Sphinx

See also: sphinx

Translingual
Sphinx ligustri

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx).

Proper noun

Sphinx f

  1. A taxonomic genus within the family Sphingidae – many species of moths.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

References

English

Etymology
From Middle English Spynx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “bind tightly, to strangle”). The appurtenance of Egyptian

(šzp, “image, statue, sphinx”) or


(šzp-ꜥnḫ, “living image”) remains unclear.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈsfɪŋks/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Proper noun

Sphinx (plural Sphinges)

  1. (usually with "the") An ancient, large statue in Egypt, with the face of a man and the body of a lion, lying near the Great Pyramids.
  2. (Greek mythology) One of the many offspring of Typhon and Echidna, a winged lion-like creature with a woman's face, who commited suicide out of frustration after Oedipus managed to solve her riddles.

Synonyms
  • (definite: large statue in Egypt): The Great Sphinx, The Great Sphinx of Giza

Derived terms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

German

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /sfɪŋks/

Noun

Sphinx f or m (genitive Sphinx, plural Sphinxe or Sphingen)

  1. Sphinx

Declension

The feminine declension:

Declension of Sphinx
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Sphinx die Sphinxe
genitive einer der Sphinx der Sphinxe
dative einer der Sphinx den Sphinxen
accusative eine die Sphinx die Sphinxe

The masculine declension:

Declension of Sphinx
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Sphinx die Sphingen
genitive eines des Sphinx der Sphingen
dative einem dem Sphinx den Sphingen
accusative einen den Sphinx die Sphingen

Latin

Noun

Sphinx f (genitive Sphingis); third declension

  1. Sphinx

Declension

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative Sphinx Sphingēs
Genitive Sphingis Sphingum
Dative Sphingī Sphingibus
Accusative Sphingem Sphingēs
Ablative Sphinge Sphingibus
Vocative Sphinx Sphingēs

References
  • Sphinx in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • Sphinx in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
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