γαμφηλαί

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

γαμφαί (gamphaí), γναμφαί (gnamphaí)

Etymology

Generally connected with γόμφος (gómphos, “peg, nail”), but the α-vocalism is problematic. Neither an influence from γαμψός (gampsós, “curved, crooked”) or γναμπτήρ (gnamptḗr, “jaw”) seems to be a sufficient explanation. Pedersen pointed to Proto-Slavic *gǫba (“lip, mouth”). According to Beekes, the word may be Pre-Greek given the suffix -ηλ-, which can be found also in τράχηλος (trákhēlos).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡam.pʰɛː.lǎi̯/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɡam.pʰe̝ˈlɛ/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɣam.ɸiˈlɛ/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ɣam.fiˈle/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ɣam.fiˈle/

Noun

γᾰμφηλαί • (gamphēlaí) f pl (genitive γᾰμφηλῶν); first declension

(anatomy) jaws of animals
Synonyms: γνάθος (gnáthos), σιαγών (siagṓn)
bill or beak of birds

Declension

First declension of αἱ γᾰμφηλαί; τῶν γᾰμφηλῶν (Attic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	αἱ γᾰμφηλαί hai gamphēlaí
Genitive	τῶν γᾰμφηλῶν tôn gamphēlôn
Dative	ταῖς γᾰμφηλαῖς taîs gamphēlaîs
Accusative	τᾱ̀ς γᾰμφηλᾱ́ς tā̀s gamphēlā́s
Vocative	γᾰμφηλαί gamphēlaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

“γαμφηλαί”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“γαμφηλαί”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
γαμφηλαί in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
γαμφηλαί in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN