híppos

híppos agr. ἵππος „Pferd“

From Proto-Hellenic *íkkʷos (compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀂𐀦 (i-qo)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos, from *h₁oh₁ḱu- (“swift”). Unexplained is ι for ε, the word initial heavy breathing (h) and the double π (hίππος instead of expected **έπος), possibly borrowed from another Indo-European language where such a sound change is regular. Cognates include Sanskrit अश्व (áśva), Latin equus, Lithuanian ašva, Gaulish epos, Old Armenian էշ (ēš, “donkey”), Old English eoh, and Old Irish ech.

Pronunciation

[ more ▼] 

• IPA^(key): /híp.pos/ → /ˈip.pos/ → /ˈi.pos/

Noun

ῐ̔́ππος • (híppos) m or f (genitive ῐ̔́ππου); second declension(Epic, Attic, Ionic, Doric, Koine)

1. a horse, (feminine) a mare [ quotations ▼]
2. (feminine) cavalry, horsemen

Usage notes

• When used as a collective noun ("horse, cavalry"), this word is always feminine singular, even with numerals.

  460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.41:

• μετὰ δὲ ἵππος ἄλλη χιλίη ἐκ Περσέων ἀπολελεγμένη

• metà dè híppos állē khilíē ek Perséōn apolelegménē

  and after them came another thousand horsemen chosen out from the Persians