μάστιγξ

μάστ-ιξ, ῑγος, ἡ,

A whip, scourge, mostly for driving horses, Il.5.748, etc.;

μ. λιγυρῇ 11.532

; ἵππου μ. horse- whip, Hdt.4.3; λιγυρὰ μ.

διπλῆ S.Aj. 242

(anap.); later, scourge, ὑπὸ μαστίγων διαβαίνειν to cross under the lash, of soldiers flogged on, Hdt.7.56, cf. 103;

τοξεύειν ὑπὸ μ. X.An.3.4.25

;

τῇ μ. κνάπτειν Cratin.275

; μάστιγ' ἔχων whip in hand, Ar.Th. 933, Phryn.Com.36.

II metaph., scourge, plague,

μάστιξ Διός Il.12.37

, 13.812;

μάστιγι θείᾳ.. ἐλαύνομαι A.Pr. 682

;

πληγεὶς θεοῦ μάστιγι Id.Th. 608

; διπλῇ μ., τὴν Ἄρης φιλεῖ, i.e. fire and sword, Id.Ag. 642; μ. [Θεοῦ], of sickness, Ev.Marc.5.34, cf. 3.10 (pl.); but μάστιξ Πειθοῦς the lash of eloquence, Pi.P.4.219:—[dialect] Ion. μάστις (q. v.): μάστιγξ is not found.

νεκτάρας· μάστιγξ, Hsch.

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `scales' (Att.), also `disk of the kottabos-standard' (Critias, Hermipp.), metaph. `oystershell' (Opp.), `horsecollar' (which hangs from the wood of the yoke like the scales from the weighbridge; E. Rh. 303), also (in plur.) `surgical splints' (Hippiatr.).

Other forms: πλήστιγγες pl. `id.' (Hp. ap. Gal. 19, 131).

Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]

Etymology: Formation in - ιγγ- (Chantraine Form. 398ff., Schwyzer 498) from an unknown noun. As the designation of the scales (weighing-machine) and the Kottabosdisk is prob. to be derived from the flat form of it, one connects the root pelā- `broaden' (s. πλάξ). The nearest basis may be a noun *πλαστ(ο)-, which may stand for *πλατ-τ(ο)- (cf. on πλάτη), or for *πλαθ-τ(ο)- (s. πλάσσω). The usu. called "Ion." form πλήστιγ-γες which occurs once only, occurs only in a not quite clear specific meaning, can, if no derailment, represent a form πλᾱ-. -- On the debated πλάστιγξ A. Ch. 290 (for μάστιγξ?) s. Gentili Stud. itfilcl. N. S. 21, 105ff. -- Again, the form πλαθ- cannot be explained from IE; the suffix shows that he word is Pre-Greek (not in Furnée).

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