •
accusative πέλεκει • πελέκεις •
vocative πέλεκυν • πελέκεις •
  there is an alternative genitive singular: πελέκεως

References
  1. J. P. Mallory, D. Q. Adams, The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European (2006, →ISBN): "We find cognates in Grk pélekus, Oss færæt, and Skt paraśú, and the proto-form is often compared with Semitic forms, e.g. Akkadian pilakku which some translate as 'axe' but others translate as 'spindle', which is semantically very distant."
  2. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “πέλεκυς”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, pages 1166-1167

Further reading
  • Kaulins, Ancient Signs: The Alphabet and the Origins of Writing
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