ὄρυξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Related to ὀρύσσω (orússō, “I dig, scrape”), though this is likely a derivative of ὄρυξ. Likely cognate with Latin runcō (“I grub up”). The sense of oryx is likely a loanword accreted by analogy with the animal's pointed horns.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ó.ryks/ → /ˈo.ryks/ → /ˈo.riks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ó.ryks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈo.ryks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈo.ryks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈo.ryks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈo.riks/

Noun

ὄρυξ • (órux) m (genitive ὄρῠγος); third declension

1. A pickaxe or other sharp iron digging tool
2. An oryx
3. A kind of whale, perhaps a narwhal.

Declension

Third declension of ὁ ὄρῠξ; τοῦ ὄρῠγος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὄρῠξ ho órux	τὼ ὄρῠγε tṑ óruge	οἱ ὄρῠγες hoi óruges
Genitive	τοῦ ὄρῠγος toû órugos	τοῖν ὀρῠ́γοιν toîn orúgoin	τῶν ὀρῠ́γων tôn orúgōn
Dative	τῷ ὄρῠγῐ tôi órugi	τοῖν ὀρῠ́γοιν toîn orúgoin	τοῖς ὄρῠξῐ / ὄρῠξῐν toîs óruxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ὄρῠγᾰ tòn óruga	τὼ ὄρῠγε tṑ óruge	τοὺς ὄρῠγᾰς toùs órugas
Vocative	ὄρῠξ órux	ὄρῠγε óruge	ὄρῠγες óruges
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Further reading

• “ὄρυξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ὄρυξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ὄρυξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette