ἐλαχύς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἔλαχος (élakhos)

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *eləkʰús, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰus (“lightweight”).

Cognates include Sanskrit लघु (laghu), Latin levis, Old Church Slavonic льгъкъ (lĭgŭkŭ), Old English lēoht (English light).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /e.la.kʰýs/ → /e.laˈçys/ → /e.laˈçis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /e.la.kʰýs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /e.laˈkʰys/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /e.laˈçys/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /e.laˈçys/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /e.laˈçis/

Adjective

ἐλᾰχῠ́ς • (elakhús) m (feminine ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ, neuter ἐλᾰχῠ́); first/third declension

1. small, short, mean, little
   • 7th–6th centuries BC, Homeric Hymn to Apollo 197:

     τῇσι μὲν οὔτ’ αἰσχρὴ μεταμέλπεται οὔτ᾽ ἐλάχεια, ἀλλὰ μάλα μεγάλη τε ἰδεῖν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητή

     And among them sings one, not mean nor puny, but tall to look upon and enviable in mien.

Inflection

First and third declension of ἐλᾰχῠ́ς; ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ; ἐλᾰχῠ́ (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ς elakhús	ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ elákheia	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú		ἐλᾰχέε elakhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elakheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elakhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elakheîs	ἐλᾰ́χειαι elákheiai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elakhéa
Genitive		ἐλᾰχέος elakhéos	ἐλᾰχείᾱς elakheíās	ἐλᾰχέος elakhéos		ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elakheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin		ἐλᾰχέων elakhéōn	ἐλᾰχειῶν elakheiôn	ἐλᾰχέων elakhéōn
Dative		ἐλᾰχεῖ elakheî	ἐλᾰχείᾳ elakheíāi	ἐλᾰχεῖ elakheî		ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elakheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin		ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elakhési(n)	ἐλᾰχείαις elakheíais	ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elakhési(n)
Accusative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ν elakhún	ἐλᾰ́χειᾰν elákheian	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú		ἐλᾰχέε elakhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elakheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elakhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elakheîs	ἐλᾰχείᾱς elakheíās	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elakhéa
Vocative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú	ἐλᾰ́χειᾰ elákheia	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú		ἐλᾰχέε elakhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elakheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elakhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elakheîs	ἐλᾰ́χειαι elákheiai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elakhéa
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ἐλᾰχέως elakhéōs				ἐλάσσων elássōn				ἐλᾰ́χιστος elákhistos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of ἐλᾰχῠ́ς; ἐλᾰ́χεᾰ; ἐλᾰχῠ́ (Ionic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ς elakhús	ἐλᾰ́χεᾰ elákhea	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú		ἐλᾰχέε elakhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elakheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elakhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elakheîs	ἐλᾰ́χεαι elákheai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elakhéa
Genitive		ἐλᾰχέος elakhéos	ἐλᾰχείης elakheíēs	ἐλᾰχέος elakhéos		ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elakheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin		ἐλᾰχέων elakhéōn	ἐλᾰχειέων / ἐλᾰχειῶν elakheiéōn / elakheiôn	ἐλᾰχέων elakhéōn
Dative		ἐλᾰχεῖ elakheî	ἐλᾰχείῃ elakheíēi	ἐλᾰχεῖ elakheî		ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin	ἐλᾰχείαιν elakheíain	ἐλᾰχέοιν elakhéoin		ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elakhési(n)	ἐλᾰχείῃσῐ / ἐλᾰχείῃσῐν elakheíēisi(n)	ἐλᾰχέσῐ / ἐλᾰχέσῐν elakhési(n)
Accusative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ν elakhún	ἐλᾰ́χεᾰν elákhean	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú		ἐλᾰχέε elakhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elakheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elakhée		ἐλᾰχέᾰς elakhéas	ἐλᾰχείᾱς elakheíās	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elakhéa
Vocative		ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú	ἐλᾰ́χεᾰ elákhea	ἐλᾰχῠ́ elakhú		ἐλᾰχέε elakhée	ἐλᾰχείᾱ elakheíā	ἐλᾰχέε elakhée		ἐλᾰχεῖς elakheîs	ἐλᾰ́χεαι elákheai	ἐλᾰχέᾰ elakhéa
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ἐλᾰχέως elakhéōs				ἐλάσσων elássōn				ἐλᾰ́χιστος elákhistos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

This is one of the two adjectives in -ύς, -εῖα, -ύ, along with λιγύς (ligús), that have a recessive accent in the feminine. See also θῆλυς (thêlus), ἥμισυς (hḗmisus).

Synonyms

• βαιός (baiós)
• βραχύς (brakhús)
• ἠβαιός (ēbaiós)
• μικρός (mikrós)
• ὀλίγος (olígos)
• παῦρος (paûros)
• τυτθός (tutthós)

Derived terms

• ἐλαχύνωτος (elakhúnōtos)
• ἐλαχυπτέρυξ (elakhuptérux)

Further reading

• “ἐλαχύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἐλαχύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἐλαχύς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἐλαχύς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἐλαχύς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)