ἅρπαξ

See also: άρπαξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From the same uncertain origin as ἁρπάζω (harpázō).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hár.paks/ → /ˈar.paks/ → /ˈar.paks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hár.paks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)ar.paks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈar.paks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈar.paks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈar.paks/

Adjective

ἅρπαξ • (hárpax) m or f (neuter —); third declension

1. rapacious, ravening
2. (nominalized, feminine) rapine
3. (nominalized, masculine) robber, plunderer, extortioner

Declension

Third declension of ᾰ̔́ρπᾰξ; — (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰξ hárpax	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγε hárpage	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγες hárpages	—
Genitive		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγος hárpagos	—		ᾰ̔ρπᾰ́γοιν harpágoin	—		ᾰ̔ρπᾰ́γων harpágōn	—
Dative		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγῐ hárpagi	—		ᾰ̔ρπᾰ́γοιν harpágoin	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰξῐ / ᾰ̔́ρπᾰξῐν hárpaxi(n)	—
Accusative		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγᾰ hárpaga	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγε hárpage	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγᾰς hárpagas	—
Vocative		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰξ hárpax	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγε hárpage	—		ᾰ̔́ρπᾰγες hárpages	—
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Quotations

• 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 7:15:

  Προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες.

  Prosékhete dè apò tôn pseudoprophētôn, hoítines érkhontai pròs humâs en endúmasi probátōn, ésōthen dé eisi lúkoi hárpages.

  • Translation by KJV

    Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

• 50 CE – 100 CE, The Gospel of Luke 18:11:

  ὁ Φαρισαῖος σταθεὶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ταῦτα προσηύχετο, Ὁ Θεός, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, ἄδικοι, μοιχοί, ἢ καὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης.

  ho Pharisaîos statheìs pròs heautòn taûta prosēúkheto, Ho Theós, eukharistô soi hóti ouk eimì hṓsper hoi loipoì tôn anthrṓpōn, hárpages, ádikoi, moikhoí, ḕ kaì hōs hoûtos ho telṓnēs.

  • Translation by KJV

    The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Descendants

• Greek: άρπαγας (árpagas), άρπαξ (árpax)
• → English: harpax
• → Venetan:
  • → Italian: arpese
• → Latin: Harpax
• →⇒ Translingual: Saproharpages

Further reading

• ἅρπαξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἅρπαξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “ἅρπαξ”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011
• “ἅρπαξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• G727 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • rapacious idem, page 672.
  • robber idem, page 719.