χαμουλκός

Forms

χᾰμουλκός (khamoulkós) f (genitive χᾰμουλκοῦ); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek χαμαί (khamaí, “on the ground”) + ἕλκω (hélkō, “to drag”), a feminine with μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “machine”) understood.^[1][2][3] The second part, -ουλκός (-oulkós), is the same as in βαρουλκός (baroulkós).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest dated use in the GLAUx corpus is in Pollux's Onomasticon, where it names a machine for hauling loads.^[5][2] A papyrus in Berlin also mentions it.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Pape describes it as a machine for drawing ships onto land, and Πάπυρος gives the same ancient and medieval sense.^[6][4] The Latin historian Ammianus Marcellinus uses the word as Latin chamulcus.^[2][1] A glossary equates it with Latin trahea (“sledge”).^[2][3]

The Modern Greek χαμουλκός (chamoulkós) is a nautical term, and also a low two-wheeled trolley for carrying sacks or a smooth timber on which heavy loads are dragged.^[4]

Timeline

• 2nd century AD – Pollux lists it among machines.^[2][5][7]
• 4th century AD – Ammianus Marcellinus uses the Latin form chamulcus.^[2][7]
• Modern Greek – χαμουλκός (chamoulkós) names a trolley for sacks and a nautical device.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A crane or windlass, a machine for hauling heavy loads, such as ships onto land.^[2][1][6][8]
2. A sledge (glossing Latin trahea).^[2][3]

Related words

• βαρουλκός (baroulkós)
• Latin chamulcus

Usage notes

LSJ and Chæréphon treat it as feminine, with μηχανή understood, but Pape gives it as masculine.^[2][3][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e Charbonnet, André (2025), Chæréphon, v4.7: supplement to Bailly from papyri, inscriptions and recent lexica
4. ^ a b c d Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
5. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ a b c Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 3rd ed., rev. Max Sengebusch, Braunschweig: Vieweg
7. ^ a b Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
8. ^ Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli