κόγχη

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Probably from Pre-Greek, especially in view of the cluster -γχ- (-nkh-), which points to prenasalization in Pre-Greek terms. Compare καγκύλας (kankúlas, “mussel”) and κόχλος (kókhlos, “spiral conch, snail”), which both exhibit conclusively Pre-Greek variation.
Possibly related to Sanskrit शङ्ख (śaṅkhá-, “conch, mussel”), but not by common inheritance from Proto-Indo-European.^[1] Doublet of κόγχος (kónkhos).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kóŋ.kʰɛː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈkoŋ.kʰe̝/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈkoɲ.çi/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈkoɲ.çi/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈkoɲ.çi/

Noun

κόγχη • (kónkhē) f (genitive κόγχης); first declension

mussel, cockle
1. shell-full
anything like a mussel shell, especially a shell-like cavity in the body:
1. (anatomy) hollow of the ear
2. (anatomy) kneepan
case around a seal attached to documents
niche for a statue; apse
(geometry) fourth part of a sphere

This entry needs quotations to illustrate usage. If you come across any interesting, durably archived quotes then please add them!

Inflection

First declension of ἡ κόγχη; τῆς κόγχης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ κόγχη hē kónkhē	τὼ κόγχᾱ tṑ kónkhā	αἱ κόγχαι hai kónkhai
Genitive	τῆς κόγχης tês kónkhēs	τοῖν κόγχαιν toîn kónkhain	τῶν κογχῶν tôn konkhôn
Dative	τῇ κόγχῃ têi kónkhēi	τοῖν κόγχαιν toîn kónkhain	ταῖς κόγχαις taîs kónkhais
Accusative	τὴν κόγχην tḕn kónkhēn	τὼ κόγχᾱ tṑ kónkhā	τᾱ̀ς κόγχᾱς tā̀s kónkhās
Vocative	κόγχη kónkhē	κόγχᾱ kónkhā	κόγχαι kónkhai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

κόγξ (kónx)
κογχᾰλῐ́ζω (konkhălĭ́zō)
κογχᾰ́ρῐον (konkhắrĭon)
κογχῐ́ζω (konkhĭ́zō)
κογχῐ́ον (konkhĭ́on)
κογχῑ́της (konkhī́tēs)
κογχογενής (konkhogenḗs)
κογχοειδής (konkhoeidḗs)
κογχοθήρᾱς (konkhothḗrās)
κογχώδης (konkhṓdēs)
κογχωτός (konkhōtós)

Related terms

κόγχος (kónkhos)
κογχῠ́λη (konkhŭ́lē)

Descendants

→ Latin: concha (see there for further descendants)

References

“κόγχη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “κόγχη”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 728