English Explanatory Dictionary

Pnyx

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. A hill in Athens west of the Acropolis with a stone platform and steps set into its side, which was used as the meeting place of the democratic assembly in Ancient Greece.

Pronunciation

/ˈnɪks/ /ˈpnɪks/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Pnyx.wav

Word forms

Pnyx

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Πνύξ (Pnúx); since ancient times it has been claimed the word is derived from πυκνός (puknós, “close-packed; dense; thick”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *puḱ- (“to press together”), but the Oxford English Dictionary considers this a folk etymology with no evidence supporting it.

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