-άκι

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Greek

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Etymology

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Inherited from diminutive Mediaval Byzantine Greek -άκι (-áki) / -άκιν,[1] from diminutive Hellenistic Koine Greek -άκιον (-ákion).[2][3] A reanalysis of Ancient Greek diminutives formed with the suffix -ιον (-ion) from nouns ending in -αξ (-ax), stem -ακ- (-ak-), retaining or not retaining the diminutive sense.
Examples: the modern λαβράκι (lavráki) < Ancient Greek λαβράκιον (labrákion) from λάβραξ (lábrax, seabass), the modern ρυάκι (ryáki) < Hellenistic ῥυάκιον (rhuákion) from ῥύαξ (rhúax, torrential stream, esp. of lava), συάκιν (suákin) from σῦαξ (sûax, a fish species). See also ἱεράκιον (hierákion), καμάκι (kamáki) and αυλάκι (avláki).

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-άκι (-ákin

  1. Added to nouns (chiefly neuter) to give a diminutive form, expressing small size or affection.
    ποτάμι (potámi, river) + ‎-άκι (-áki) → ‎ποταμάκι (potamáki, rivulet)
    άντρας (ántras, husband) + ‎-άκι (-áki) → ‎αντράκι (antráki)
    γυναίκα (gynaíka, wife) + ‎-άκι (-áki) → ‎γυναικάκι (gynaikáki)
    κερί (kerí, candle) + ‎-άκι (-áki) → ‎κεράκι (keráki, small candle)

Declension

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Synonyms

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  • -ούλα (-oúla) (used with feminine nouns)
  • -ίτσα (-ítsa) (used with feminine nouns)

Antonyms

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Derived terms

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See also

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Not suffixed with -άκι:

the neuters

References

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  1. ^ -άκι - Babiniotis, Georgios (2010) Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας Etymologikó lexikó tis néas ellinikís glóssas [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek language] (in Greek), Athens: Lexicology Centre
  2. ^ -άκι, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language
  3. ^ -άκι - Georgakas, Demetrius, 1908-1990 (1960-2009) A Modern Greek-English Dictionary [MGED online, 2009. letter α only (abbreviations)], Centre for the Greek language