ἐλαχύς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἔλαχος (élakhos)

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *eləkʰús, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰus (“lightweight”).

Cognates include Sanskrit लघु (laghu), Latin levis, Old Church Slavonic льгъкъ (lĭgŭkŭ), Old English lēoht (English light).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /e.la.kʰýs/ → /e.laˈçys/ → /e.laˈçis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /e.la.kʰýs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /e.laˈkʰys/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /e.laˈçys/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /e.laˈçys/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /e.laˈçis/

Adjective

ἐλᾰχῠ́ς • (elăkhŭ́s) m (feminine ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ, neuter ἐλᾰχῠ́); first/third declension

1. small, short, mean, little
   • 7th–6th centuries BC, Homeric Hymn to Apollo 197:

     τῇσι μὲν οὔτ’ αἰσχρὴ μεταμέλπεται οὔτ᾽ ἐλάχεια, ἀλλὰ μάλα μεγάλη τε ἰδεῖν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητή

     têisi mèn oút’ aiskhrḕ metamélpetai oút’ elákheia, allà mála megálē te ideîn kaì eîdos agētḗ

     And among them sings one, not mean nor puny, but tall to look upon and enviable in mien.

Inflection

First and third declension of ἐλᾰχῠ́ς; ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ; ἐλᾰχῠ́ (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ς elăkhŭ́s	ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ elắkheiă	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́		ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elăkheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elăkheîs	ἐλᾰ́χειαι elắkheiai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elăkhéă
Genitive		ἐλᾰχέος elăkhéos	ἐλᾰχείᾱς elăkheíās	ἐλᾰχέος elăkhéos		ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elăkheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin		ἐλᾰχέων elăkhéōn	ἐλᾰχειῶν elăkheiôn	ἐλᾰχέων elăkhéōn
Dative		ἐλᾰχεῖ elăkheî	ἐλᾰχείᾳ elăkheíāi	ἐλᾰχεῖ elăkheî		ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elăkheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin		ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elăkhésĭ(n)	ἐλᾰχείαις elăkheíais	ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elăkhésĭ(n)
Accusative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ν elăkhŭ́n	ἐλᾰ́χειᾰν elắkheiăn	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́		ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elăkheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elăkheîs	ἐλᾰχείᾱς elăkheíās	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elăkhéă
Vocative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́	ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ elắkheiă	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́		ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elăkheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elăkheîs	ἐλᾰ́χειαι elắkheiai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elăkhéă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ἐλᾰχέως elăkhéōs				ἐλάσσων elássōn				ἐλᾰ́χιστος elắkhistos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of ἐλᾰχῠ́ς; ἐλᾰ́χεᾰ; ἐλᾰχῠ́ (Ionic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ς elăkhŭ́s	ἐλᾰ́χεᾰ elắkheă	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́		ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elăkheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elăkheîs	ἐλᾰ́χεαι elắkheai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elăkhéă
Genitive		ἐλᾰχέος elăkhéos	ἐλᾰχείης elăkheíēs	ἐλᾰχέος elăkhéos		ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elăkheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin		ἐλᾰχέων elăkhéōn	ἐλᾰχειέων / ἐλᾰχειῶν elăkheiéōn / elăkheiôn	ἐλᾰχέων elăkhéōn
Dative		ἐλᾰχεῖ elăkheî	ἐλᾰχείῃ elăkheíēi	ἐλᾰχεῖ elăkheî		ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elăkheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elăkhéoin		ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elăkhésĭ(n)	ἐλᾰχείῃσῐ / ἐλᾰχείῃσῐν elăkheíēisĭ(n)	ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elăkhésĭ(n)
Accusative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ν elăkhŭ́n	ἐλᾰ́χεᾰν elắkheăn	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́		ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elăkheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée		ἐλᾰχέᾰς elăkhéăs	ἐλᾰχείᾱς elăkheíās	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elăkhéă
Vocative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́	ἐλᾰ́χεᾰ elắkheă	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elăkhŭ́		ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elăkheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elăkhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elăkheîs	ἐλᾰ́χεαι elắkheai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elăkhéă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ἐλᾰχέως elăkhéōs				ἐλάσσων elássōn				ἐλᾰ́χιστος elắkhistos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

This is one of the two adjectives in -ύς, -εῖα, -ύ, along with λιγύς (ligús), that have a recessive accent in the feminine. See also θῆλυς (thêlus), ἥμισυς (hḗmisus).

Synonyms

• βαιός (baiós)
• βραχύς (brakhús)
• ἠβαιός (ēbaiós)
• μικρός (mikrós)
• ὀλίγος (olígos)
• παῦρος (paûros)
• τυτθός (tutthós)

Derived terms

• ἐλαχύνωτος (elakhúnōtos)
• ἐλαχυπτέρυξ (elakhuptérux)

Further reading

• “ἐλαχύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἐλαχύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἐλαχύς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἐλαχύς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἐλαχύς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)