Cicadas in the Hesychian lexicon

Abstract

Numerous Ancient Greek terms for ‘cicada’ are attested in the lexicon of Hesychius of Alexandria (5th c. AD); these are explained here from the morphological and etymological point of view. Some of them are dialectal items, representing Achaean (in Cyprus and Pamphylia) or Doric (e.g. Laconian λιγάντωρ m. ‘male cicada’). Other Hesychian words for ‘cicada’ demonstrate obvious features of Attic-Ionic speech. New explanations are suggested for some of the rare appellatives belonging here, including Gk. dial. κίκους m. ‘young cicada’ and κίξιος m. ‘cicada’. Finally, possible motivation for the attested words is carefully discussed.