ἀμύσσω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀμῠ́ττω (amúttō) — Attic

Etymology

This word has been compared to Latin mūcrō (“sharp point”), Lithuanian mùšti (“to beat, strike, hit”) and Old English gemyscan (“to afflict, tease”). This seems a rather small basis for reconstructing an Indo-European root. Furnée accepts the comparison with Latin, but as a substrate word. The presence of ἀμύσχεσται (amúskhestai, “laceration of the flesh with claws”) shows a typical Pre-Greek variation, according to Beekes.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.mýs.sɔː/ → /aˈmys.so/ → /aˈmi.so/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.mýs.sɔː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈmys.so/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈmys.so/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈmys.so/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈmi.so/

Verb

ἀμῠ́σσω • (amússō)

1. to scratch, tear, lacerate
2. to tear in pieces, mangle
3. (of thorns) to prick
4. (of insects) to sting

Inflection

   Present: ἀμῠ́σσω, ἀμῠ́σσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἀμῠ́σσω	ἀμῠ́σσεις	ἀμῠ́σσει	ἀμῠ́σσετον	ἀμῠ́σσετον	ἀμῠ́σσομεν	ἀμῠ́σσετε	ἀμῠ́σσουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἀμῠ́σσω	ἀμῠ́σσῃς	ἀμῠ́σσῃ	ἀμῠ́σσητον	ἀμῠ́σσητον	ἀμῠ́σσωμεν	ἀμῠ́σσητε	ἀμῠ́σσωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἀμῠ́σσοιμῐ	ἀμῠ́σσοις	ἀμῠ́σσοι	ἀμῠ́σσοιτον	ἀμῠσσοίτην	ἀμῠ́σσοιμεν	ἀμῠ́σσοιτε	ἀμῠ́σσοιεν
	imperative		ἄμῠσσε	ἀμῠσσέτω	ἀμῠ́σσετον	ἀμῠσσέτων		ἀμῠ́σσετε	ἀμῠσσόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	ἀμῠ́σσομαι	ἀμῠ́σσῃ, ἀμῠ́σσει	ἀμῠ́σσεται	ἀμῠ́σσεσθον	ἀμῠ́σσεσθον	ἀμῠσσόμεθᾰ	ἀμῠ́σσεσθε	ἀμῠ́σσονται
	subjunctive	ἀμῠ́σσωμαι	ἀμῠ́σσῃ	ἀμῠ́σσηται	ἀμῠ́σσησθον	ἀμῠ́σσησθον	ἀμῠσσώμεθᾰ	ἀμῠ́σσησθε	ἀμῠ́σσωνται
	optative	ἀμῠσσοίμην	ἀμῠ́σσοιο	ἀμῠ́σσοιτο	ἀμῠ́σσοισθον	ἀμῠσσοίσθην	ἀμῠσσοίμεθᾰ	ἀμῠ́σσοισθε	ἀμῠ́σσοιντο
	imperative		ἀμῠ́σσου	ἀμῠσσέσθω	ἀμῠ́σσεσθον	ἀμῠσσέσθων		ἀμῠ́σσεσθε	ἀμῠσσέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		ἀμῠ́σσειν				ἀμῠ́σσεσθαι
participle	m	ἀμῠ́σσων				ἀμῠσσόμενος
	f	ἀμῠ́σσουσᾰ				ἀμῠσσομένη
	n	ἀμῠ́σσον				ἀμῠσσόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Future: μῠ́ξω, μῠ́ξομαι, μῠχθήσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	μῠ́ξω	μῠ́ξεις	μῠ́ξει	μῠ́ξετον	μῠ́ξετον	μῠ́ξομεν	μῠ́ξετε	μῠ́ξουσῐ(ν)
	optative	μῠ́ξοιμῐ	μῠ́ξοις	μῠ́ξοι	μῠ́ξοιτον	μῠξοίτην	μῠ́ξοιμεν	μῠ́ξοιτε	μῠ́ξοιεν
middle	indicative	μῠ́ξομαι	μῠ́ξῃ, μῠ́ξει	μῠ́ξεται	μῠ́ξεσθον	μῠ́ξεσθον	μῠξόμεθᾰ	μῠ́ξεσθε	μῠ́ξονται
	optative	μῠξοίμην	μῠ́ξοιο	μῠ́ξοιτο	μῠ́ξοισθον	μῠξοίσθην	μῠξοίμεθᾰ	μῠ́ξοισθε	μῠ́ξοιντο
passive	indicative	μῠχθήσομαι	μῠχθήσῃ	μῠχθήσεται	μῠχθήσεσθον	μῠχθήσεσθον	μῠχθησόμεθᾰ	μῠχθήσεσθε	μῠχθήσονται
	optative	μῠχθησοίμην	μῠχθήσοιο	μῠχθήσοιτο	μῠχθήσοισθον	μῠχθησοίσθην	μῠχθησοίμεθᾰ	μῠχθήσοισθε	μῠχθήσοιντο
		active			middle		passive
infinitive		μῠ́ξειν			μῠ́ξεσθαι		μῠχθήσεσθαι
participle	m	μῠ́ξων			μῠξόμενος		μῠχθησόμενος
	f	μῠ́ξουσᾰ			μῠξομένη		μῠχθησομένη
	n	μῠ́ξον			μῠξόμενον		μῠχθησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Aorist: ἤμῠξᾰ, ἠμῠξᾰ́μην, ἠμῠ́χθην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἤμῠξᾰ	ἤμῠξᾰς	ἤμῠξε(ν)	ἠμῠ́ξᾰτον	ἠμῠξᾰ́την	ἠμῠ́ξᾰμεν	ἠμῠ́ξᾰτε	ἤμῠξᾰν
	subjunctive	μῠ́ξω	μῠ́ξῃς	μῠ́ξῃ	μῠ́ξητον	μῠ́ξητον	μῠ́ξωμεν	μῠ́ξητε	μῠ́ξωσῐ(ν)
	optative	μῠ́ξαιμῐ	μῠ́ξειᾰς, μῠ́ξαις	μῠ́ξειε(ν), μῠ́ξαι	μῠ́ξαιτον	μῠξαίτην	μῠ́ξαιμεν	μῠ́ξαιτε	μῠ́ξειᾰν, μῠ́ξαιεν
	imperative		μῠ́ξον	μῠξᾰ́τω	μῠ́ξᾰτον	μῠξᾰ́των		μῠ́ξᾰτε	μῠξᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἠμῠξᾰ́μην	ἠμῠ́ξω	ἠμῠ́ξᾰτο	ἠμῠ́ξᾰσθον	ἠμῠξᾰ́σθην	ἠμῠξᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἠμῠ́ξᾰσθε	ἠμῠ́ξᾰντο
	subjunctive	μῠ́ξωμαι	μῠ́ξῃ	μῠ́ξηται	μῠ́ξησθον	μῠ́ξησθον	μῠξώμεθᾰ	μῠ́ξησθε	μῠ́ξωνται
	optative	μῠξαίμην	μῠ́ξαιο	μῠ́ξαιτο	μῠ́ξαισθον	μῠξαίσθην	μῠξαίμεθᾰ	μῠ́ξαισθε	μῠ́ξαιντο
	imperative		μῠ́ξαι	μῠξᾰ́σθω	μῠ́ξᾰσθον	μῠξᾰ́σθων		μῠ́ξᾰσθε	μῠξᾰ́σθων
passive	indicative	ἠμῠ́χθην	ἠμῠ́χθης	ἠμῠ́χθη	ἠμῠ́χθητον	ἠμῠχθήτην	ἠμῠ́χθημεν	ἠμῠ́χθητε	ἠμῠ́χθησᾰν
	subjunctive	μῠχθῶ	μῠχθῇς	μῠχθῇ	μῠχθῆτον	μῠχθῆτον	μῠχθῶμεν	μῠχθῆτε	μῠχθῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	μῠχθείην	μῠχθείης	μῠχθείη	μῠχθεῖτον, μῠχθείητον	μῠχθείτην, μῠχθειήτην	μῠχθεῖμεν, μῠχθείημεν	μῠχθεῖτε, μῠχθείητε	μῠχθεῖεν, μῠχθείησᾰν
	imperative		μῠ́χθητῐ	μῠχθήτω	μῠ́χθητον	μῠχθήτων		μῠ́χθητε	μῠχθέντων
		active			middle		passive
infinitive		μῠ́ξαι			μῠ́ξᾰσθαι		μῠχθῆναι
participle	m	μῠ́ξᾱς			μῠξᾰ́μενος		μῠχθείς
	f	μῠ́ξᾱσᾰ			μῠξᾰμένη		μῠχθεῖσᾰ
	n	μῠ́ξᾰν			μῠξᾰ́μενον		μῠχθέν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

• ἄμῠγμᾰ (ámugma)
• ἀμῠκτῐκός (amuktikós)
• ἀμῠ́ξ (amúx)
• ἄμῠξῐς (ámuxis)
• ἀμῠχή (amukhḗ)
• ἀμῠχμός (amukhmós)

 

Further reading

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