ψακάς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ψεκάς (psekás) — Ionic

Etymology

The formation is similar to ἰκμάς (ikmás), λιβάς (libás) and ψιάς (psiás). According to Beekes, in view of the suffix "-αδ-" it is probably Pre-Greek. The connection with Lithuanian spākas (“drop, point”) may be correct, in which case both words go back to a substrate language.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /psa.kás/ → /psaˈkas/ → /psaˈkas/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /psa.kás/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /psaˈkas/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /psaˈkas/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /psaˈkas/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /psaˈkas/

Noun

ψᾰκάς • (psăkás) f (genitive ψᾰκάδος); third declension

1. raindrop; particle
2. drizzle, heavy rain, shower
3. sputterer

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ ψᾰκᾰ́ς; τῆς ψᾰκᾰ́δος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ψᾰκᾰ́ς hē psăkắs	τὼ ψᾰκᾰ́δε tṑ psăkắde	αἱ ψᾰκᾰ́δες hai psăkắdes
Genitive	τῆς ψᾰκᾰ́δος tês psăkắdos	τοῖν ψᾰκᾰ́δοιν toîn psăkắdoin	τῶν ψᾰκᾰ́δων tôn psăkắdōn
Dative	τῇ ψᾰκᾰ́δῐ têi psăkắdĭ	τοῖν ψᾰκᾰ́δοιν toîn psăkắdoin	ταῖς ψᾰκᾰ́σῐ / ψᾰκᾰ́σῐν taîs psăkắsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν ψᾰκᾰ́δᾰ tḕn psăkắdă	τὼ ψᾰκᾰ́δε tṑ psăkắde	τᾱ̀ς ψᾰκᾰ́δᾰς tā̀s psăkắdăs
Vocative	ψᾰκᾰ́ς psăkắs	ψᾰκᾰ́δε psăkắde	ψᾰκᾰ́δες psăkắdes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension. Nominative singular -ς (-s) arose by reduction of the original cluster *-ds.

Derived terms

• ψακάδιον (psakádion)
• ψακάδισσα (psakádissa)
• ψακαδισχίοις (psakadiskhíois)
• ψακάζω (psakázō)
• ψάκαλον (psákalon)
• ψακαστός (psakastós)

Further reading

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