βῶλος
(Phryn. Ecl. 33, Phryn. PS 54.3, Moer. β 9, Philemo [Laur.] 356, [Hdn.] Philet. 182)

A. Main sources

(1) Phryn. Ecl. 33: ἡ ὄμφαξ, ἡ βῶλος θηλυκῶς δέον, οὐκ ἀρσενικῶς.

ὄμφαξ (‘unripe grapes’), βῶλος (‘clod’) must be [used] in the feminine, not in the masculine.

(2) Phryn. PS 54.3: βῶλος· θηλυκῶς.

βῶλος Lobeck : βόλος cod.

βῶλος: [It must be used] in the feminine.

(3) Moer. β 9: βῶλος θηλυκῶς Ἀττικοί· ἀρσενικῶς Ἕλληνες.

Users of Attic [employ] βῶλος in the feminine, users of Greek [employ it] in the masculine.

(4) Philemo (Laur.) 356: τὴν βῶλον· οὐ τὸν βῶλον.

[One must say] βῶλον (acc. fem.), not βῶλον (acc. masc.).

(5) [Hdn.] Philet. 182: τὰς ῥᾶγας θηλυκῶς οἱ Ἀττικοί, οὐχὶ τοὺς ῥῶγας. ὁμοίως τὴν βῶλον, καὶ τὴν πύελον, καὶ τὴν ὕελον, καὶ τὴν φιάλην, καὶ τὴν λίθον (μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῆς σφραγῖδος).

Dain suggests correcting ὕελον to ὕαλος, for the latter is Attic (see entry ψίεθος, μιερός, ὕελος).

Users of Attic [employ] ῥᾶγας (‘grapes’, acc. pl.) in the feminine, not ῥῶγας (‘grapes’, acc. pl. masc.). Likewise, βῶλον, πύελον (‘trough’, acc. sing.), ὕελον (‘crystalline stone’, acc. sing.), φιάλην (‘bowl’, acc. sing.), and λίθον (‘stone’, acc. sing.) [are feminine] (especially [when it means] ‘gem’).

B. Other erudite sources

(1) S.E. M. 1.148–9: τὰ δὲ αὐτὰ ὀνόματα οὐ πᾶσίν ἐστι τὰ αὐτά, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν ἀρρενικὰ τοῖς δὲ θηλυκὰ τοῖς δὲ οὐδέτερα· οἷον Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν τὴν στάμνον λέγουσι θηλυκῶς, Πελοποννήσιοι δὲ τὸν στάμνον ἀρρενικῶς, καὶ οἱ μὲν τὴν θόλον οἱ δὲ τὸν θόλον, καὶ οἱ μὲν τὴν βῶλον οἱ δὲ τὸν βῶλον, καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο οὗτοι ἢ ἐκεῖνοι λέγονται ἁμαρτάνειν· ἕκαστος γάρ, ὡς τεθεμάτικεν, οὕτω χρῆται.

But the same nouns are not the same for all, but are masculine for some, feminine for others, and for others neuter. The Athenians, for example, speak of ἡ στάμνος (‘the jar’) in the feminine, but the Peloponnesians of ὁ στάμνος in the masculine, and some of ἡ θόλος (‘the rotunda’), others of ὁ θόλος, and some of ἡ βῶλος (‘the lump’), others of ὁ βῶλος, and neither the one set nor the other is said to be wrong because of this; for each treats the word as laid down by custom. (Transl. Bury 1949, 89).

(2) Eust. in Od. 1.19.2–7 (= 1.90.12–7 Cullhed–Olson): Αἴλιος δὲ Διονύσιος παρασημειούμενός τινα ὅπως κατὰ γένη προφέρονται, φησὶν οὕτω· κακκάβη θηλυκῶς ὁ κάκκαβος, ὃ καὶ παρὰ τῷ Ἀθηναίῳ κεῖται ἐν τῷ ‘κακκάβᾳ ζέουσα’. οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἁρπάγη δι’ ἧς ἐκ φρεάτων κάδδους ἀνάγουσιν, ἔτι καὶ ἡ βῶλος καὶ ἡ ὕαλος καὶ ἡ φάρυγξ καὶ ἡ στρύχνος καὶ ἡ χάραξ τὸ τῆς ἀμπέλου ὑπόστημα. ὁ μέντοι χάραξ ἀρσενικῶς τὸ χαράκωμα τοῦ στρατοπέδου. ἔτι θηλυκῶς καὶ ἡ τύλη τὸ φύμα τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐχένος καὶ ἡ ὄμφαξ […].

κακκάβᾳ ζέουσα Cullhed–Olson : κακκάβα ζέουσα Stallbaum : (ἐν) κακκάβῃ ζεούσῃ Ath. 8.338a (cod. A^s) : (ἐν) κακκάβᾳ ζεούσᾳ Ath. 8.338a (cod. A), Ath. Epit. 8.338a (the translation has been modified following the last reading) | Cf. Ael.Dion. β 21: βῶλος· θηλυκῶς <Ἀττικοί, ἀρσενικῶς Ἴωνες>.

Aelius Dionysius (κ 4), noting in passing how certain words are used with different grammatical genders, says the following: κακκάβη is a feminine form of κάκκαβος (‘three-legged pot’), which is also found in Athenaeus in ‘a boiling κακκάβα’ (Ath. 8.338a). So too in the case of ἁρπάγη, the implement they use to bring up water-jars from wells, as well as ἡ βῶλος (‘clod of earth’) and ἡ ὕαλος (‘glass’) and ἡ φάρυγξ (‘throat’) and ἡ στρύχνος (a plant) and ἡ χάραξ, meaning a vine prop, whereas the masculine ὁ χάραξ means a battle entrenchment. Also feminine are ἡ τύλη, meaning the bulge in the throat (i.e. the Adam’s apple), and ἡ ὄμφαξ (‘unripe grape’) […]. (Transl. Cullhed–Olson 2022, 91, slightly modified).

(3) Thom.Mag. 52.10–53.2: βῶλος ἐπὶ θηλυκοῦ, εἰ ἐπὶ γῆς λαμβάνεται. Συνέσιος ἐν ἐπιστολῇ τῇ Οἶμαί σου τὴν θεσπεσίαν ψυχήν· ‘τὴν πατρῴαν βῶλον ὑποτελῆ τῇ συγκλήτῳ δεξάμενος’. ἐπὶ δὲ ἁπλῶς λίθου καὶ ἀρσενικῶς καὶ θηλυκῶς ἐκφέρειν δεῖ. Εὐριπίδης ἐν Ὀρέστῃ· ‘φερομέναν βῶλον ἐξ Ὀλύμπου’. Σοφοκλῆς ἐν Αἴαντι· ‘ὑγρᾶς ἀρούρας βῶλον ὃς ἔμελλε’.

δεξάμενος codd. : διαδεξάμενος Synes.

βῶλος [is] feminine when it is used for land. Synesius in the letter [that begins with] ‘I think your divine soul’ [says]: ‘having inherited the paternal property (βῶλον, fem.) subject to senatorial taxation’ (Epist. 35.7–8 = C.3). [When it is used] simply for a rock, it can be used in both the masculine and the feminine. Euripides in the Orestes [says]: ‘a rocky mass (βῶλον, fem.) borne from Olympus’ (cf. Or. 984a–b = C.2). Sophocles in the Ajax [says]: ‘lump of wet earth (βῶλον, masc./fem.?), which was bound […]’ (cf. Ai. 1286–7 = C.1).

C. Loci classici, other relevant texts

(1) Soph. Ai. 1283–7:
χὤτ’ αὖθις αὐτὸς Ἕκτορος μόνος μόνου,
λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος, ἦλθεν ἀντίος,
οὐ δραπέτην τὸν κλῆρον ἐς μέσον καθείς,
ὑγρᾶς ἀρούρας βῶλον, ἀλλ’ ὃς εὐλόφου
κυνῆς ἔμελλε πρῶτος ἅλμα κουφιεῖν;

And again when he came against Hector, man to man, by lot and without orders, having thrown in a token that was no runaway, no lump of wet earth, but one that was bound to leap first out of the crested helmet? (Transl. Lloyd-Jones 1994, 149).

(2) Eur. Or. 982a–4b:
μόλοιμι τὰν οὐρανοῦ
        μέσον χθονός <τε> τεταμέναν
αἰωρήμασιν
        πέτραν ἁλύσεσι χρυσέαις,
φερομέναν δίναισι,
        βῶλον ἐξ Ὀλύμπου, […]

<τε> Hermann.

O that I might go to the rock hung aloft between heaven <and> earth from golden chains, a rocky mass from Olympus borne on the heavens’ rotation! (Transl. Kovacs 2002, 521).

(3) Synes. Epist. 35.4–7: οὐ γὰρ ὅτι συγγενής ἐστιν Ἡρώδης ἐμός, ἀλλ’ ὅτι δεῖται δικαίων, διὰ τοῦτό σοι τὸν νεανίσκον συνίστημι, ὅστις ἐκ προγόνων λαμπρότατος ὢν καὶ τὴν πατρῴαν βῶλον ὑποτελῆ τῇ συγκλήτῳ διαδεξάμενος, […].

Indeed, not because Herod is my relative, but because he demands justice, for this reason I commend the young man to you, who is of illustrious birth and inherited the paternal property subject to senatorial taxation, […].