μύσταξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• βύσταξ (bústax)
• μύττακες (múttakes)

Etymology

According to Beekes, both the variants listed in the alternative forms section suggest a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mýs.taks/ → /ˈmys.taks/ → /ˈmis.taks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mýs.taks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈmys.taks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmys.taks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmys.taks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmis.taks/

Noun

μύστᾰξ • (mústăx) m (genitive μύστᾰκος); third declension

1. upper lip or moustache

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ μῠ́στᾰξ; τοῦ μῠ́στᾰκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μῠ́στᾰξ ho mŭ́stăx	τὼ μῠ́στᾰκε tṑ mŭ́stăke	οἱ μῠ́στᾰκες hoi mŭ́stăkes
Genitive	τοῦ μῠ́στᾰκος toû mŭ́stăkos	τοῖν μῠστᾰ́κοιν toîn mŭstắkoin	τῶν μῠστᾰ́κων tôn mŭstắkōn
Dative	τῷ μῠ́στᾰκῐ tôi mŭ́stăkĭ	τοῖν μῠστᾰ́κοιν toîn mŭstắkoin	τοῖς μῠ́στᾰξῐ / μῠ́στᾰξῐν toîs mŭ́stăxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν μῠ́στᾰκᾰ tòn mŭ́stăkă	τὼ μῠ́στᾰκε tṑ mŭ́stăke	τοὺς μῠ́στᾰκᾰς toùs mŭ́stăkăs
Vocative	μῠ́στᾰξ mŭ́stăx	μῠ́στᾰκε mŭ́stăke	μῠ́στᾰκες mŭ́stăkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• ⇒ Byzantine Greek: μουστάκιον (moustákion)
  • Greek: μουστάκι (moustáki)
  • Pontic Greek: μουστάκιν (moustákin), μουστάκι (moustáki), μουστάκ’ (mousták’)
    • → Laz: მუსტაკი (musťaǩi), მუსტაჭი (musťaç̌i)
  • →? Italian: mustacchio
    • → English: mustachio
  • →? Sicilian: mustacchiu
  • →? Venetan: mustacchio
  • → Medieval Latin: mustācium (see there for further descendants)
• →⇒ English: mystacial
• →⇒ French: mystaciale

Further reading

• “μύσταξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• μύσταξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette