οἶκτος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ôi̯k.tos/ → /ˈyk.tos/ → /ˈik.tos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ôi̯k.tos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈyk.tos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈyk.tos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈyk.tos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈik.tos/

Noun

οἶκτος • (oîktos) m (genitive οἴκτου); second declension

1. pity, compassion
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.81:

     οἶκτος δ’ ἕλε λαὸν ἅπαντα

     oîktos d’ héle laòn hápanta

     pity took hold of the entire people

   • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.92:

     καὶ τὸν φρασθέντα τοῦτο οἶκτός τις ἴσχει ἀποκτεῖναι

     kaì tòn phrasthénta toûto oîktós tis ískhei apokteînai

     and a certain compassion kept the one saying this from killing

   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.40:

     μηδὲ τρισὶ τοῖς ἀξυμφορωτάτοις τῇ ἀρχῇ, οἴκτῳ καὶ ἡδονῇ λόγων καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ, ἁμαρτάνειν

     mēdè trisì toîs axumphorōtátois têi arkhêi, oíktōi kaì hēdonêi lógōn kaì epieikeíāi, hamartánein

2. wailing
   • 467 BCE, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes 51:

     οἶκτος δ’ οὔτις ἦν διὰ στόμα

     oîktos d’ oútis ên dià stóma

     there was no wailing from a mouth

   • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Libation Bearers 411:

     τόνδε κλύουσαν οἶκτον

     tónde klúousan oîkton

     hearing this wailing

Synonyms

• (pity): ἐλεημοσῠ́νη (eleēmosúnē), ἔλεος (éleos), ἐλεητύς (eleētús), οἰκτιρμός (oiktirmós)

Derived terms

• οἰκτίζω (oiktízō)
• ἄνοικτος (ánoiktos)

Related terms

• οἴζω (oízō)
• οἰκτρός (oiktrós)
• οἰκτείρω (oikteírō)
• οἰκτιρμός (oiktirmós)

References

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