βασιλίσκος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From βᾰσῐλεύς (băsĭleús, “king”) +‎ -ῐ́σκος (-ĭ́skos).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ba.si.lís.kos/ → /βa.siˈlis.kos/ → /va.siˈlis.kos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ba.si.lís.kos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ba.siˈlis.kos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βa.siˈlis.kos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /va.siˈlis.kos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /va.siˈlis.kos/

Noun

βᾰσῐλῐ́σκος • (băsĭlĭ́skos) m (genitive βᾰσῐλῐ́σκου); second declension

1. princelet, chieftain
2. basilisk, kind of serpent
3. wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

   Synonyms: κόρθιλος (kórthilos), ῥόβιλλος (rhóbillos), τροχίλος (trokhílos), τρωγλοδύτης (trōglodútēs)

4. (astronomy) Regulus, a star in the constellation Leo
5. The given name of a Roman Emperor, Basiliscus (written in uppercase as Βασιλισκός)

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκος; τοῦ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκος ho băsĭlĭ́skos	τὼ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκω tṑ băsĭlĭ́skō	οἱ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκοι hoi băsĭlĭ́skoi
Genitive	τοῦ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκου toû băsĭlĭ́skou	τοῖν βᾰσῐλῐ́σκοιν toîn băsĭlĭ́skoin	τῶν βᾰσῐλῐ́σκων tôn băsĭlĭ́skōn
Dative	τῷ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκῳ tōî băsĭlĭ́skōi	τοῖν βᾰσῐλῐ́σκοιν toîn băsĭlĭ́skoin	τοῖς βᾰσῐλῐ́σκοις toîs băsĭlĭ́skois
Accusative	τὸν βᾰσῐλῐ́σκον tòn băsĭlĭ́skon	τὼ βᾰσῐλῐ́σκω tṑ băsĭlĭ́skō	τοὺς βᾰσῐλῐ́σκους toùs băsĭlĭ́skous
Vocative	βᾰσῐλῐ́σκε băsĭlĭ́ske	βᾰσῐλῐ́σκω băsĭlĭ́skō	βᾰσῐλῐ́σκοι băsĭlĭ́skoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → Coptic: ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲥⲕⲟⲥ (basiliskos)
• → Latin: basiliscus, Basiliscus
• → Old Armenian: բասիլիսկոս (basiliskos), բասիղիսկոս (basiłiskos)

Further reading

• “βασιλίσκος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• βασιλίσκος in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βασιλίσκος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)