LOGOI

The corpus record

ὄνυξ

onux

nail, claw, hoof, often metaph. in several mgs. (Il.). 41 *h,nog*- ‘nail

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Where it lives

Densest 12 of 35 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

1. ὄνυξ · onyx — Beekes

ὄνυξ 1, -vxog [m.] ‘nail, claw, hoof, often metaph. in several mgs. (Il.). 41 *h,nog*- ‘nail’> *DIAL Myc. o-nu-ka /onuka/ or /onuks/, cf. Guilleux RPh. 75 (2001): 149. *COMP ὀνυχο-γραφέομαι [v.] ‘to be carved by a nail’ (Hp.), yapey-@vvE and -wvvyxoc ‘with curved claws’ (IL, also Arist.); on » μῶνυξ, see s.v. eDER Diminutive ὀνύχιον [n.] (Arist, pap.); ὀνυχιστήρ, -ἤρος [m.] ‘hoof (LXX), cf. on βραχιονιστήρ and … — [Beekes, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 1137]

2. ὄνυξ · onyx — Beekes

ὄνυξ, -υχος [m.] name of a precious stone, ‘onyx’ (Ctes., LXX). «Ὁ COMP σαρδ-όνυξ ‘sardonyx’ (Philem. Com., J.); cf. σάρδιον. DER ὀνύχιον [n.] ‘kind of onyx’ (T hphr., LXX), -tog [adj.] (Suid.),-(t14¢ [m.], -ἴτις (λίθος) [f.] ‘onyx-like stone’ (Str., Dsc.), τινος ‘made of onyx, onyx-colored’ (Hell.). eETYM Perhaps identical with ὄνυξ ‘nail’ because of its white glaze, like that of a fingernail; alternatively, is it … — [Beekes, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 1138]

3. ὄνυξ · onyx — Chantraine

1 ὄνυξ, -vxoc : m. «ongle, griffe, serre » (Hom., ion.- att., etc.), se dit aussi de la corne du pied d’un cheval ou d’un bovin (X. Eq. 1,3, Arist. H.A. 486 b, etc.), donc équivalant pratiquement à ὁπλή; ce sens est ancien comme le prouve le composé μῶνυξ (cf. s.u.) ; employé au figuré, p.-ê. en mycénien dans des tablettes concernant la laine et des textiles, pour désigner des pièces d’étoffe destinés à garnir un … — [Chantraine, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 822]

4. ὄνυξ · onyx — Chantraine

2 ὄνυξ, -uyos : m., pierre précieuse, «onyx» (Ctés., LXX, etc.). Composé : o&pSovuË « sardonyx, sardoine » (Philém. com., J., etc.), cf. σάρδιον. — [Chantraine, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 822]

5. ὄνυξ · onyx — Chantraine

ὄνυξ — 806 — Dérivés : ὀνύχιον espèce d’onyx (Thpbr., LXX), aussi comme nom de femme (Robert, Noms indigènes 275) avec l'adj. ὀνύχιος (Suid.) ; ὀνυχίτης πι., -ἴτις (λίθος) sorte d'onyx (Str., Dsc.), cf. Redard, Noms en -rnc 58. Adi. : ὀνύχινος « d’onyx, qui ressemble à l’onyx » (hellén., etc.), employé dans des pap. pour des vêtements «couleur d'onyx», pour des brebis (?); à ce propos hypothèses hardies de Ruijgh, … — [Chantraine, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 823]

6. ὄνυξ · onyx — Frisk

1. ὄνυξ, -vxos m. “Nagel, Kralle, Huf’, oft übertr, in verschiedenen Bedd. (seit Il.). Kompp., z.B. ὀνυχο-γραφέομαι “von einem Nagel geritzt werden’ (Hp.), γαμψ-ὥνυξ und -ώνυχος ‘mit gekrümmten Krallen’ (ep. poet. seit Il., auch Arist. u.a.; zur Stammbildung Sommer Nominalkomp. 96ff.); zu μῶνυξ 8. bes. — Ableitungen: Deminutivum ὀνύχιον n. (Arist., Pap.); ὀνυχιστήρ, -ἦρος m. “Huf? (LXX; vgl. zu βραχιονιστήρ und … — [Frisk, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 1370]

7. ὄνυξ · onyx — Frisk

2. ὄνυξ, -vxos m. N. eines Edelsteins, ‘Onyx’ (Ktes., LXX usw.), Komp. σαρδ-όνυξ "Sardonyx’ (Philem. Kom., J. u.a.; vgl. σάρδιον). ---- Davon ὀνύχεον τι. “Art Onyx’ (Thphr., LXX), -ἰος Adj. (Suid.),-Zrnsg m., -Trıs f. (λίϑος) “onyxähnlicher Stein’(Str., Dsk.; Redard 58), -ıwos “aus O., onyxfarben’ (hell. u. sp.). — Wohl mit ὄνυξ “Nagel” identisch, wegen seines dem Fingernagel ähnlichen weißen Glanzes (Schramm P.-W. … — [Frisk, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 1371]

8. ὄνυξ · onyx — Frisk

1. ὄνυξ. Zu den Bildungen auf -ia in Univerbierungen wie ἀκρωνυχ-ία, διξωνυχ-ία, παρωνυχ-ία Strömberg Wortstudien 41. Das Medium ὀνυχίζομαι "mit dem Nagel prüfen’, urspr. Ausdruck der Bildhauer, auch auf die Rhetorik übertragen, schon bei Ar. Fr. 834; s. Taillardat $ 777 mit Weiterem. — Morphologische Diskussion bei Szemerenyi Syncope 239-241, 247f.; dazu Beekes Development 47 und Rix Münch. Stud. 27 (1969) 968. — … — [Frisk, s.v. ὄνυξ, p. 2288]

9. ὄνυξ · onyx — LSJ

talons, claws, nail, hoof, nail, claw

talons, claws, Il. 8.248, al. ; so of the falcon, Hes. Op. 204, 205, Ar. Av. 1180 ; so of beasts of prey, Pi. N. 4.63, Hdt. 3.108 ; of the crocodile, Id. 2.68 ; of the Sphinx, E. El. 471 (lyr.); of human beings, nail, Hes. Sc. 266, Hdt. 4.64, etc.; τοὺς ὄνυχας τῶν δακτύλων Ar. Av. 8 ; of horses and oxen, hoof, X. Eq. 1.3, AP 9.64 (Asclep. or Arch.): Arist. speaks of the hoof (ὁπλή) as homologous to the nail or claw (ὄνυξ), HA 486b20, PA 690a9: metaph., πρὸς ὀξύν γʼ ὄ. πετραίου λίθου E. Cyc. 401

1 my fingers’ ends, the fingers’ ends

εἰς ἄκρους τοὺς ὄ. ἀφίκετο (sc. ὁ οἶνος) warmed me to my fingers’ ends, ib. 159; so ἐκ κορυφῆς εἰς ἄκρους ὄ. AP 9.709 (Phil.), cf. 12.93 (Rhian.) ; so also ἐξ ὀνύχων from the fingers’ ends, ib. 5.13 (Rufin.), Plu. Lib.educ. 2.3c ; but ἐξ ἁπαλῶν ὀ. from childhood, Horaceʼs de tenero ungui, AP 5.128 (Autom.).

2 tiptoe

ὄνυχας ἐπʼ ἄκρους στάς on tiptoe, E. El. 840 ; ἐπʼ ἄκρων ἐβάδιζε τῶν ὀ. Macho ap. Ath. 8.349b.

3 nail, most careful, close, nice

ὅταν ἐν ὄνυχι ὁ πηλὸς γένηται, i. e. when the model reaches the nail stage, because the sculptor puts the finishing touches to the model with his nail, Polyclit. ap. Plu. QConv. 2.636c, cf. Plu. Profect. 2.86a ; so ἡ διʼ ὄνυχος δίαιτα a most careful, close life, Sanit. ib. 128e ; τὸν Λυσιακὸν χαρακτῆρα ἐκμέμακται εἰς ὄνυχα ad unguem expressit, D.H. Dem. 13 ; σύμπηξις εἰς ὄνυχα a nice fit, Gal. 2.737 ; τὰς γωνίας ἐπʼ ὄνυχος συμβεβλημένας ἔχειν Ph. Bel. 66.37 ; πρὸς ὄνυχα τὴν προσκαρτέρησιν ποιεῖσ

4

ὀδοῦσι καὶ ὄνυξι καὶ πάσῃ μηχανῇ, i.e. in every possible way, Luc. DMort. 21[11].4.

5 claws

ἐξ ὀνύχων λέοντα (sc. τεκμαίρεσθαι) to judge by the claws, i. e. by a slight but characteristic mark, Alc. 113, Apostol. 7.57.

II anything like a claw

anything like a claw,

1 fluke

fluke of an anchor, Plu. Mul.virt. 2.247e.

2 an instrument fixed by a surgeon to his finger

an instrument fixed by a surgeon to his finger, Hp. Superf. 7, Gal. 19.107.

3

ὄ. σιδηροῦς tool used for scraping the ‘figs’ of the συκάμινος, Thphr. HP 4.2.1 (pl.) ; also for making incisions to extract gum of balsam, ib. 9.6.2 (pl.).

4

κλιμακίδοιν τοὺς ὄ., τῶν πλαισίων τοὺς ὄ., dub. sens. in IG 1(2).373.208, 212, cf. 372 E 10.

III anything like the nail

anything like the nail:

1 the white part at the end of rose-petals

the white part at the end of rose-petals by which they are attached to the stalk, Dsc. 1.99.

2 hypopyon

hypopyon, an accumulation of pus in the eye resembling a nail-paring, Aët. 7.30 tit. (pl.), Paul.Aeg. 3.22.23.

3 part of the liver

part of the liver, Ruf. Onom. 180, Sch. Nic. Th. 560.

4 veined gem, onyx, sardonyx

veined gem, onyx, LXX Jb. 28.16, Aristeas 66, J. BJ 5.5.7 ; Σαρδῷος ὄ. sardonyx, Luc. Syr.D. 32 (cf. σαρδόνυξ) ; ὄ. σφραγίς IG 2(2).1388.86, cf. 12.282.128.

5 onycha

an aromatic substance, onycha, LXX Ex. 30.34, Damocr. ap. Gal. 13.226, Dsc. 2.8, POxy. 1142.4 (iii A. D.).

6

= ἀστράγαλος VII, Ps.-Dsc. 4.61.

7 operculum of the κογχύλιον, of the πορφύρα

operculum of the κογχύλιον, Dsc. 2.8, Gal. 13.320, Orib. 5.77.1, Paul.Aeg. 7.3 ; of the πορφύρα, Dsc. Eup. 2.92.

8 Lithodomus

a shell-fish, supposed female of σωλήν, prob. Lithodomus, Xenocr. ap. Orib. 2.58.106 (pl.).

9 sea-weed

ὄνυχες θαλάσσιοι sea-weed, Ps.-Democr.Alch. p.42 B. (Cf. Lat. unguis, Skt. nakhás ‘nail’, etc.)

In the wild

6 of 59 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

  • Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) Treated in Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) s.v. ὄνυξ (scan pp. 1137-1138; entry #4583).
  • Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque Treated in Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque s.v. ὄνυξ (scan p. 822; entry #5955).
  • Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch Treated in Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. ὄνυξ (scan pp. 1370-1371; entry #4283).

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