ἕλιξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• εἷλῐξ (heîlĭx) — poetic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hé.liks/ → /ˈe.liks/ → /ˈe.liks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hé.liks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)e.liks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.liks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.liks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.liks/

Noun

ἕλῐξ • (hélĭx) f (genitive ἕλῐκος); third declension

1. Anything twisted, winding, or spiral.
2. The tendril of a vine.
3. The outer ear
4. (mathematics) A spiral line.

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ ἕλῐξ; τῆς ἕλῐκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ἕλῐξ hē hélĭx	τὼ ἕλῐκε tṑ hélĭke	αἱ ἕλῐκες hai hélĭkes
Genitive	τῆς ἕλῐκος tês hélĭkos	τοῖν ἑλῐ́κοιν toîn helĭ́koin	τῶν ἑλῐ́κων tôn helĭ́kōn
Dative	τῇ ἕλῐκῐ têi hélĭkĭ	τοῖν ἑλῐ́κοιν toîn helĭ́koin	ταῖς ἕλῐξῐ / ἕλῐξῐν taîs hélĭxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν ἕλῐκᾰ tḕn hélĭkă	τὼ ἕλῐκε tṑ hélĭke	τᾱ̀ς ἕλῐκᾰς tā̀s hélĭkăs
Vocative	ἕλῐξ hélĭx	ἕλῐκε hélĭke	ἕλῐκες hélĭkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἕλῐξ; ἕλῐκος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἕλῐξ hélĭx	ἕλῐκε hélĭke	ἕλῐκες hélĭkes
Genitive	ἕλῐκος hélĭkos	ἑλῐ́κοιῐν helĭ́koiĭn	ἑλῐ́κων helĭ́kōn
Dative	ἕλῐκῐ hélĭkĭ	ἑλῐ́κοιῐν helĭ́koiĭn	ἕλῐξῐ / ἕλῐξῐν / ἑλῐ́κεσσῐ / ἑλῐ́κεσσῐν / ἑλῐ́κεσῐ / ἑλῐ́κεσῐν hélĭxĭ(n) / helĭ́kessĭ(n) / helĭ́kesĭ(n)
Accusative	ἕλῐκᾰ hélĭkă	ἕλῐκε hélĭke	ἕλῐκᾰς hélĭkăs
Vocative	ἕλῐξ hélĭx	ἕλῐκε hélĭke	ἕλῐκες hélĭkes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Descendants

• Greek: έλικα (élika), → Greek: έλικας (élikas)
• → Latin: helix
  • → Catalan: hèlix
  • → Dutch: helix
  • → English: helix
  • → French: hélice
  • → Galician: hélice
  • → Italian: elica
  • → Polish: helisa
  • → Portuguese: hélice
  • → Romanian: elice
  • → Spanish: hélice

References

• “ἕλιξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἕλιξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἕλιξ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἕλιξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἕλιξ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἕλιξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)