βέμβιξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Probably of Pre-Greek origin, in view of the suffix -ῑκ-. See also πέμφιξ (pémphix, “breath, blast”) and πομφόλυξ (pomphólux, “bubble”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /bém.biks/ → /ˈβem.biks/ → /ˈvem.biks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /bém.biks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈbem.biks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈβem.biks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈvem.biks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈvem.biks/

Noun

βέμβῐξ • (bémbix) f (genitive βέμβῑκος); third declension

1. spinning top

   Synonyms: στρόβιλος (stróbilos), στρόμβος (strómbos)

2. whirlpool, eddy

   Synonyms: δίνη (dínē), ἶλιγξ (îlinx), στροφάλιγξ (strophálinx)

3. cyclone, whirlwind
4. bumblebee

   Synonym: βομβυλιός (bombuliós)

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ βέμβῐξ; τῆς βέμβῑκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ βέμβῐξ hē bémbix	τὼ βέμβῑκε tṑ bémbīke	αἱ βέμβῑκες hai bémbīkes
Genitive	τῆς βέμβῑκος tês bémbīkos	τοῖν βεμβῑ́κοιν toîn bembī́koin	τῶν βεμβῑ́κων tôn bembī́kōn
Dative	τῇ βέμβῑκῐ têi bémbīki	τοῖν βεμβῑ́κοιν toîn bembī́koin	ταῖς βέμβῑξῐ / βέμβῑξῐν taîs bémbīxi(n)
Accusative	τὴν βέμβῑκᾰ tḕn bémbīka	τὼ βέμβῑκε tṑ bémbīke	τᾱ̀ς βέμβῑκᾰς tā̀s bémbīkas
Vocative	βέμβῐξ bémbix	βέμβῑκε bémbīke	βέμβῑκες bémbīkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• βεμβικιάω (bembikiáō)
• βεμβικίζω (bembikízō)
• βεμβικώδης (bembikṓdēs)

 

Descendants

• → Translingual: Bembix

Further reading

• “βέμβιξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βέμβιξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• βέμβιξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βέμβιξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN