μάσταξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

According to Beekes, related to μασάομαι (masáomai, “to chew”) and μαστάζω (mastázō, “to chew”), both terms he suspects to be of Pre-Greek origin. The formation is similar to that of πόρταξ (pórtax) and μύλαξ (múlax).^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /más.taks/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈmas.taks/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmas.taks/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmas.taks/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmas.taks/

Noun

μάσταξ • (mástax) f (genitive μάστακος); third declension

mouth, jaws, that with which one chews
mouthful, morsel
locust (because of its voracity)

Declension

Third declension of ἡ μάσταξ; τῆς μάστακος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ μάσταξ hē mástax	τὼ μάστακε tṑ mástake	αἱ μάστακες hai mástakes
Genitive	τῆς μάστακος tês mástakos	τοῖν μαστάκοιν toîn mastákoin	τῶν μαστάκων tôn mastákōn
Dative	τῇ μάστακῐ tēî mástakĭ	τοῖν μαστάκοιν toîn mastákoin	ταῖς μάσταξῐ / μάσταξῐν taîs mástaxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν μάστακᾰ tḕn mástakă	τὼ μάστακε tṑ mástake	τᾱ̀ς μάστακᾰς tā̀s mástakăs
Vocative	μάσταξ mástax	μάστακε mástake	μάστακες mástakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Related terms

μαστάζω (mastázō)
μασταρύζω (mastarúzō)
μαστιχάω (mastikháō)
μαστίχη (mastíkhē)
μαστιχηρά (mastikhērá)
μαστίχινος (mastíkhinos)

Descendants

→ English: mastax
⇒ English: mastoid
→ Translingual: Mastax

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “μάσταξ, -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 911

“μάσταξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
μάσταξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
μάσταξ in Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Max Sengebusch, editor, Handwörterbuch der griechischen Sprache‎^[1] (in German), 3rd edition, Braunschweig: Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn
μάσταξ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
“μάσταξ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
“μάσταξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “μάσταξ, -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 911

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