Καύκασος
Ancient Greek
Etymology
The origin is uncertain. Perhaps from Proto-Scythian *xrohukäsi (“ice-shining, white with snow”), from Proto-Indo-European *krews- (“to freeze”), cf crust, Avestan 𐬑𐬭𐬎𐬰𐬛𐬭𐬀- (xruzdra-, “hard”).
Or possibly from Middle Persian 𐭪𐭥𐭯 (kof, “hill, mountain”), ultimately from Old Persian 𐎣𐎢𐎳 (kaufa, “mountain”). Compare also Old Armenian Կապկոհ (Kapkoh, “Caucasus”), Middle Persian [script needed] (Kap-kōf, “Caucasus”).
Second element possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kwh₂et- (“to ferment, boil”), cf Latvian kust (“to melt, thaw”). This is more likely to refer to volcanic activity, Mount Elbrus was active as recently as 50 AD.
Pronunciation
- (5th BCE Attic) IPA(key): /kǎu̯.ka.sos/
- (1st CE Egyptian) IPA(key): /ˈkaʍ.ka.sos/
- (4th CE Koine) IPA(key): /ˈkaɸ.ka.sos/
- (10th CE Byzantine) IPA(key): /ˈkaf.ka.sos/
- (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA(key): /ˈkaf.ka.sos/
Proper noun
Καύκᾰσος • (Kaúkasos) m (genitive Καυκᾰ́σου); second declension
- Caucasus
Inflection
Second declension of ὁ Καύκᾰσος; τοῦ Καυκᾰ́σου (Attic)
| Case / # | Singular | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ὁ Καύκᾰσος ho Kaúkasos | ||||||||||||
| Genitive | τοῦ Καυκᾰ́σου toû Kaukásou | ||||||||||||
| Dative | τῷ Καυκᾰ́σῳ tôi Kaukásōi | ||||||||||||
| Accusative | τὸν Καύκᾰσον tòn Kaúkason | ||||||||||||
| Vocative | Καύκᾰσε Kaúkase | ||||||||||||
| Notes: |
| ||||||||||||
Derived terms
- Καυκᾰ́σῐον (Kaukásion)
Descendants
- Greek: Καύκασος (Káfkasos)
- → Old Armenian: Կովկաս (Kovkas), Կաւկաս (Kawkas)
- Armenian: Կովկաս (Kovkas)
- → Estonian: Kaukaasia
- → Georgian: კავკასია (ḳavḳasia)
- → Hebrew: קווקז (Kavkáz, Qawqáz)
- → Latin: Caucasus (see there for further descendants)
- → Turkish: Kafkasya
References
- “Καύκασος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “Καύκασος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
- Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,005
Greek
Proper noun
Καύκασος • (Káfkasos)
- Caucasus
Inflection
Καύκασος
| case \\ number | singular |
|---|---|
| nominative | Καύκασος • |
| genitive | Καυκάσου • |
| accusative | Καύκασο • |
| vocative | Καύκασε • |
Derived terms
- Καυκασία (Kafkasía)
- Καυκάσιος (Kafkásios)