μάχαιρα

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See also: μαχαίρα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Controversial:[1]

  • Traditionally linked to μάχομαι (mákhomai, to fight); compare μάχη (mákhē, a battle, a strife). Though formally without issues, Chantraine finds this implausible.
  • Others consider the word to be from a foreign or substrate source, though exact comparanda are disputed. Lewy considers the word as a Semitic borrowing; compare Hebrew מכרה (mᵉkērā, sword). However, Gordon considers the Hebrew to be borrowed from Greek, rather than the other way around.
  • Beekes prefers to link the word to μάγειρος (mágeiros, cook), taking the γ/χ interchange as evidence of Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

μάχαιρα (mákhairaf (genitive μᾰχαίρας); first declension

  1. large knife, short sword, dirk, dagger

Usage notes

Later Greek used μαχαίρης (makhaírēs) and μαχαίρῃ (makhaírēi) for the singular genitive and dative respectively.

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “μάχαιρα”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 915

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek μάχαιρα (mákhaira).[1] Doublet of μαχαίρι (machaíri).

Noun

μάχαιρα (máchairaf (uncountable)

  1. sword used by the ancient Greeks
  2. large knife

Declension

References

  1. ^ μάχαιρα, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής , Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language

Further reading