φύλαξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Same source as φυλάσσω (phulássō, “to guard, watch”), but of unknown further etymology. According to Beekes, both words are clear examples of Pre-Greek. Note in particular the suffix -αξ (-ax).^[1]

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pʰý.laks/ → /ˈɸy.laks/ → /ˈfi.laks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰý.laks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpʰy.laks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɸy.laks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈfy.laks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈfi.laks/

Noun

φῠ́λᾰξ • (phŭ́lăx) m (genitive φῠ́λᾰκος); third declension

1. guard; sentry

Declension

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ φῠ́λᾰξ ho phŭ́lăx	τὼ φῠ́λᾰκε tṑ phŭ́lăke	οἱ φῠ́λᾰκες hoi phŭ́lăkes
Genitive	τοῦ φῠ́λᾰκος toû phŭ́lăkos	τοῖν φῠλᾰ́κοιν toîn phŭlắkoin	τῶν φῠλᾰ́κων tôn phŭlắkōn
Dative	τῷ φῠ́λᾰκῐ tôi phŭ́lăkĭ	τοῖν φῠλᾰ́κοιν toîn phŭlắkoin	τοῖς φῠ́λᾰξῐ / φῠ́λᾰξῐν toîs phŭ́lăxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν φῠ́λᾰκᾰ tòn phŭ́lăkă	τὼ φῠ́λᾰκε tṑ phŭ́lăke	τοὺς φῠ́λᾰκᾰς toùs phŭ́lăkăs
Vocative	φῠ́λᾰξ phŭ́lăx	φῠ́λᾰκε phŭ́lăke	φῠ́λᾰκες phŭ́lăkes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ φῠ́λᾰξ; τοῦ φῠ́λᾰκος (Attic)

Derived terms

• ἀγροφῠ́λᾰξ (agrophŭ́lăx)
• αἰγῐᾰλοφῠ́λᾰξ (aigĭălophŭ́lăx)
• βῐβλῐοφῠ́λᾰξ (bĭblĭophŭ́lăx)
• γᾱζοφῠ́λᾰξ (gāzophŭ́lăx)
• δεσμοφῠ́λᾰξ (desmophŭ́lăx)
• εἱργμοφῠ́λᾰξ (heirgmophŭ́lăx)
• εἰρηνοφῠ́λᾰξ (eirēnophŭ́lăx)
• ἐφηβοφῠ́λᾰξ (ephēbophŭ́lăx)
• ἡμεροφῠ́λᾰξ (hēmerophŭ́lăx)
• θεοφῠ́λᾰξ (theophŭ́lăx)
• θερμοφῠ́λᾰξ (thermophŭ́lăx)
• θησαυροφῠ́λᾰξ (thēsaurophŭ́lăx)
• ἱεροφῠ́λᾰξ (hierophŭ́lăx)
• ῑ̔μᾰτῐοφῠ́λᾰξ (hīmătĭophŭ́lăx)
• Ἰ̄νωποφῠ́λᾰξ (Īnōpophŭ́lăx)
• κᾰρποφῠ́λᾰξ (kărpophŭ́lăx)
• κεστροφῠ́λᾰξ (kestrophŭ́lăx)
• κοιτωνοφῠ́λᾰξ (koitōnophŭ́lăx)
• κρηνοφῠ́λᾰξ (krēnophŭ́lăx)
• λῐμενοφῠ́λᾰξ (lĭmenophŭ́lăx)
• μᾰγδωλοφῠ́λᾰξ (măgdōlophŭ́lăx)
• μετοικοφῠ́λᾰξ (metoikophŭ́lăx)
• μηλοφῠ́λᾰξ (mēlophŭ́lăx)
• μηνῐγγοφῠ́λᾰξ (mēnĭngophŭ́lăx)
• νᾰοφῠ́λᾰξ (năophŭ́lăx)
• νεκροφῠ́λᾰξ (nekrophŭ́lăx)
• νομοφῠ́λᾰξ (nomophŭ́lăx)
• νῠκτοφῠ́λᾰξ (nŭktophŭ́lăx)
• ξενοφῠ́λᾰξ (xenophŭ́lăx)
• ὁδοφῠ́λᾰξ (hodophŭ́lăx)
• οἰκοφῠ́λᾰξ (oikophŭ́lăx)
• οἰνοφῠ́λᾰξ (oinophŭ́lăx)
• ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξ (opĭsthophŭ́lăx)
• ὁπλοφῠ́λᾰξ (hoplophŭ́lăx)
• ὁρμοφῠ́λᾰξ (hormophŭ́lăx)
• ὁροφῠ́λᾰξ (horophŭ́lăx)
• ὀροφῠ́λᾰξ (orophŭ́lăx)
• ὀρφᾰνοφῠ́λᾰξ (orphănophŭ́lăx)
• παιδοφῠ́λᾰξ (paidophŭ́lăx)
• πᾰλαιστροφῠ́λᾰξ (pălaistrophŭ́lăx)
• πολῑτοφῠ́λᾰξ (polītophŭ́lăx)
• πῠργοφῠ́λᾰξ (pŭrgophŭ́lăx)
• ῥῐσκοφῠ́λᾰξ (rhĭskophŭ́lăx)
• σκευοφῠ́λᾰξ (skeuophŭ́lăx)
• σκηνοφῠ́λᾰξ (skēnophŭ́lăx)
• στρᾰτοφῠ́λᾰξ (strătophŭ́lăx)
• στρωμᾰτοφῠ́λᾰξ (strōmătophŭ́lăx)
• σῠμφῠ́λᾰξ (sŭmphŭ́lăx)
• τειχοφῠ́λᾰξ (teikhophŭ́lăx)
• ὑδροφῠ́λᾰξ (hudrophŭ́lăx)
• *φυλακέω (*phulakéō)
• χᾰλᾰζοφῠ́λᾰξ (khălăzophŭ́lăx)
• χειλοφῠ́λᾰξ (kheilophŭ́lăx)
• χῐμαιροφῠ́λᾰξ (khĭmairophŭ́lăx)
• χρῡσοφῠ́λᾰξ (khrūsophŭ́lăx)
• χωροφῠ́λᾰξ (khōrophŭ́lăx)

Descendants

• Greek: φύλακας (fýlakas)
• Coptic: ⲫⲩⲗⲁⲝ (phulaks)

References

1. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “φύλαξ, -ακος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1595

Further reading

• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2014) “φύλαξ, -ακος”, in Stefan Norbruis, editor, Pre-Greek: Phonology, Morphology, Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 133
• “φύλαξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “φύλαξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• φύλαξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• φύλαξ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “φύλαξ”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G5441 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • custodian idem, page 191.
  • defender idem, page 204.
  • door-keeper idem, page 247.
  • gaoler idem, page 353.
  • gate-keeper idem, page 354.
  • guard idem, page 376.
  • guardian idem, page 377.
  • jailor idem, page 461.
  • janitor idem, page 461.
  • keeper idem, page 468.
  • police idem, page 624.
  • porter idem, page 627.
  • portress idem, page 627.
  • protector idem, page 653.
  • protectress idem, page 653.
  • sentinel idem, page 754.
  • supporter idem, page 841.
  • upholder idem, page 938.
  • warder idem, page 964.
  • watch idem, page 965.
  • watcher idem, page 967.