πελεκάν Ancient Greek · revision 2333

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=4th century BC, Anaxandrides|origins=grc πέλεκυς}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /pe.le.kán/^(Wiktionary)

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

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /pe.leˈkan/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''πελεκᾰ́ν''' (pelekán) ''m'' (genitive πελεκᾶνος); third declension^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from [[πέλεκυς|tr=pélekus|t=axe]], because the bird's bill resembles an axe in shape or use.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary) The suffix -άν is that of ethnic names such as Ἀκαρνάν, and Beekes counts it among the Pre-Greek suffixes.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Beekes 2014) Furnée compared Hesychius' σπέλεκτος “pelican”.^(Beekes 2010)^(Beekes 2014)

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+ The same base gave other bird names: [[πελεκᾶς|tr=pelekâs|t=green woodpecker]] and [[πελεκῖνος|tr=pelekînos|t=pelican]], both in Aristophanes.^(Beekes 2010)^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Its first known use is in the comic poet Anaxandrides.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)^(PHILOGLOSSA)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Aristotle describes the pelican, and Antoninus Liberalis and Aelian mention it later.^(LSJ 1940)^(PHILOGLOSSA) Medieval Greek also has πελεκάνος, which is already late antique and is the Modern Greek form.^(Kriaras) The ''Physiologus'' calls the pelican a bird that loves its young and takes it as an image of Christ.^(Kriaras)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes has πελεκᾶς and πελεκῖνος.^(Beekes 2010)^(DGE)

+ * 4th century BC – Anaxandrides and Aristotle use πελεκάν.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * Medieval Greek – the ''Physiologus'' makes the pelican an image of Christ.^(Kriaras)

+ * Modern Greek – πελεκάνος.^(Kriaras)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|pelican]], ''Pelecanus onocrotalus''.^(LSJ 1940)^(PHILOGLOSSA)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[πέλεκυς|tr=pélekus]]

+ * [[πελεκῖνος|tr=pelekînos]]

+ * [[en|pelican]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}