The formation is similar to κόλυμβος (kólumbos), κόρυμβος (kórumbos), σήραμβος (sḗrambos) and βόμβυξ (bómbux), ὄρτυξ (órtux). The form cannot be derived from κέρας (kéras, “horn”). If the word has prenasalization, which seemes probable, it is of Pre-Greek origin. Moreover, -υκ- is a typical Pre-Greek suffix. Furnée compares κάραβος (kárabos, “kind of beetle”), κεράμβηλον (kerámbēlon, “kind of beetle”) and κηραφίς (kēraphís, “kind of locust”), suggesting a common root.
κερᾰ́μβῠξ • (kerắmbŭx) m (genitive κερᾰ́μβῠκος); third declension
| Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ὁ κερᾰ́μβῠξ ho kerắmbŭx |
τὼ κερᾰ́μβῠκε tṑ kerắmbŭke |
οἱ κερᾰ́μβῠκες hoi kerắmbŭkes | ||||||||||
| Genitive | τοῦ κερᾰ́μβῠκος toû kerắmbŭkos |
τοῖν κερᾰμβῠ́κοιν toîn kerămbŭ́koin |
τῶν κερᾰμβῠ́κων tôn kerămbŭ́kōn | ||||||||||
| Dative | τῷ κερᾰ́μβῠκῐ tôi kerắmbŭkĭ |
τοῖν κερᾰμβῠ́κοιν toîn kerămbŭ́koin |
τοῖς κερᾰ́μβῠξῐ / κερᾰ́μβῠξῐν toîs kerắmbŭxĭ(n) | ||||||||||
| Accusative | τὸν κερᾰ́μβῠκᾰ tòn kerắmbŭkă |
τὼ κερᾰ́μβῠκε tṑ kerắmbŭke |
τοὺς κερᾰ́μβῠκᾰς toùs kerắmbŭkăs | ||||||||||
| Vocative | κερᾰ́μβῠξ kerắmbŭx |
κερᾰ́μβῠκε kerắmbŭke |
κερᾰ́μβῠκες kerắmbŭkes | ||||||||||
| Notes: |
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