- ὄρχις
- ὄρχιςGrammatical information: m.Meaning: `testicles' (IA.); also as a plant name `orchis, orchid' (because of the root's shape; Thphr., Dsc.), `sort of olive' (after the fruit's shape; Colum.; Strömberg 37 a. 55).Other forms: -εως, Ion. -ιος, mostly pl. -εις, -ιες.Compounds: Compp., e.g. ὀρχί-πεδα n. pl. `scrota, testicles' (Ar.; cf. Risch IF 59, 15) with -πεδίζω (Ar., H.); ἔν-ορχις `provided with testicles, uncastrated' (Hdt., Luc.), also ἔν-ορχ-ος (Ψ 147, Hp.; on the stemfomation Sommer Nominalkomp. 111 f.), ἐν-όρχ-ης also `buck' (Ar., Arist., Theoc.; -ης substantiv., Schwyzer 451), -ής (MiletosVIa, with shift to the σ-stems, Schw. 513).Derivatives: Dimin. ὀρχίδια pl. n. (Dsc.) and ὀρχάς, -άδος f. `sort of olive' (Nic., Verg.; like κοτινάς a.o., Chantraine Form. 353).Origin: IE [Indo-European] [782] *h₃erǵʰ- `testicle'.Etymology: Old inherited word, in several languages retained. With ὄρχις agree, ignoring enlargements, Arm. orj-ik` pl. `testicles', gen. -woc̣ (IE *orǵhi-i̯o-), Alb. herdhë f. `id.', MIr. uirgge f. `id.' (both IE *orghi-i̯ā?); only in ablaut deviates Av. ǝrǝzi m. du. `id.' (IE *r̥ǵhī). An l-deriv. has Balt., e.g. Lith. er̃žilas, dial. ar̃ž- m. `stallion'. -- Details e. lit. in WP. 1, 182f., Pok. 782, Fraenkel Wb. s.v.Page in Frisk: 2,433-434
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.