pélekus

pélekus agr. πέλεκῠς Labrys, Doppelaxt

Compare Sanskrit परशु (paraśú, “axe”) and Ossetian фӕрӕт (færæt, “axe”). This word often considered a Wanderwort, with similarity to Akkadian 𒁄 (pilakku, pilaqqu, “wooden handle; spindle, harp”), itself from Sumerian 𒁄 (balag, “wooden handle; spindle, harp; possibly a split piece of wood or wooden wedge”); compare Arabic فَلَقَ (falaqa, “to split apart”) and πέλεκκον (pélekkon, “axe handle”). This has led some to suggest that the Proto-Indo-European terms are ultimately borrowed through the Akkadian or a Semitic source. Furnée points to βέλεκκος (bélekkos, “kind of pulse”), suggesting a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pé.le.kys/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.le.kys/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.le.cys/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.le.cys/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.le.cis/

Noun

πέλεκῠς • (pélekus) m (genitive πελέκεως); third declension

1. two-edged axe for felling trees
2. battle axe, executioner's axe