ἄναξ

See also: άναξ

Ancient Greek edit

Alternative forms edit

ϝάναξ (wánax) — Corinthian, Doric, Laconian
ἀνακός (anakós) — unknown

Etymology edit

From earlier ϝάναξ (wánax), ϝάνακος (wánakos). Cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀷𐀙𐀏 (wa-na-ka) as well as Phrygian ουανακταν (ouanaktan /⁠wanaktan⁠/), Old Phrygian ϝανακτει (vanaktei), which may be an early loan from Greek^[1] or from a common third source.

The further origin is unknown, but likely a borrowing from a Pre-Greek substrate language, compare Aquitanian andox.^[1] Various alternative Indo-European etymologies have been proposed, including:

Cognate with Tocharian A nātäk (“lord”) (female counterpart nāśi (“queen”); cf. ᾰ̓́νασσᾰ (ánassa)), from a Proto-Indo-European *w(n̥)nákts (“lord”).^[2]
Cognate with Sanskrit वणिज् (vaṇíj, “merchant, businessman”, an epithet of Indra in Vedic texts) from a Proto-Indo-European compound *wn̥-h₂eǵ-(t)- composed of *wenh₁- (“to strive”) + *h₂eǵ- (“to drive, lead”).^[3]

Pronunciation edit

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

Noun edit

ἄνᾰξ • (ánax) m (genitive ἄνᾰκτος); third declension

lord, king
1. (of men)
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.442–443:
    ὦ Χρύση, πρό μ’ ἔπεμψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
    παῖδά τε σοὶ ἀγέμεν
    ô Khrúsē, pró m’ épempsen ánax andrôn Agamémnōn
    paîdá te soì agémen
    Chryses, Agamemnon, king of men, sent me forth
    to bring to you your daughter.
2. (of gods, often Apollo and Zeus)
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 3.351:
    Ζεῦ ἄνα δὸς τῑ́σασθαι ὅ με πρότερος κάκ’ ἔοργε
    δῖον Ἀλέξανδρον, καὶ ἐμῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶ δάμασσον
    Zeû ána dòs tī́sasthai hó me próteros kák’ éorge
    dîon Aléxandron, kaì emêis hupò khersì dámasson
    O Lord Zeus, grant me to punish the man who first has done me wrong,
    noble Alexander, and beat him down under my hands
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Homeric Hymn to Apollo 14–15:
    χαῖρε, μάκαιρ’ ὦ Λητοῖ, ἐπεὶ τέκες ἀγλαὰ τέκνα,
    Ᾱ̓πόλλωνά τ’ ἄνακτα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ῑ̓οχέαιραν,
    khaîre, mákair’ ô Lētoî, epeì tékes aglaà tékna,
    Āpóllōná t’ ánakta kaì Ártemin īokhéairan,
    Rejoice, blessed Leto, since you have borne glorious children —
    the lord Apollo and Artemis strewer of arrows,
  - 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 513:
    νῦν δ’ αὖτε σωτὴρ ἴσθι καὶ παιώνιος,
    ἄναξ Ἄπολλον.
    nûn d’ aûte sōtḕr ísthi kaì paiṓnios,
    ánax Ápollon.
    But, in other mood, be our preserver and our healer,
    O lord Apollo.
master, owner
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 1.397–398:
  αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν οἴκοιο ἄναξ ἔσομ’ ἡμετέροιο
  καὶ δμώων, οὕς μοι ληίσσατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.
  autàr egṑn oíkoio ánax ésom’ hēmetéroio
  kaì dmṓōn, hoús moi lēíssato dîos Odusseús.
  [Telemachus:] But I shall be lord of our own house
  and of the slaves that godlike Odysseus won for me."

Usage notes edit

Often used to refer to Apollo. The vocative ᾰ̓́νᾰ (ána) is used only as an address to gods, for example in Ζεῦ ἄνα (Zeû ána, “O Zeus”).
The vocative ἄναξ (ánax) can be combined with the vocative particle ὦ (ô) to form ὦναξ (ônax, “O lord”).

Inflection edit

Third declension of ὁ ᾰ̓́ναξ; τοῦ ᾰ̓́νακτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ᾰ̓́ναξ ho ánax	τὼ ᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ ánakte	οἱ ᾰ̓́νακτες hoi ánaktes
Genitive	τοῦ ᾰ̓́νακτος toû ánaktos	τοῖν ᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn anáktoin	τῶν ᾰ̓νάκτων tôn anáktōn
Dative	τῷ ᾰ̓́νακτῐ tôi ánakti	τοῖν ᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn anáktoin	τοῖς ᾰ̓́ναξῐ / ᾰ̓́ναξῐν toîs ánaxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ᾰ̓́νακτᾰ tòn ánakta	τὼ ᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ ánakte	τοὺς ᾰ̓́νακτᾰς toùs ánaktas
Vocative	ᾰ̓́ναξ / ᾰ̓́νᾰ ánax / ána	ᾰ̓́νακτε ánakte	ᾰ̓́νακτες ánaktes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ ϝᾰ̓́ναξ; τοῦ ϝᾰ̓́νακτος (Laconian)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ϝᾰ̓́ναξ ho wánax	τὼ ϝᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ wánakte	τοὶ ϝᾰ̓́νακτες toì wánaktes
Genitive	τοῦ ϝᾰ̓́νακτος toû wánaktos	τοῖν ϝᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn wanáktoin	τῶν ϝᾰ̓νάκτων tôn wanáktōn
Dative	τῷ ϝᾰ̓́νακτῐ tôi wánakti	τοῖν ϝᾰ̓νάκτοιν toîn wanáktoin	τοῖς ϝᾰ̓́ναξῐ / ϝᾰ̓́ναξῐν toîs wánaxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ϝᾰ̓́νακτᾰ tòn wánakta	τὼ ϝᾰ̓́νακτε tṑ wánakte	τὼς ϝᾰ̓́νακτᾰς tṑs wánaktas
Vocative	ϝᾰ̓́ναξ / ϝᾰ̓́νᾰ wánax / wána	ϝᾰ̓́νακτε wánakte	ϝᾰ̓́νακτες wánaktes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Synonyms edit

(lord, master, king): ᾰ̓́νασσᾰ (ánassa, “queen”) (feminine), βᾰσῐλεύς (basileús), δεσπότης (despótēs), κοίρᾰνος (koíranos), κῡ́ρῐος (kū́rios), μεδέων (medéōn), μέδων (médōn), πρύτᾰνῐς (prútanis), τύραννος (túrannos)

Derived terms edit

Ἀνακτορία (Anaktoría)
Ἀναξάνδρα (Anaxándra)
Ἀνάξανδρος (Anáxandros)
Ἀναξίβια (Anaxíbia)
Ἀνάξιππος (Anáxippos)
Ἀστυάναξ (Astuánax)
Ἀστυάνασσα (Astuánassa)
εὐδῐᾰ́νᾰξ (eudiánax)
Εὐρυάνασσα (Euruánassa)
Ἱππῶνᾰξ (Hippônax)
οἰκῶνᾰξ (oikônax)
Πλειστοᾰ́νᾰξ (Pleistoánax)
πᾱσῐᾰ́νᾰξ (pāsiánax)
πῠριπηγᾰ́νᾰξ (puripēgánax)
Τῑμῶνᾰξ (Tīmônax)
χειρῶνᾰξ (kheirônax)
ᾰ̓νάκτορον (anáktoron)
ᾰ̓νακτόρῐος (anaktórios)
ᾰ̓νακτορῐ́ᾱ (anaktoríā)
Ᾰ̓νακτοτελέσται (Anaktoteléstai)
ᾰ̓νάκτωρ (anáktōr)
Ᾰ̓νάξαρχος (Anáxarkhos)
ᾰ̓ναξίαλος (anaxíalos)
Ᾰ̓ναξίβιος (Anaxíbios)
ᾰ̓ναξιβρέντας (anaxibréntas)
ᾰ̓ναξιδώρᾱ (anaxidṓrā)
Ᾰ̓ναξιμένης (Anaximénēs)
ᾰ̓ναξίμολπος (anaxímolpos)
ᾰ̓ναξιφόρμιγξ (anaxiphórminx)
Ᾰ̓ναξᾰγόρᾱς (Anaxagórās)
Ᾰ̓ναξᾰρέτη (Anaxarétē)
Ᾰ̓ναξῐ́μανδρος (Anaxímandros)
ᾰ̓ναξῐ́ᾱ (anaxíā)
ᾰ̓νάσσω (anássō)
Ᾰ̓νᾰξῐκρᾰ́της (Anaxikrátēs)
ῐ̔ππιᾰ́νᾰξ (hippiánax)

Related terms edit

ᾰ̓́νασσᾰ (ánassa, “queen”)

Descendants edit

Greek: άναξ (ánax)

References edit

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἄναξ, -ακτος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 98-99
^ Mallory, J. P. with Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (Oxford Linguistics), New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 268
^ Wodtko, Dagmar S., Irslinger, Britta, Schneider, Carolin (2008) “*h₂eĝ-”, in Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon [Nouns in the Indo-European Lexicon] (in German), Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, pages 267, 270