νύξ: Difference between revisions

|Definition=<b class="b3">νυκτός, ἡ,</b> <span class="sense"><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">A</span> [[night]] : either generally, <b class="b2">mght-season</b> (opp. day), or <b class="b2">a night</b>, ν. ἀμβροσίη <span class="bibl">Il.24.363</span> ; ν. ἄμβροτος <span class="bibl">Od.11.330</span> ; but <b class="b3">ν. ὀλοή</b> ib.<span class="bibl">19</span>, <span class="bibl">Il.16.567</span>, cf. infr. <span class="bibl">Il. 3</span>, III ; <b class="b3">νυκτός</b> <b class="b2">by night</b>, as Adv., <span class="bibl">Od. 13.278</span>, etc. ; οὔτε ν. οὔτ' ἐξ ἡμέρας <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">El.</span>780</span> ; <b class="b3">νυκτὸς ἔτι</b> <b class="b2">while it was</b> still [[night]], <span class="bibl">Hdt.9.10</span> ; also τῆς νυκτός <span class="bibl">Alex.78.3</span>, <span class="bibl">148</span> ; ν. τῆσδε <span class="bibl">S. <span class="title">Aj.</span>21</span> ; <b class="b3">ἄκρας ν</b>. at dead of [[night]], ib.<span class="bibl">285</span> (but <b class="b3">ἄκρῃ νυκτί</b> at [[night]]-fall, <span class="bibl">Arat.775</span>, <b class="b3">ἀκρόθι νυκτός</b> on the verge of dawn, <span class="bibl">Id.308</span>) ; <b class="b3">ἀωρὶ νυκτός, τῶν νυκτῶν</b>, v. [[ἀωρί]] : in pl., τῶν νυκτῶν <b class="b2">at nights</b>, <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Ec.</span>668</span> : rarely, νυκτί <span class="bibl">Hdt.7.12</span> ; ν. τῇδε <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">El.</span>644</span> ; <b class="b3">νύκτα</b> <b class="b2">the night</b> long, <b class="b3">νύκτα φυλάσσειν</b> to watch <b class="b2">the night</b> through, <span class="bibl">Il.10.312</span>, <span class="bibl">Od.5.466</span> : pl., νύκτας ἰαύειν <span class="bibl">Il.9.325</span>, <span class="bibl">Od.5.154</span>, etc. ; <b class="b3">δύω νύκτας, τρεῖς ν</b>., ib.<span class="bibl">388</span>, <span class="bibl">17.515</span> : in Att., ὅλην τὴν ν. <span class="bibl">Pherecr.177</span>, <span class="bibl">Amphis20.4</span> ; τὴν νύχθ' ὅλην <span class="bibl">Eub.3</span> ; τὰς νύκτας <span class="bibl">Diph.32.14</span> ; ὅλας γε καὶ πάσας τὰς ν. <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Smp.</span>4.54</span> ; νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ <span class="bibl">Il.5.490</span> ; νύκτας τε καὶ ἡμέρας <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Tht.</span>151a</span> ; οὔτε νύκτ' οὔθ' ἡμέραν <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Ba.</span>187</span> ; τὴν νύχθ' ὅλην τήν θ' ἡμέραν <span class="bibl">Eub.53.1</span> ; <b class="b3">νύκτα ἡμέραν ποιούμενος ἀπόστειλον (κατάπεμψον)</b>, i. e. without delay, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PCair.Zen.</span>314.7</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PSI</span>5.514.3</span> (both iii B. C.) ; μέσαι νύκτες [[midnight]], Sapph.52, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">R.</span>621b</span> ; περὶ μ. νύκτας <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">An.</span>7.8.12</span> ; ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Cyr.</span>5.3.52</span> ; πρωΐτερον μέσων νυκτῶν <span class="bibl">Th.8.101</span> ; ἔξω μέσων ν. <span class="bibl">D.54.26</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> freq. with Preps., <b class="b3">ἀνὰ νύκτα</b> by [[night]], <span class="bibl">Il.14.80</span> ; <b class="b3">ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ν</b>. all [[night]] through, <span class="bibl">Paus.1.32.4</span> ; διὰ νύκτα <span class="bibl">Od.19.66</span>, etc. ; <b class="b3">εἰς νύκτα, εἰς τὴν ν</b>., towards [[night]], <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Cyn.</span>11.4</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">HG</span>4.6.7</span> ; <b class="b3">ἐν νυττί (νυκτί)</b>, opp. <b class="b3">πεδ' ἀμέραν</b>, <span class="title">Leg.Gort.</span>2.14, <span class="title">SIG</span>527.40 (Dreros, iii B.C.) ; κατὰ νύκτα <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Fr.</span> 561</span> (lyr.) ; <b class="b3">ὑπὸ νύκτα</b> to wards [[nightfall]], <span class="bibl">Th.4.67</span>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Ages.</span>2.19</span> ; <b class="b3">μετὰ νύκτας</b> by [[night]], <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">N.</span>6.6</span> ; <b class="b3">μεθ' ἡμέραν καὶ διὰ νυκτός</b> all through <b class="b2">the night</b>, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Criti.</span>117e</span> ; <b class="b3">ἐκ νυκτός</b> after [[nightfall]], <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Cyr.</span>1.4.2</span>, <span class="bibl">LXX<span class="title">Is.</span> 26.9</span>, etc. ; ἐκ πολλῆς ἔτι νυκτός <span class="bibl">D.H.6.67</span> ; ἐκ νυκτῶν <span class="bibl">Thgn.460</span>, <span class="bibl">A. <span class="title">Ch.</span>287</span>, <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Rh.</span>13</span>, <span class="bibl">17</span> (both anap.) ; ἐκ νυκτὸς εἰς νύκτα <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Ax.</span>368b</span> ; <b class="b3">πόρρω τῶν νυκτῶν</b> far into <b class="b2">the night</b>, <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Smp.</span>217d</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Prt.</span>310c</span> ; <b class="b3">ἐπὶ νυκτί</b> by [[night]], <span class="bibl">Il.8.529</span> ; ἐφ' ἡμέρῃ αἱ δ' ἐπὶ νυκτί <span class="bibl">Hes.<span class="title">Op.</span>102</span> ; ἐν νυκτί <span class="bibl">A. <span class="title">Ag.</span>653</span>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Smp.</span>1.9</span>, etc. ; ὀψίᾳ ἐν ν. <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">I.</span>4(3).36</span> ; ἐν ν. τῇ νῦν <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Ant.</span> 16</span> ; νύκτεσσιν ἔν θ' ἁμέραις <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">P.</span>4.130</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">3</span> in pl., [[watches]] of the night, ib.<span class="bibl">256</span> ; three such, παροίχωκεν δὲ πλέων νὺξ τῶν δύο μοιράων, τριτάτη δ' ἔτι μοῖρα λέλειπται <span class="bibl">Il.10.252</span> ; <b class="b3">τρίχα νυκτὸς ἔην</b>, for <b class="b3">τρίτον μέρος τῆς νυκτὸς ἦν</b>, it was the third watch, i. e. next before morning, <span class="bibl">Od.12.312</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">II</span> metaph. of darkness, νυκτὶ καλύψαι <span class="bibl">Il.5.23</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Od. 20.351</span>, etc. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> metaph. of death, ἀμφὶ δὲ ὄσσε κελαινὴ ν. ἐκάλυψε <span class="bibl">Il.5.310</span>, al. ; ν. Ἅιδης τε <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Aj.</span>660</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">3</span> in Comparisons, of anything dark and direful, <b class="b3">νυκτὶ ἐοικώς</b> like [[night]], of Apollo in his wrath, <span class="bibl">Il.1.47</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">12.463</span>, <span class="bibl">Od.11.606</span> ; <b class="b3">τάδε νυκτὶ ἐΐσκει</b> what is here he like ns <b class="b2">to night</b>, <span class="bibl">20.362</span> ; <b class="b3">ὀλεθρία ν</b>., of a great calamity, <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OC</span> 1684</span>(lyr.). </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">III</span> <b class="b3">Νύξ</b> as pr. n., <b class="b2">the goddess of Night</b>, <span class="bibl">Il.14.259</span>, <span class="bibl">Hes.<span class="title">Op.</span>17</span>,<span class="bibl"><span class="title">Th.</span>123</span>,<span class="bibl">211</span> ; N. <b class="b3">ὀλοή</b> ib.<span class="bibl">224</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">IV</span> <b class="b2">the night-</b> or <b class="b2">evening-quarter of heaven, the West</b>, <b class="b3">πρὸς νυκτός</b> ib.<span class="bibl">275</span>. (Cf. Lat. [[nox]], Lith. [[naktis]], Goth. [[nahts]], etc.)</span>

|etymtx=νυκτός<br />Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: [[night]] (Il.).<br />Compounds: Often as 1. member, e.g. <b class="b3">νυκτο-μαχ-ία</b>, <b class="b3">-ίη</b> f. abstract formation as if from <b class="b3">*νυκτο-μάχος</b>; <b class="b3">νυκτο-μαχέω</b> Plu.), <b class="b3">νυκτί-πλαγκτος</b> [[causing to wander by night]] (A.; with locativ. 1. member, partly prob. also analogical; cf. below); as 2. member e.g. in <b class="b3">ἀωρό-νυκτ-ος</b> <b class="b2">in untimely nightly hour</b> (A. Ch. 34), <b class="b3">μεσο-νύκτ-ιος</b> [[in the middle of the night]] (Pi., Hp.; from <b class="b3">μέσαι νύκτες</b>); besides <b class="b3">-νυχ-</b>, e.g. <b class="b3">ἔν-νυχ-ος</b>, <b class="b3">ἐν-νύχ-ιος</b> <b class="b2">nightly, in the night</b> (Il.), <b class="b3">νύχιος</b> [[nightly]] (Hes.), <b class="b3">νυχεύω</b> <b class="b2">wake through the night</b> (E., Nic.); cf. below.<br />Derivatives: Many derivv., most with <b class="b3">ρ-</b>suffix (s. below): 1. <b class="b3">νύκτωρ</b> adv. <b class="b2">at night</b> (Hes., Archil.); 2. <b class="b3">νύκτερος</b> [[nightly]] (trag.) with <b class="b3">νυκτερίς</b>, <b class="b3">-ίδος</b> f. [[bat]] (Od., cf. Lommel Femininbild. 53), also as fish- and plantname (Opp., resp. Aët.; Strömberg Fischn. 111, s. also Pflanzenn. 74 on <b class="b3">ἑσπερίς</b> a.o.), <b class="b3">νυκτερῖτις</b>, <b class="b3">-ιδος</b> f. <b class="b3">ἀναγαλλὶς ἡ κυανῆ</b>' (Ps.-Dsc.; Redard 74f.), <b class="b3">νυκτερεύω</b> <b class="b2">pass the night waking</b>, also with <b class="b3">δια-</b>, <b class="b3">ἐν-</b> etc. (X.), from which <b class="b3">νυκτερ-εία</b> f. <b class="b2">nightly chase</b> (Pl.), <b class="b3">-ευμα</b> n. [[nightquarters]] (Plb.), <b class="b3">-ευτής</b> m. <b class="b2">nightly hunter</b> (Pl.), <b class="b3">-ευτικός</b> <b class="b2">useful in nightly hunt</b> (X.); 3. <b class="b3">νυκτέριος</b> [[nightly]] (Aret., Luc.), <b class="b3">τὰ νυκτέρεια</b> = <b class="b3">ἡ νυκτερεία</b> (Eun.); 4. <b class="b3">νυκτερινός</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (IA.) with <b class="b3">νυκτερινία</b> or <b class="b3">-εία</b> f. <b class="b2">direction of night watch</b> (Ephesos Ip; wr. <b class="b3">-ηα</b>); 5. <b class="b3">νυκτερήσιος</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (Luc., S. E.; for <b class="b3">-ίσιος</b>?, s. Fraenkel 2, 151, n. 1 a. below). -- Further the rare <b class="b3">νύκτιος</b> [[nightly]] (AP), <b class="b3">νυκτῳ̃ον</b> n. <b class="b2">temple of the night</b> (Luc.), after <b class="b3">μητρῳ̃ον</b> a. o., <b class="b3">Νυκτεύς</b> m. PN (Apollod., prob. shortname; Bosshardt 125 f.). -- On itself stands with <b class="b3">λ-</b>sufflx <b class="b3">νυκτάλωψ</b>, s. v. But <b class="b3">νυκτέλιος</b> adjunct of Dionysos (AP, Plu., Paus.) haplologically for <b class="b3">*νυκτι-τέλιος</b> as hypostasis of <b class="b3">νύξ</b> and <b class="b3">τέλος</b> (<b class="b3">τελέω</b>), cf. <b class="b3">νυκτελεῖν ἐν νυκτὶ τελεῖν</b> H. and Schwyzer 483.<br />Origin: IE [Indo-European] [762] <b class="b2">*nekʷt-</b> [[night]]<br />Etymology: Old inherited word for [[night]], in most IE languages retained: Lat. [[nox]], gen. pl. <b class="b2">nocti-um</b>, Germ., e.g. Goth. [[nahts]], Skt. <b class="b2">nák</b>, acc. <b class="b2">nákt-am</b> (as adv.), Lith. <b class="b2">naktìs</b>, gen. pl. <b class="b2">nakt-ų̄</b>, Slav., e.g. OCS [[noštь]] etc., all from IE <b class="b2">*nokt-</b>; the <b class="b2">i-</b>stem in Lat. <b class="b2">nocti-um</b>, Lith. <b class="b2">nakt-ìs</b>, OCS <b class="b2">nošt-ь</b> etc. comes from innovations of the separate languages. The deviating <b class="b3">υ</b> in <b class="b3">νύξ</b> is often explained as reduced grade e.g. by Brugmann (e.g. Grundr.2II: 1,435), who sees in it the reflex of a following labiovelar; basis then <b class="b2">*nokʷt-</b>, what is confirmed by Hitt. [[nekuz]] (gen. sg.) from IE <b class="b2">*nekʷt-s</b>. Diff. W. Petersen AmJPh. 56, 56f. (<b class="b3">υ</b> after <b class="b3">*λύξ</b> in <b class="b3">ἀμφι-λύκ-η</b> etc.); Sapir Lang. 14, 274 (<b class="b3">υ</b> from a laryngal, which is certainly wrong); diff. still H. Petersson LUÅ, NF 11 : 5, 12 f. (rejected by imself Heteroklisie 122 f.). -- The pregr. existence of the <b class="b2">r-</b>stem in <b class="b3">νύκτωρ</b> (formation like <b class="b3">ὕδωρ</b>?; Schwyzer 519 a. n. 4) etc. is proven by Lat. [[nocturnus]]; the further formation of the adjectives goes partly parallel to the derivv. from <b class="b3">ἦμαρ</b>, <b class="b3">ἡμέρα</b>: <b class="b3">νυκτερινός</b> : <b class="b3">ἡμερινός</b>, <b class="b3">νυκτέριος</b> : <b class="b3">ἡμέριος</b>, <b class="b3">νυκτερήσιος</b> : <b class="b3">ἡμερήσιος</b> (s.v.); also <b class="b3">νυκτερεύω</b> : <b class="b3">ἡμερεύω</b>. Diff., hardly correct on <b class="b3">νύκτερος</b> Szemerényi Glotta 38, 120: innovation after <b class="b3">ἕσπερος</b>. An <b class="b2">i-</b>stem, alternating with the <b class="b2">r-</b>stem, is supposed by Benveniste Origines 81 with doubtful right in the 1. member <b class="b3">νυκτι-</b>-; cf. above. -- The aspirated and <b class="b2">t-</b>less form in <b class="b3">νύχα νύκτωρ</b> H., <b class="b3">ἔν-νυχ-ος</b>, <b class="b3">-ιος</b>, <b class="b3">εἰνά-νυχ-ες</b>, <b class="b2">nine nights long</b>, <b class="b3">νύχιος</b> etc. is attested only for Greek; a convincing explanation has not yet been given; s. the lit. in W.-Hofmann s. [[nox]] (with many details) and WP. 2, 338; also Specht Ursprung 220 and Austin Lang. 18, 24 (with Belardi Doxa 3, 215). On <b class="b3">-νυχ-</b> as 2. member also Sommer Nominalkomp. 64 f.