ὀκτα-σσός

Grammatical information: numeral

Meaning: `eight' (Hom.).

Other forms: (Boeot. Lesb. ὀκτό as δύο, Herakl. hοκτώ after ἕξ, ἑπτά, El. ὀπτώ after ἑπτά).

Compounds: As 1. element beside ὀκτω- in ὀκτω-καίδεκα, ὀκτω-δάκτυλος `with a breadth of eight fingers' (Hp., Ar.) a.o. usu. ὀκτα- (after ἑπτα-, ἑξα- etc.) in ὀκτα-κόσιοι and in many bahuvrihi's, e.g. ὀκτά-μηνος `eight months old, eight monthly' (Hp., X., Arist.).

Derivatives: Besides ὀγδοή-κοντα, which like ἑβδομή-κοντα may have started from the basic word, s. v. and ὄγδοος w. lit. Through cross with ὀκτώ also ὀγδώ-κοντα (Β 568 = 652 a.o., s. Sommer Zum Zahlwort 25 n. 2). After ὀγδοήκοντα the late ὀγδοάς f. `a number of eight' (Plu.) for ὀκτάς f. (Arist.). -- Further derivv.: ὀκτά-κι(ς), - κιν `eight times' (Hdt.), ὀκτα-σσός `eightfold' (pap. III <sup>p</sup>; after δισσός etc.), - χῶς `in eight ways' (EM, Arist.-Comm.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [775] *h₃eḱtōu `eight'

Etymology: Gr. ὀκτώ, Lat. octō, Skt. aṣṭā́(u), Germ., e.g. Goth. ahtau, Lith. aštuo-nì and other cognate forms go back on IE *oḱtṓ(u) (*h₃eḱt-?). Arm. ut` is like El. ὀπτω, reshaped after the word for `seven'. -- The IE word for `eight' was clearly an old dual, but further analysis is quite uncertain. Hypotheses e.g. by W.-Hofmann s. octō, with further lit.; see also Meisinger Gymnasium 57, 74 f. By Ebbinghaus PBBeitr. 72, 319 connected with the word for `four' (to be rejected).

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