Neuter Animal Names

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derekgreer
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Neuter Animal Names

Post by derekgreer »

I'm looking for non-diminutive neuter animal names in Ancient Greek, preferably attested in Koine-era writings. The only examples I'm aware of are τὸ πρόβατον and τὸ πετινόν. There is also τὸ ἑρπετόν, but that's more general than I'm looking for. Ive had a hard time locating further examples online. Anyone know of other examples?

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Scribo
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Re: Neuter Animal Names

Post by Scribo »

If you want Hellenistic era you might be better suited looking for examples where a classical style termination is replaced by a simpler one, often third declensions. So classical όφις (masc) will become ὀφίδιον (neuter) as some point. Though that's almost certainly later than you're looking for and I'm not sure that form is attested (but it must have existed in order to get to medieval Greek φίδι).

Anyway, if that stuff counts, I suggest looking in places where phonological and morphological changes must have rendered neuters.
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Markos
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Re: Neuter Animal Names

Post by Markos »

The only one I can think of is μῆλον, but that is not really the name of a specific animal, but rather denotes a type.

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jeidsath
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Re: Neuter Animal Names

Post by jeidsath »

I took a look through Orbis Pictus and only found neuter types. No animals.
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daivid
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Re: Neuter Animal Names

Post by daivid »

κίναδος (-εος) which, apparently, was a Sicilian word for fox.

I know I encountered it in Menander but I can't remember the context - probably in the sense of cunning rogue.
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Re: Neuter Animal Names

Post by mwh »

And conveniently close to κίναιδος, a fact exploited by Demosthenes as well as Aristophanes.

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