ἔχις

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally derived from a Proto-Indo-European *h₁égʰi- with cognates including Sanskrit अहि (áhi), Avestan 𐬀𐬲𐬌‎ (aži) and Old Armenian իժ (iž). However, the letter chi (χ) is expected to derive from a palatal consonant (ǵ) and so these terms are now generally connected with ὄφις (óphis), leaving the origins of ἔχις a mystery. Some now consider this a taboo corruption of Proto-Indo-European *h₁ógʷʰi-, *h₁égʷʰi-.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /é.kʰis/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.kʰis/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.xis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.çis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.çis/

Noun

ἔχις • (ékhis) m, f (genitive ἔχῐος or ἔχεως); third declension

snake, adder, viper

Usage notes

Primarily masculine, sometimes feminine.

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ, ἡ ἔχῐς; τοῦ, τῆς ἔχεως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ, ἡ ἔχῐς ho, hē ékhis	τὼ ἔχει tṑ ékhei	οἱ, αἱ ἔχεις hoi, hai ékheis
Genitive	τοῦ, τῆς ἔχεως toû, tês ékheōs	τοῖν ἐχέοιν toîn ekhéoin	τῶν ἔχεων tôn ékheōn
Dative	τῷ, τῇ ἔχει tôi, têi ékhei	τοῖν ἐχέοιν toîn ekhéoin	τοῖς, ταῖς ἔχεσῐ / ἔχεσῐν toîs, taîs ékhesi(n)
Accusative	τὸν, τὴν ἔχῐν tòn, tḕn ékhin	τὼ ἔχει tṑ ékhei	τοὺς, τᾱ̀ς ἔχεις toùs, tā̀s ékheis
Vocative	ἔχῐ ékhi	ἔχει ékhei	ἔχεις ékheis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

ἔχις in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
ἔχις in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
ἔχις in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- serpent idem, page 755.
- snake idem, page 788.
- viper idem, page 954.

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