ἄλοχος

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /á.lo.kʰos/ → /ˈa.lo.xos/ → /ˈa.lo.xos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /á.lo.kʰos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈa.lo.kʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.lo.xos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.lo.xos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈa.lo.xos/

Etymology 1

ἁ- (ha-, alpha copulativum) +‎ λόχος (lókhos, “lying down”). The initial /h/ of the prefix is lost due to Grassmann's Law.

Noun

ᾰ̓́λοχος • (ắlokhos) f (genitive ᾰ̓λόχου); second declension

1. bedpartner, wife
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.209–210:

     … ῑ̔μειρόμενός περ ἰδέσθαι
     σὴν ἄλοχον, τῆς τ’ αἰὲν ἐέλδεαι ἤματα πάντα.

     … hīmeirómenós per idésthai
     sḕn álokhon, tês t’ aièn eéldeai ḗmata pánta.

     [Calypso speaking to Odysseus:]
     … even though you desire to see
     your wife, and you always long for her every day.

   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.114
   • 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 63
   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 181
   • 480 BCE – 406 BCE, Euripides, Fragments 543
   • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 1.1253b.7
   • Theodect. 13
2. concubine
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.336
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.623

Declension

Second declension of ἡ ᾰ̓́λοχος; τῆς ᾰ̓λόχου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓́λοχος hē ắlokhos	τὼ ᾰ̓λόχω tṑ ălókhō	αἱ ᾰ̓́λοχοι hai ắlokhoi
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓λόχου tês ălókhou	τοῖν ᾰ̓λόχοιν toîn ălókhoin	τῶν ᾰ̓λόχων tôn ălókhōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓λόχῳ têi ălókhōi	τοῖν ᾰ̓λόχοιν toîn ălókhoin	ταῖς ᾰ̓λόχοις taîs ălókhois
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓́λοχον tḕn ắlokhon	τὼ ᾰ̓λόχω tṑ ălókhō	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓λόχους tā̀s ălókhous
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λοχε ắlokhe	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓́λοχοι ắlokhoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of ᾰ̓́λοχος; ᾰ̓λόχου (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ᾰ̓́λοχος ắlokhos	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓́λοχοι ắlokhoi
Genitive	ᾰ̓λόχου / ᾰ̓λοχοῖο / ᾰ̓λόχοιο / ᾰ̓λοχόο / ᾰ̓λόχοο ălókhou / ălokhoîo / ălókhoio / ălokhóo / ălókhoo	ᾰ̓λόχοιῐν ălókhoiĭn	ᾰ̓λόχων ălókhōn
Dative	ᾰ̓λόχῳ ălókhōi	ᾰ̓λόχοιῐν ălókhoiĭn	ᾰ̓λόχοισῐ / ᾰ̓λόχοισῐν / ᾰ̓λόχοις ălókhoisĭ(n) / ălókhois
Accusative	ᾰ̓́λοχον ắlokhon	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓λόχους ălókhous
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λοχε ắlokhe	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓́λοχοι ắlokhoi
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓λοχίς (ălokhís)

Etymology 2

ἀ- (a-, alpha privativum) +‎ λέχος (lékhos, “marriage bed”)

Noun

ᾰ̓́λοχος • (ắlokhos) f (genitive ᾰ̓λόχου); second declension

1. unwed woman
   • 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 149b

Declension

Second declension of ἡ ᾰ̓́λοχος; τῆς ᾰ̓λόχου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓́λοχος hē ắlokhos	τὼ ᾰ̓λόχω tṑ ălókhō	αἱ ᾰ̓́λοχοι hai ắlokhoi
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓λόχου tês ălókhou	τοῖν ᾰ̓λόχοιν toîn ălókhoin	τῶν ᾰ̓λόχων tôn ălókhōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓λόχῳ têi ălókhōi	τοῖν ᾰ̓λόχοιν toîn ălókhoin	ταῖς ᾰ̓λόχοις taîs ălókhois
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓́λοχον tḕn ắlokhon	τὼ ᾰ̓λόχω tṑ ălókhō	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓λόχους tā̀s ălókhous
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λοχε ắlokhe	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓́λοχοι ắlokhoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of ᾰ̓́λοχος; ᾰ̓λόχου (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ᾰ̓́λοχος ắlokhos	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓́λοχοι ắlokhoi
Genitive	ᾰ̓λόχου / ᾰ̓λοχοῖο / ᾰ̓λόχοιο / ᾰ̓λοχόο / ᾰ̓λόχοο ălókhou / ălokhoîo / ălókhoio / ălokhóo / ălókhoo	ᾰ̓λόχοιῐν ălókhoiĭn	ᾰ̓λόχων ălókhōn
Dative	ᾰ̓λόχῳ ălókhōi	ᾰ̓λόχοιῐν ălókhoiĭn	ᾰ̓λόχοισῐ / ᾰ̓λόχοισῐν / ᾰ̓λόχοις ălókhoisĭ(n) / ălókhois
Accusative	ᾰ̓́λοχον ắlokhon	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓λόχους ălókhous
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λοχε ắlokhe	ᾰ̓λόχω ălókhō	ᾰ̓́λοχοι ắlokhoi
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓λόχευτος (ălókheutos)

References

• “ἄλοχος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἄλοχος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἄλοχος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἄλοχος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἄλοχος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἄλοχος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• “ἄλοχος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • bedfellow idem, page 69.
  • consort idem, page 164.
  • spouse idem, page 805.
  • wife idem, page 978.