μαχαίρι (Greek)

Where does "μαχαίρι" come from?

The modern Greek noun 'μαχαίρι', meaning 'knife', 'dagger', or 'guillotine' for cutting paper, descends through Koine Greek 'μαχαίριον'[1]. This Koine form is a diminutive of the Ancient Greek 'μάχαιρα', which meant 'small sword'[1]. The word also shares a doublet relationship with 'μάχαιρα'[1].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin of the Ancient Greek root is controversial, with traditional links to fighting challenged by proposals of a foreign substrate or Pre-Greek origin. [2]

Full etymology tree

• μαχαίρι (Greek), 'knife'
  • inherited μαχαίριον (makhaírion) (Koine Greek)
    • derived μάχαιρα (mákhaira) (Ancient Greek), 'large knife, short sword, dirk, dagger'

Ancestors

• μάχαιρα (Ancient Greek)

Cognates and doublets

• μάχαιρα (Greek)
• машер (Mariupol Greek)

Descendants and derived words

• αμαχαίρωτος (Greek)
• μαχαίρα (Greek)
• μαχαιρίδιο (Greek)
• μαχαιροπήρουνο (Greek)
• μαχαιροπίρουνο (Greek)
• μαχαιρώνω (Greek)
• μαχαιρώνωμαι (Greek)

Related words

• πιρούνι (Greek)

Sources

1. μαχαίρι (Greek) - Wiktionary
2. μάχαιρα (mákhaira) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris