μῆριγξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• σμῆριγξ (smêrinx)

Etymology

The suffix "-ιγγ-", the prothetic "σ-" and the lack of possible cognates, apart from μήρινθος (mḗrinthos, “fishing line”), lead to a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mɛ̂ː.riŋks/ → /ˈmi.riŋks/ → /ˈmi.riŋks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mɛ̂ː.riŋks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈme̝.riŋks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.riŋks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.riŋks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.riŋks/

Noun

μῆρῐγξ • (mêrinx) f (genitive μήρῐγγος); third declension

1. bristle
2. Hesychius' gives the definition as: thorn which grows in the fleece of cattle.

Declension

Third declension of ἡ μῆρῐγξ; τῆς μήρῐγγος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ μῆρῐγξ hē mêrinx	τὼ μήρῐγγε tṑ mḗringe	αἱ μήρῐγγες hai mḗringes
Genitive	τῆς μήρῐγγος tês mḗringos	τοῖν μηρῐ́γγοιν toîn mēríngoin	τῶν μηρῐ́γγων tôn mēríngōn
Dative	τῇ μήρῐγγῐ têi mḗringi	τοῖν μηρῐ́γγοιν toîn mēríngoin	ταῖς μήρῐγξῐ / μήρῐγξῐν taîs mḗrinxi(n)
Accusative	τὴν μήρῐγγᾰ tḕn mḗringa	τὼ μήρῐγγε tṑ mḗringe	τᾱ̀ς μήρῐγγᾰς tā̀s mḗringas
Vocative	μῆρῐγξ mêrinx	μήρῐγγε mḗringe	μήρῐγγες mḗringes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Further reading

• “μῆριγξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• 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
• Hesychius' Lexicon: μ