Bible Lexicons

ὄρνις, ὁ,

also ἡ Il. 9.323, 14.290, al., freq. in Att., cf. 111; gen. ὄρνῑθος; acc. sg. ὄρνῑθα and ὄρνιν, neither in Hom.: pl., nom. and acc. ὄρνῑθες, -θας, but in acc. also ὄρνεις or ὄρνῑς (S. OT 966, E. Hipp. 1059, Ar. Av. 717, 1250, 1610, D. 19.245, etc.): — also ὄρνιξ, PCair.Zen. 375.1 (iii B. C.), v.l. in Luke 13:34, called Ion. and Dor. by Phot. (but ὄρνις nom. in Alcm. 26.4); acc. ὄρνῑχα Pi. O. 2.88; gen. ὄρνῑχος Id. I. 6(5).53: nom. pl. ὄρνῑχες B. 5.22, Theoc. 7.47; gen. pl. ὀρνίχων Alcm. 67, Abh.Berl.Akad. 1925(5).33 (Cyrene, iv B. C.); dat. ὄρνιξι, ὀρνίχεσσι, Pi. P. 5.112, 4.190 (ὄρνιξι also in PLond. 1.131r. 125, al. (i A. D.)): on the gender and declens., v. Ath. 9.373 sq. (Cf. ὄρν-εον, Goth. ara, gen. arins 'eagle', etc.) [In the trisyll. cases ῑ always: Hom. has ὄρνῑς in Il. 9.323, 12.218, but ὄρνῐς ib. 24.219; and later use both ὄρνῑς and ὄρνῐς: in Trag. both quantities are found, ὄρνῐς in A. Fr. 304.3 (-ῐν), S. Ant. 1021, El. 149 (lyr.), Fr. 654, E. HF 72, and so Philem. 79.10; but ὄρνῑς E. Ba. 1365, and always in Ar. (Av. 103, al.), for in ib. 168, the words τίς ὄρνῐς οὗτος; are borrowed from Sophocles; ὄρνῑς is said to be Att., EM 632.8.]

I bird, including birds of prey and domestic fowls, Hom., etc.; applied to ostriches, X. An. 1.2.7: freq. added to the specific names, ὄρνισιν ἐοικότες αἰγυπιοῖσιν Il. 7.59; λάρῳ ὄρνιθι ἐοικώς Od. 5.51; ὄ. ἀηδών, πέρδιξ, S. Aj. 629, Fr. 323; ὄ. ἁλκυών, ὄ. κύκνος, E. IT 1089 (lyr.), Hel. 19.

II

1. like οἰωνός, bird of omen, from the flight or cries of which the augur divined, Hes. Op. 828; δεξιός, ἀριστερὸς ὄρνις, Il. 13.821, Od. 20.242, al.; χρηστηρίους ὄρνιθας A. Th. 26, cf. Ag. 112, 157 (both lyr.); ὄ. αἴσιος S. OT 52, cf. Plu. Fab. 19, Gal. 12.314; ὀρνίθων οἰωνίσματα E. Ph. 839.

2. metaph., omen taken from the flight or cries of birds, Il. 10.277, al.: generally, omen, presage, without direct reference to birds, 24.219, Pi. P. 4.19; ὄρνιθα δ' οὐ ποιῶ σε τῆς ἐμῆς ὁδοῦ A. Fr. 95, cf. E. IA 988, Ar. Pl. 63, Av. 719 sqq.; v. ὅδιος.

III in Att. ὄρνις, ὁ, is mostly, cock, S. El. 18; κοκκυβόας ὄ. Id. Fr. 791, cf. Ar. V. 815; ὄρνις, ἡ, hen, Men. 167, 168, PCair.Zen. 266 (iii B. C., pl.); ἀλέκτορα καὶ ὄρνιθα τελέαν cock and hen, TAM 2(1).245.8 (Lycia); in full, ὄ. ἐνοίκιος A. Eu. 866; θήλεια ὄ. S. Fr. 477; πότερον ὄ. ἢ ταὧς; Ar. Av. 102 (with play on this signf. and signf. I); ὁ ὄρνιξ ὁ σιτευτός fatted fowl, PCair.Zen. 375.1; ὀρνίθων φοινικολόφων Theoc. 22.72, cf. 24.64, Mosch. 3.49; ὄ. οἰκίης Babr. 17.1; also, goose, Id. 123.1. in pl. sts., bird-market, D. 19.245; cf. ὄρνεον 11. Μοισᾶν ὄρνιχες song-birds, i.e. poets, Theoc. 7.47. Provs.: διώκει παῖς ποτανὸν ὄρνιν A. Ag. 394 (lyr.); ὄ. ὥς τις ἐκ χερῶν ἄφαντος E. Hipp. 828; ὀρνίθων γάλα 'pigeon's milk', i.e. any marvellous dainty or good fortune, Ar. V. 508, Av. 1673, Mnesim. 9, Men. 936; but ὄρνιθος γάλα white of egg, Anaxag. 22; also a plant, v. ὀρνιθόγαλον. a constellation, later Cygnus, Eudox. ap. Hipparch. 1.2.16, Arat. 275, Ptol. Tetr. 26.