πέρδιξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

πήρῑξ (pḗrīx) — Cretan

Etymology

Traditionally explained (such as by Frisk) as a derivative from πέρδομαι (pérdomai, “I fart”), due to the droning sound when partridges take wing. However, Beekes suggests a Pre-Greek origin, as he considers the suffix -ῑκ- (-īk-) to be of substrate origin.^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pér.diːks/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈper.diks/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈper.ðiks/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈper.ðiks/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈper.ðiks/

Noun

πέρδῑξ • (pérdīx) m or f (genitive πέρδῑκος); third declension

partridge

Declension

Third declension of ὁ, ἡ πέρδῑξ; τοῦ, τῆς πέρδῑκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ, ἡ πέρδῑξ ho, hē pérdīx	τὼ πέρδῑκε tṑ pérdīke	οἱ, αἱ πέρδῑκες hoi, hai pérdīkes
Genitive	τοῦ, τῆς πέρδῑκος toû, tês pérdīkos	τοῖν περδῑ́κοιν toîn perdī́koin	τῶν περδῑ́κων tôn perdī́kōn
Dative	τῷ, τῇ πέρδῑκῐ tôi, têi pérdīki	τοῖν περδῑ́κοιν toîn perdī́koin	τοῖς, ταῖς πέρδῑξῐ / πέρδῑξῐν toîs, taîs pérdīxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν, τὴν πέρδῑκᾰ tòn, tḕn pérdīka	τὼ πέρδῑκε tṑ pérdīke	τοὺς, τᾱ̀ς πέρδῑκᾰς toùs, tā̀s pérdīkas
Vocative	πέρδῑξ pérdīx	πέρδῑκε pérdīke	πέρδῑκες pérdīkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

περδίκειος (perdíkeios)
περδικιάς (perdikiás)
περδικιδεύς (perdikideús)
περδικικός (perdikikós)
περδίκιον (perdíkion)
περδικίτης (perdikítēs)
περδικοθήρας (perdikothḗras)
περδικοτρόφος (perdikotróphos)
συροπέρδιξ (suropérdix)

Descendants

Greek: πέρδικα (pérdika)
- → Aromanian: pirdic
→ Latin: perdīx (see there for further descendants)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “πέρδιξ, -ῑ̆κος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1175