ἀσπάλαξ
καὶ ὑποθέμενος κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς φέρειν τὰς πληγάς, ὡς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τοῦ τε κακοῦ τοῦ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους → and having instructed them to bring their blows against the head, seeing that the harm to humans ... (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 1.50)
English (LSJ)
[πᾰ], ακος, ὁ, elsewh. σπάλαξ (q. v.),
A blind-rat, Spalax typhlus, Arist.HA533a3, Antig.Mir.10, Stoic.2.51, Ael.NA17.10; ἀσπαλάκων αὐτόχθονα φῦλα Opp.C.2.612: prov., τυφλότερος ἀσπάλακος Diogenian.8.25.
German (Pape)
[Seite 373] ακος, ὁ, = σπάλαξ, Maulwurf, Plut. Symp. 7, 2, 2.
Greek (Liddell-Scott)
ἀσπάλαξ: [-πᾰ-], ακος, ὁ ἀλλαχοῦ σπάλαξ (ὃ ἴδε) ὁ τυφλοπόντικος, Ἀριστ. Ἱστ. Ζ. 4. 8, 2, κ. ἀλλ.· ἀσπαλάκων αὐτόχθονα φῦλα Ὀππ. Κ. 2. 612· παροιμ. τυφλότερος ἀσπάλακος Διογενειαν. 8. 25.
French (Bailly abrégé)
ακος (ὁ) :
taupe, animal.
Étymologie: ἀ- prosth., σπάλαξ.
Spanish (DGE)
-ακος, ὁ
• Alolema(s): ἀσφάλαξ Babr.108.13, Str.15.1.44, cf. σπάλαξ
1 zool. topo, spalax typhlus c. ref. gener. a su falta de vista, Arist.HA 533a3, Metaph.1022b26, Aesop.234.3, Babr.l.c., Chrysipp.Stoic.2.51, Et.Gen.1330
•como símbolo de la ceguera, en prov. τυφλότερος ἀσπάλακος Diogenian.1.8.25, cf. Horap.2.63
•c. ref. a su procedencia ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ ἀσπάλακες ... πολλοὶ γίγνονται Arist.HA 605b31, cf. Antig.Mir.10, Ael.NA 17.10, Opp.C.2.612
•como animal inmundo, LXX Le.11.30, Gp.13.7
•en comparación c. un tipo de hormigas indias por su facilidad para horadar, Str.15.1.44.
2 medic. n. de una afección de los ojos, Gal.14.558, cf. ἀσφαλακία, σπαλακία.
• Etimología: v. σπάλαξ
Russian (Dvoretsky)
ἀσπάλαξ: ᾰκος ὁ крот Arst., Plut.
Frisk Etymological English
-ακος
Grammatical information: m.
Meaning: mole, Sphalax typhus (Arist.; s. Thompson ClRev. 32, 9ff.).
Other forms: Also σπάλαξ m. f. (Arist.), ἀσφάλαξ m. (Babr.) and σφάλαξ (Paus.)
Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]
Etymology: The suffix -αξ in animal names is well known (κόραξ, σκύλαξ, Chantr. Form. 378). One connected *sp(h)el- split, tear off (Pok. 985), cf. σπολάς; which is quite uncertain. Further cf. σφαλάσσειν τέμνειν, κεντεῖν H. The variations and the fact that there is no IE etym. make a substr. word probable. The synonym σκάλοψ may be a variant or a recent metathesis. (Not here σπάλαθρον poker.) Improb. Fraenkel, Gedenkschr. Kretschmer 1, 104.
