βόμβυξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The word must be of Anatolian origin, as is also suggested by its structure. Probably related also to βάμβαξ (bámbax, “cotton”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /bóm.byːks/ → /ˈβom.byks/ → /ˈvom.biks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /bóm.byːks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈbom.byks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈβom.byks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈvom.byks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈvom.biks/

Noun

βόμβῡξ • (bómbūx) m (genitive βόμβῡκος); third declension

1. silkworm (Bombyx mori)
2. garment made of silk
3. deeptoned flute
   1. cap of a flute
   2. lowest note on the flute

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ βόμβῡξ; τοῦ βόμβῡκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βόμβῡξ ho bómbūx	τὼ βόμβῡκε tṑ bómbūke	οἱ βόμβῡκες hoi bómbūkes
Genitive	τοῦ βόμβῡκος toû bómbūkos	τοῖν βομβῡ́κοιν toîn bombū́koin	τῶν βομβῡ́κων tôn bombū́kōn
Dative	τῷ βόμβῡκῐ tôi bómbūkĭ	τοῖν βομβῡ́κοιν toîn bombū́koin	τοῖς βόμβῡξῐ / βόμβῡξῐν toîs bómbūxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν βόμβῡκᾰ tòn bómbūkă	τὼ βόμβῡκε tṑ bómbūke	τοὺς βόμβῡκᾰς toùs bómbūkăs
Vocative	βόμβῡξ bómbūx	βόμβῡκε bómbūke	βόμβῡκες bómbūkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• βομβῡκίας (bombūkías)
• βομβῡ́κινος (bombū́kinos)
• βομβῡ́κιον (bombū́kion)
• βομβῡκοειδής (bombūkoeidḗs)

Descendants

• Greek: βόμβυκας (vómvykas)
• → Latin: bombȳx
• → Translingual: Bombyx

Further reading

• “βόμβυξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• βόμβυξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βόμβυξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)