γόνῠ, τό,
genitive γόνατος,
Epic dialect and
Ionic dialect γούνατος (for γόνϝατος) [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:
plural nominative A) γούνατα [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; also
Epic dialect genitive γουνός (explanation as for γόνυος by Hdn.Gr.2.768, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]:—
Aeolic dialect accusative plural γόνα [
Refs 7th c.BC+]
E) has γουνάτων [
Refs]
accusative plural was read by [
Refs 5th c.AD+]:—
knee, γόνυ γουνὸς ἀμείβων [
Refs 8th c.BC+]: frequently of
clasping the knees in earnest supplication, ἥψατο γούνων [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ποτὶ (variant{περὶ}) or ἀμφὶ γούνασί τινος χεῖρας βαλεῖν [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐς γούνατά τινι or τινος πεσεῖν [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; γόνυ τινός or πρὸς γόνυ προσπίπτειν[
Refs]
on my knees, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; πίπτειν πρὸς τὰ γ. τινος, tini, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
E.2) of a sitting posture, φημί μιν ἀσπασίως γ. κάμψειν will be glad to bend
the knee so as to sit down and rest, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; but also, bow
the knee in submission, ἐμοὶ κάμψει (
intransitive) πᾶν γ. [
LXX]; γ. ὀκλάζειν τινί[
LXX]
on one's
knees, ἐπὶ γούνασι πατρός [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; πέπλον. θεῖναι Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν to lay it on her
lap (as an offering), [
Refs 8th c.BC+] it rests
in the lap of, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; but ἐν γούνασιν πίτνοντα Νίκας victorious, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
E.3) of the knees as the seat of strength, ἐν δὲ βίην ὤμοισι καὶ ἐν γούνεσσιν ἔθηκε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; of swiftness, λαιψηρά γ. [
Refs], etc; ὑπὸ γούνατ᾽ ἔλυσεν [
Refs]; βλάπτειν γ. τινι, κάματος δ᾽ ὑπὸ γ. ἐδάμνα, [
Refs]:—
passive, αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα [
Refs]
E.4)
metaphorically, ἐς γόνυ βάλλειν bring down upon
the knee, i. e. humble, conquer, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐς γ. ῥίπτειν, κλίνειν, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
E.5) proverbial, ἀπωτέρω ἢ γόνυ κνάμα 'blood is thicker than water', 'charity begins at home', [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
E.II)
joint of grasses or plants, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskrit
jā´nu, Latin
genu, etc.)