φάρυγξ
(Phryn. Ecl. 43, [Hdn.] Philet. 172)

D. General commentary

Atticist lexicographers (Phrynichus, A.1, the pseudo-Herodianic Philetaerus, A.2, and probably Aelius Dionysius, cf. B.5) discuss the grammatical gender of the noun φάρυ(γ)ξ (‘throat’, ‘pharynx’), prescribing the feminine form against the masculine. This is one of several examples where Atticist lexicographers discuss cases of gender change; see AGP vol. 2, Nominal morphology, forthcoming, and entries βάτος, βῶλος, λάγυνος, ὄμφαξ, ῥάξ, ῥώξ, ὕσπληξ, and χάραξ.

The noun φάρυξ is a suffixal formation built with the suffix -υγ-. The variant φάρυγξ spread from the 5th century BCE, perhaps under the influence of λάρυγξ (‘windpipe’, ‘larynx’); on the relationship between the two nouns, see also below. In φάρυγξ, the insertion of a nasal sound probably has an expressive function, as is the case with other nouns that have some connection with sound, such as bird names (e.g. ἴυγξ ‘wryneck’) and names of musical instruments (e.g. σῦριγξ ‘panpipe’, and φόρμιγξ ‘lyre’); see Chantraine (1933, 398–9). Indeed, both φάρυγξ and λάρυγξ are body parts associated with sonority. The traditional etymology of φάρυ(γ)ξ links the noun to the Indo-European root *b^hr-u-g-, from which also the Latin noun frūmen (‘throat’, ‘larynx’) and Armenian erbuc (‘chest’) derive. Although the theory of this Indo-European origin may be correct, in Greek the noun seems to be related to φάραγξ (‘ravine’), from the root φαρ- (< *b^herH-) meaning ‘to pierce’, ‘to bore’. The relationship between φάρυ(γ)ξ and φάραγξ is clearly connected to the metaphor by which the noun ‘gorge’ can denote both the body part and the land feature; see DELG s.v. φάρυξ. On the other hand, Beekes rejects the above reconstruction and identifies the nasalised suffix as an indication of the pre-Greek origin of the noun; see EDG s.v. φάρυγξ. Still, Beekes’ supposition is invalidated by the later diffusion of the form with the nasalised suffix.

φάρυ(γ)ξ is attested as early as Homer (C.1, Od. 19.480, gen. sing. φάρυγος), although the grammatical gender cannot be assessed. In 5th-century Attic authors the noun is mainly used in the feminine form: cf. Thucydides (2.49.2 ἡ φάρυγξ), Aristophanes (C.3, Ra. 571 μιαρὰ φάρυξ [some MSS have φάρυγξ], fr. 625 τὴν φάρυγα [some MSS have φάρυγγα]), Cratinus (fr. 198.3 ἐν τῇ φάρυγι [corrected by Walpole, the MSS have φάρυγγι (or other readings)], fr. 277 τὴν φάρυγα [corrected by Dobree, the MS has φάρυγγα]), Pherecrates (fr. 75.2 τὴν φάρυγα [corrected by Toup, the MS has φάρυγγα]). Nevertheless, there is no lack of masculine occurrences: besides Epicharmus (C.2), masculine φάρυ(γ)ξ is found in Euripides (Cyc. 215 ὁ φάρυγξ, but εὐρείας φάρυγος [corrected by Hermann, the MS has φάρυγγος] in Cyc. 356) and in Teleclides (fr. 1.12 εἰς τὸν φάρυγ(α) [corrected by Pierson, the MSS have φάρυγγ(α)]). On the other hand, Atticist authors such as Lucian, Aelian, Aelius Aristides (cf. C.4), and Flavius Philostratus consistently use the feminine form (conversely, in Plu. Quaestiones convivales 698f, [Luc.] Asin. 38.9, and [Luc.] Am. 42.13 the masculine form is attested).

Atticist lexicographers (A.) and later grammatical and erudite sources (B.) agree in prescribing the feminine form. This prescription is in line with the conservative canon presented in Phrynichus’ Eclogue and the pseudo-Herodianic Philetaerus (see entries Phrynichus Atticista, Ἐκλογὴ Ἀττικῶν ῥημάτων καὶ ὀνομάτων (Ecloga), forthcoming; [Herodian], Φιλέταιρος (Philetaerus)), which take Thucydides’ and Aristophanes’ usage as a model (in general, the feminine form is prevalent in Old Comedy authors such as Cratinus and Pherecrates; on the latter’s standing in Phrynichus’ canon, see Tribulato 2024). On the other hand, the occurrence of the masculine form in Epicharmus (C.2) and in Euripides’ Cyclops (215), a satyr drama, could be an argument for its proscription.    Indeed, Epicharmus is an author not included in the Atticist canon (see also e.g. Phryn. Ecl. 79Phryn. Ecl. 79, where the passive aorist γενηθῆναι is proscribed as a Doric form). As regards the Cyclops, satyr dramaSatyr drama is sometimes used by the Atticists as a source for ancient attestations of approved words, since its language, though generally much closer to that of tragedy (see López Eire 2003), is similar to that of comedy insofar as it uses terms related to Realien and everyday life (see Cipolla 2021, 245–6). However, in this case, the use of φάρυγξ in the masculine was probably interpreted as a colloquialism or even a dialectalism (cf. B.1 and B.6, which attribute the masculine form to the Dorians). Actually, the choice of the masculine in Cyc. 215 may also have been influenced by metrical constraints: note that in Cyc. 356, in a lyric section, the noun is instead used in the feminine, εὐρείας φάρυγος [corrected by Hermann, the MS has φάρυγγος].

Regarding the grammatical gender of φάρυ(γ)ξ, several sources contrast φάρυ(γ)ξ with the similar masculine noun λάρυγξ (see A.2, B.2, B.4, and B.7); the gender of the latter may have influenced that of the former. In particular, the Suda (B.4) states that φάρυγξ is used in the masculine in the sense of λάρυγξ (‘windpipe’); indeed, the two nouns are sometimes confused, especially in poetry: cf. e.g. C.3, where the φάρυγξ is involved in the emission of sound, not the λάρυγξ, as would be natural, and B.2, where the verbs λαρυγγίζω and φαρυγγίζω are treated as synonymsSynonyms; see Dettori (2006, 32).

In addition, some grammatical sources (B.1, B.4, and B.6) raise another issue, namely the spelling φάρυξ (without nasalisation) or φάρυγξ (with nasalisation). Herodian (B.1) prescribes the form φάρυξ by referring to Homer (C.1); the Suda (B.4) attributes the form φάρυγξ to ‘the many’ (οἱ πολλοί), probably implicitly contrasting them with the users of Attic; and the Etymologicum Magnum (B.6) also prescribes φάρυξ (incidentally, it should be noted that in this entry even the form λάρυγος, gen. sing. of λάρυξ, is attributed to users of Attic; actually, the variant of λάρυγξ without nasalisation is not attested in literary sources, but only in grammatical and erudite ones: see Dettori 2006, 29 and WiP s.v. λάρυξ). In fact, the form φάρυγξ spread precisely in the 5th century BCE, and in Attic authors φάρυξ and φάρυγξ coexist (see the attestations above). In comedy, however, when used in cases other than the nominative, φάρυξ is the metrically correct form, even when the manuscript tradition presents φάρυγξ. In Phrynichus’ entry (A.1), both spellings are attested by the manuscript tradition, and it is difficult to determine whether Atticist lexicographers considered one of the two forms preferable. On the other hand, Atticist authors show an absolute preference for the form φάρυγξ, which may have gained prominence perhaps precisely due to its greater expressiveness.

E. Byzantine and Modern Greek commentary

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F. Commentary on individual texts and occurrences

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