Βάκχος

Forms

Βᾰ́κχος (Bákkhos) m (genitive Βᾰ́κχου); second declension^[1]

Etymology

Chantraine and Frisk call it a foreign word of unknown origin.^[2][3] It is linked in some way with a Lydian stem baki-, found in the adjective bakivalis, which renders a Greek name formed from that of Dionysus.^[2][3][4] Wilamowitz and Nilsson took the Greek name as a Lydian loan, but Chantraine thinks the reverse is possible, and Frisk finds it more likely that Lydian borrowed from Greek.^[2][3] Van Windekens connected it with βαβαί (babaí) and βαβάκτης (babáktēs).^[3][4] Etymonline and Wiktionary mention a possible link with Latin bacca (“berry”), and an origin in the name of a Thracian fertility god.^[5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest texts, fragments of Xenophanes and Heraclitus of the 6th–5th century BC, it is a common noun: Xenophanes uses it for the branch carried by initiates and Heraclitus for the initiates of Dionysus.^[6][7][8] LSJ finds the god's name first in Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The New Pauly explains the word as the name of the raving typical of the cult of Dionysus, which was taken as a sign that the god possessed the worshipper.^[9] As a name of Dionysus it belongs mostly to poetry, in Sophocles, Euripides and later poets.^[2][6][10] Euripides also uses it for wine and for any frenzied person, as when Heracles is called a Bacchant of Hades.^[6][7] An oracle from Pergamon gives it as an epithet of Zeus.^[7] The Suda says the name was given not only to Dionysus but to all who performed his rites, and also to the branches of the initiates and to a kind of garland.^[11]

It also named a kind of grey mullet.^[12][6] Latin took it as Bacchus, whence English Bacchus in the late 15th century.^[5] In Modern Greek Βάκχος (Vákchos) is a name of Dionysus and of saints of the Orthodox Church.^[13][14]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Xenophanes uses it for the branch carried by initiates, and Heraclitus for the initiates themselves.^[6][7]
• 5th century BC – Sophocles uses it as a name of Dionysus, and Euripides also for wine.^[6][10]
• 2nd century BC – Nicander uses it for a garland.^[6][7]
• 1st century BC – Hicesius uses it for a kind of grey mullet.^[6][12]
• 2nd century AD – An oracle from Pergamon calls Zeus by this name.^[7]
• Late 15th century – English borrows Bacchus from Latin.^[5]
• Modern Greek – Βάκχος (Vákchos) is a name of Dionysus and of Orthodox saints.^[13][14]

Meanings

Proper noun

1. Bacchus, a name of Διόνυσος (Diónusos).^[6][10]
2. An epithet of Ζεύς (Zeús).^[7][6]

Noun

1. (metonymy) Wine.^[6][10]
2. A bacchant, an initiate of Dionysus; any inspired or frenzied person.^[6][7]
3. The branch carried by the initiates.^[6][7]
4. A garland.^[6][7]
5. A kind of grey mullet; also another name of the hake.^[6][7][12]
6. Among the Phoenicians, weeping, according to Hesychius.^[6][7]

Word family

• βάκχη (bákkhē)
• βακχεύω (bakkheúō)
• βακχεῖος (bakkheîos)
• βακχικός (bakkhikós)
• βακχεία (bakkheía)

Related words

• Latin Bacchus
• English Bacchus

Usage notes

An Orphic verse says “many carry the fennel wand, but few are bacchoi”, meaning that few of the initiated are truly possessed by the god.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
3. ^ a b c d Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
8. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
9. ^ Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth, eds. (2002–2010), Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ a b c d Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
11. ^ Adler, Ada, ed. (1928–1938), Suidae Lexicon, 5 vols, Leipzig: Teubner
12. ^ a b c Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
13. ^ a b Πολυλεξικό, in the encyclopedia Επιστήμη και Ζωή, Athens
14. ^ a b Τεγόπουλος, Γ.; Φυτράκης, Ε. (1997), Μείζον Ελληνικό Λεξικό, Athens: Αρμονία