ἕλιξ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• εἷλῐξ (heîlix) — Poetic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hé.liks/ → /ˈe.liks/ → /ˈe.liks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hé.liks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)e.liks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.liks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.liks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.liks/

Noun

ἕλῐξ • (hélix) f (genitive ἕλῐκος); third declension

1. Anything twisted, winding, or spiral.
2. The tendril of a vine.
3. The outer ear
4. (mathematics) A spiral line.

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ ἕλῐξ; τῆς ἕλῐκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ἕλῐξ hē hélix	τὼ ἕλῐκε tṑ hélike	αἱ ἕλῐκες hai hélikes
Genitive	τῆς ἕλῐκος tês hélikos	τοῖν ἑλῐ́κοιν toîn helíkoin	τῶν ἑλῐ́κων tôn helíkōn
Dative	τῇ ἕλῐκῐ têi héliki	τοῖν ἑλῐ́κοιν toîn helíkoin	ταῖς ἕλῐξῐ / ἕλῐξῐν taîs hélixi(n)
Accusative	τὴν ἕλῐκᾰ tḕn hélika	τὼ ἕλῐκε tṑ hélike	τᾱ̀ς ἕλῐκᾰς tā̀s hélikas
Vocative	ἕλῐξ hélix	ἕλῐκε hélike	ἕλῐκες hélikes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἕλῐξ; ἕλῐκος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἕλῐξ hélix	ἕλῐκε hélike	ἕλῐκες hélikes
Genitive	ἕλῐκος hélikos	ἑλῐ́κοιῐν helíkoiin	ἑλῐ́κων helíkōn
Dative	ἕλῐκῐ héliki	ἑλῐ́κοιῐν helíkoiin	ἕλῐξῐ / ἕλῐξῐν / ἑλῐ́κεσσῐ / ἑλῐ́κεσσῐν / ἑλῐ́κεσῐ / ἑλῐ́κεσῐν hélixi(n) / helíkessi(n) / helíkesi(n)
Accusative	ἕλῐκᾰ hélika	ἕλῐκε hélike	ἕλῐκᾰς hélikas
Vocative	ἕλῐξ hélix	ἕλῐκε hélike	ἕλῐκες hélikes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Descendants

• Greek: έλικα (élika), → Greek: έλικας (élikas)
• → Latin: helix
  • → Catalan: hèlix
  • → Dutch: helix
  • → English: helix
  • → French: hélice
  • → Galician: hélice
  • → Italian: elica
  • → Polish: helisa
  • → Portuguese: hélice
  • → Romanian: elice
  • → Spanish: hélice

References

• “ἕλιξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἕλιξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἕλιξ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἕλιξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἕλιξ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἕλιξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)