πέρδιξ Ancient Greek · revision 2267

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=borrowing|attested=7th century BC, Archilochus|origins=qfa-sub-grc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /pér.diːks/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈper.ðiks/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈper.ðiks/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''πέρδῑξ''' (pérdīx) ''m'' or f (genitive πέρδῑκος); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Cretan [[πήριξ|tr=pḗrix]] (Hesychius), with -ηρ- from -ερδ-.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+ The ι is long in Sophocles and Nicophon and short in Archilochus and Epicharmus.^(LSJ 1940)^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Beekes considers it Pre-Greek, [[der|qfa-sub-grc|-]], since he takes the suffix -ῑκ- to be a substrate suffix.^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The traditional explanation, given by Frisk, derives it with the suffix -ικ- from [[πέρδομαι|tr=pérdomai]] “to break wind”, after the whirring sound the bird makes when it takes off.^(Frisk 1960) PHILOGLOSSA records this as the traditional view, and Etymonline also traces it to an imitative root.^(Frisk 1960)^(PHILOGLOSSA)^(Etymonline) Frisk rejects a comparison with a Sanskrit word for “snake”.^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It first appears in Archilochus, in the 7th century BC.^(Beekes 2010)^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Epicharmus, Sophocles, Aristophanes and Xenophon mention it.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010) Xenophon pairs quails and partridges, and the proverb πέρδιξ ὄρουσον, “partridge, jump!”, meant “look sharp” (Aristophanes).^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010) Aristotle discusses it in his zoological works, and a Delian inscription of 278 BC lists it.^(PHILOGLOSSA) It appears in the Septuagint in Jeremiah and Sirach.^(Lust 2003)

+

+ Medieval Greek used it in similes, for one pursued by a hawk and for a sweet lamenting voice, and figuratively for a young and beautiful woman.^(Kriaras) It continues as [[el|πέρδικα|tr=pérdika]].^(Wiktionary)^(Kriaras) It was borrowed as [[la|perdīx]], which through Old French gave [[en|partridge]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 7th century BC – Archilochus mentions the partridge.^(Beekes 2010)^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ * 5th century BC – Sophocles and Aristophanes use the word.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 4th century BC – Aristotle describes the bird.^(PHILOGLOSSA)^(DGE)

+ * 278 BC – a Delian inscription lists it.^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''partrich'', through Latin and Old French.^(Etymonline)

+ * Modern Greek – πέρδικα.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|partridge]].^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(medieval, figurative)'' A young, beautiful woman.^(Kriaras)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[περδίκιον|tr=perdī́kion]]

+ * [[περδικοθήρας|tr=perdīkothḗrās]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|perdīx]]

+ * [[en|partridge]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}