ἅμαξα

See also: αμαξά and άμαξα

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἄμαξα (ámaxa)

Etymology

Traditionally derived from a compound of ἅμα (háma, “at once”) + the ἄξ- (áx-) in ἄξων (áxōn, “axle”) + -ια (-ia, “nominal suffix”), literally "one-axler". Other theories include a relation to ἄγω (ágō, “to lead, guide”), as well as Tocharian B amäkṣpänte (“wagonmaster”).

Beekes rejects these theories (noting that a "one-axler" formation makes less sense than a "two-axler" formation) and considers the word Pre-Greek, based on a variant ἀβακλή (abaklḗ).^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /há.mak.sa/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)a.mak.sa/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.mak.sa/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.mak.sa/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈa.mak.sa/

Noun

ᾰ̔́μαξᾰ • (hámaxa) f (genitive ᾰ̔μάξης); first declension

wagon
Synonym: ἀπήνη (apḗnē)

Inflection

First declension of ἡ ᾰ̔́μαξᾰ; τῆς ᾰ̔μάξης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̔́μαξᾰ hē hámaxa	τὼ ᾰ̔μάξᾱ tṑ hamáxā	αἱ ᾰ̔́μαξαι hai hámaxai
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̔μάξης tês hamáxēs	τοῖν ᾰ̔μάξαιν toîn hamáxain	τῶν ᾰ̔μαξῶν tôn hamaxôn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̔μάξῃ têi hamáxēi	τοῖν ᾰ̔μάξαιν toîn hamáxain	ταῖς ᾰ̔μάξαις taîs hamáxais
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̔́μαξᾰν tḕn hámaxan	τὼ ᾰ̔μάξᾱ tṑ hamáxā	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̔μάξᾱς tā̀s hamáxās
Vocative	ᾰ̔́μαξᾰ hámaxa	ᾰ̔μάξᾱ hamáxā	ᾰ̔́μαξαι hámaxai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἁρμάμαξα (harmámaxa)

Descendants

Greek: άμαξα (ámaxa)
Latin: hamaxa

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἅμαξα”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 81-2