αβγό

Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

Back-formation from the plural αβγά (avgá), itself extracted from τ' αβγά (t' avgá, “the eggs”), a regular phonological development of Ancient Greek τὰ ᾠά (tà ōiá):

/ta.oˈa/ → /tau̯ˈa/ → /tau̯ˈɣa/ → /tavˈɣa/.

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm via Proto-Hellenic *ōyyón.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /aˈvɣo/
  • Hyphenation: α‧βγό

Noun

αβγό • (avgó) n (plural αβγά)

  1. (zoology) egg (spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, reptiles, insects and other animals, housing the embryo during its development)
    Το αβγό της χελώνας είναι μικρό και ολοστρόγγυλο.
    To avgó tis chelónas eínai mikró kai olostróngylo.
    A turtle's egg is small and totally round.
  2. (more specifically) egg (of a hen, used as food)
    Για να φτιάξεις μπισκότα χρειάζεσαι αβγά, αλεύρι και βούτυρο.
    Gia na ftiáxeis biskóta chreiázesai avgá, alévri kai voútyro.
    To make biscuits, you need eggs, flour and butter.
  3. (figuratively) egg (anything shaped like an egg)
    Το Πάσχα στην Ευρώπη τρώνε σοκολατένια αβγά.
    To Páscha stin Evrópi tróne sokolaténia avgá.
    At Easter in Europe, chocolate eggs are eaten.
  4. (biology) egg, ovum (female primary cell)
    Synonym: ωάριο (oário)
    Δύο άντρες χρειάζονται το αβγό μιας γυναίκας για να έχουν ένα παιδί.
    Dýo ántres chreiázontai to avgó mias gynaíkas gia na échoun éna paidí.
    Two men need a woman's egg to have a child.

Usage notes
  • Spelling: In accordance with Georgios Hatzidakis and Manolis Triantafyllidis, Babiniotis considers αβγό the correct spelling:
    The ‑β‑ in the word originated from phonetic development and there is no justification for writing it with the diphthong ‑αυ‑, as though it has always existed in the word.[1]
The αυγό spelling is found in other dictionaries.[2] (Similarly: αφτί ~ αυτί (aftí, “ear”)).

Declension
declension of αβγό
case     \     number singular plural
nominative αβγό • αβγά •
genitive αβγού • αβγών •
accusative αβγό • αβγά •
vocative αβγό • αβγά •

Derived terms
  • χρυσό αβγό (chrysó avgó, “golden goose”, literally “golden egg”)
  • ακόμη δεν βγήκε απ' τ' αβγό (akómi den vgíke ap' t' avgó, “don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs”, literally “he/she's not even out of the egg yet”)
  • χάνω τ' αβγά και τα καλάθια (cháno t' avgá kai ta kaláthia, “to lose everything, to lose one's mind”, literally “lose the eggs and the baskets”)
  • χάνω τ' αβγά και τα πασχάλια (cháno t' avgá kai ta paschália, “to lose everything, to lose one's mind”, literally “lose the eggs and the calendar”)
  • κάθομαι στ' αβγά μου (káthomai st' avgá mou, “to mind one's own business, to not get involved”, literally “sit on one's eggs”)
  • σιγά τ' αβγά (sigá t' avgá, “as if, give me a break”, literally “slowly the eggs (so they won't break)”)
  • αβγά κουρεύουμε; (avgá kourévoume?, “Do you think I'm/we're stupid?”, literally “Are we shaving eggs?”)
  • πιάσ' τ' αβγό και κούρευ' το (piás' t' avgó kai koúref' to, “get blood out of a stone”, literally “Catch the egg and shave it”)
  • παίρνω με τ' αβγά (paírno me t' avgá, “to egg someone”, literally “take them with the eggs”)
  • το αβγό του Κολόμβου (to avgó tou Kolómvou, “egg of Columbus”)
  • αβγά σού καθαρίζουν; (avgá soú katharízoun?, “Why are you laughing? What's so funny?”, literally “Are they cleaning your eggs?”)

References
  1. αβγό - Babiniotis, Georgios (2008) Λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας: […] [Dictionary of Modern Greek (language)] (in Greek), 3rd edition, Athens: Kentro Lexikologias [Lexicology Centre], 1st edition 1998, →ISBN.
  2. αυγό - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.

Further reading
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