βλάξ

See also: βλαξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Probably from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥h₂-k-s, from *ml̥h₂(e)k- (“weak”), which seems to be a zero-grade k-extension of *melh₂- (“to grind, crush”). Compare Sanskrit म्लात (mlāta, “softened (of leather)”), Proto-Celtic *mlātis (“tender, soft”), and perhaps Proto-Slavic *mьlčàti (“to be silent”); see also μᾰλᾰκός (malakós, “soft, gentle”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /blǎːks/ → /βlaks/ → /vlaks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /blǎːks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /blaks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βlaks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /vlaks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /vlaks/

Adjective

βλᾱ́ξ • (blā́x) m or f (neuter —); third declension

1. slack, stupid
2. (nominalized, m or f) dolt

Declension

Not attested in the neuter.

Third declension of βλᾱ́ξ; — (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		βλᾱ́ξ blā́x	—		βλᾶκε blâke	—		βλᾶκες blâkes	—
Genitive		βλᾱκός blākós	—		βλᾱκοῖν blākoîn	—		βλᾱκῶν blākôn	—
Dative		βλᾱκῐ́ blākí	—		βλᾱκοῖν blākoîn	—		βλᾱξῐ́ / βλᾱξῐ́ν blāxí(n)	—
Accusative		βλᾶκᾰ blâka	—		βλᾶκε blâke	—		βλᾶκᾰς blâkas	—
Vocative		βλᾱ́ξ blā́x	—		βλᾶκε blâke	—		βλᾶκες blâkes	—
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		—			βλᾱκότερος / βλᾱκώτερος blākóteros / blākṓteros			βλᾱκότατος / βλᾱκώτατος / βλᾱκίστατος blākótatos / blākṓtatos / blākístatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• βλᾱκείᾱ (blākeíā)
• βλᾱκεννόμιον (blākennómion)
• βλᾱ́κευμα (blā́keuma)
• βλᾱκεύω (blākeúō)
• βλᾱκίᾱς (blākíās)
• βλᾱκικός (blākikós)
• βλᾱκότης (blākótēs)
• βλᾱκώδης (blākṓdēs)

 

Descendants

• Greek: βλαξ (vlax), βλάκας (vlákas)

Further reading

• βλάξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βλάξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “βλάξ”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011
• “βλάξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • blockhead idem, page 84.
  • dullard idem, page 256.
  • dunce idem, page 256.
  • fool idem, page 333.
  • idiot idem, page 413.
  • imbecile idem, page 417.
  • simpleton idem, page 776.
  • zany idem, page 997.