κωκύω

kokyo

shriek, wail

Appears 11 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

Click a work to list every occurrence by book & line — each links into the reader.

Dictionary (LSJ)

κωκύω [v. fin.], fut. -ύσω A. Ag. 1313, -ύσομαι Ar. Lys. 1222: aor. ἐκώκῡσα S. Ant. 28; Ep. κώκυσα Il. 18.37:—Med., AP 7.412 (Alc. Mess.):—A. shriek, wail, in Ep. and Trag. always of women, Il. 18.37, Od. 2.361, etc.; κλαῖον καὶ ἐκώκῠον 19.541: freq. with Adv., λίγʼ ἐκώκῠε Il. 19.284, cf. Od. 4.259, etc.; ὀξὺ δὲ κωκύσασα (opp. βαρὺ στενάχων, of the man) Il. 18.71; κώκῡσεν δὲ μάλα μέγα 22.407: also in late Prose, Plu. 2.357c, etc.; even of men, Luc. DMort. 21.1, Longus 2.21; and so Ar., as an execration, μακρὰ κωκύειν κελεύω σε Ra. 34; οἰμώζοι γʼ ἂν καὶ κωκύοι Ec. 648. 2. c. acc., lament or shriek over one dead, also prop. of women, κώκυσʼ ἐν λεχέεσσιν ἑὸν πόσιν Od. 24.295; ἐμὴν μοῖραν κ. A. Ag. 1313, cf. S. Ant. 28, al.: Com., of men, κωκύσεσθε τὰς τρίχας μακρά Ar. Lys. 1222: also in late Prose, as Porph. Abst. 4.9, etc. (Cf. Skt. káuti ‘cry’ (intens. kokūyatē), Lith. kaũkli ‘shriek’, etc.) [ in Hom. before a vowel, before a conson. (v. supr.): later sts. before a vowel, κωκῡοι Ar. Ec.l.c., κωκῡουσα Bion 1.23, Q.S. 3.779, κωκῡεσκε ib.460.]
‹ All lexicon entries