- μάχαιρα
- μάχαιραGrammatical information: f.Meaning: `big knife, butchery knife' (Il.); posthom. also `short sword, dagger'.Compounds: Compp., e.g. μαχαιρο-φόρος `sword-bearing', m. `sword-bearer' (IA), ἀ-μάχαιρος `without knife' (Pherecr.).Derivatives: Diminut. μαχαίρ-ιον (Hp., X., Arist.), -ίς f. (Com., Str.), -ίδιον (Ph., Luc.); further μαχαιρᾶς m. `swordbearer' (pap., inscr.; Schwyzer 461), μαχαιρωτός `equipped with shword' (Gal., Paul. Aeg.; Chantraine Form. 305); μαχαιρίων, -ίωνος m. plantname = ξιφίον (Dsc. 4, 20, v. l. -ώνιον; after the form of the leaves, Strömberg Pflanzenn. 44), also as PN (Paus.); Μαχαιρεύς m. PN (Str., sch. Pi., Boßhardt 120).Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]Etymology: Like γέραιρα, χίμαιρα, πίειρα a. o. ι̯α-deriv. of an r-stem, which might interchange with an n-stm (πίων) (Schwyzer 475, Chantraine Form. 234). Of old connected with μάχομαι, which Chantr. finds implausible; s. v. Semitic etymolog with all reserve by Lewy Fremdw. 177 (to Hebr. m ekērā `sword'; this rather from Greek after Gordon Antiquity 30,22ff. ); cf. Kretschmer Glotta 19, 160. Lat. LW [loanword] machaera. - Cf. also μάγειρος. No doubt a Pre-Greek word.Page in Frisk: 2,186-187
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.