# ἀμήχανος
## Ancient Greek
### Etymology

From ἀ- (a-) +‎ μηχανή (mēkhanḗ) +‎ -νος (-nos)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /a.mɛ̌ː.kʰa.nos/ → /aˈmi.xa.nos/ → /aˈmi.xa.nos/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /a.mɛ̌ː.kʰa.nos/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /aˈme̝.kʰa.nos/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /aˈmi.xa.nos/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /aˈmi.xa.nos/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /aˈmi.xa.nos/
Mark the vowel length of the ambiguous vowels ἀ and α by adding a macron after each one if it is long, or a breve if it is short. By default, Module:grc-pronunciation assumes it is short if unmarked. [This message shows only in preview mode.]

### Adjective

ἀμήχανος • (amḗkhanos) m or f (neuter ἀμήχανον); second declension
* impracticable, impossible, challenging, difficult, unmanageable, uncontrollable
** 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, Frogs 1429:μισῶ πολίτην, ὅστις ὠφελεῖν πάτραν βραδὺς πέφυκε μεγάλα δὲ βλάπτειν ταχύς, καὶ πόριμον αὑτῷ τῇ πόλει δ᾽ ἀμήχανον.misô polítēn, hóstis ōpheleîn pátran bradùs péphuke megála dè bláptein takhús, kaì pórimon hautôi têi pólei d’ amḗkhanon.
* incapable, without means, resourceless, helpless, awkward
** 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 79:ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἄτιμα ποιοῦμαι, τὸ δὲ βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.egṑ mèn ouk átima poioûmai, tò dè bíāi politôn drân éphun amḗkhanos.
* extraordinary, inconceivable, enormous, infinite
** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 584b:αὗται γὰρ οὐ προλυπηθέντι ἐξαίφνης ἀμήχανοι τὸ μέγεθος γίγνονται, παυσάμεναί τε λύπην οὐδεμίαν καταλείπουσιν.haûtai gàr ou prolupēthénti exaíphnēs amḗkhanoi tò mégethos gígnontai, pausámenaí te lúpēn oudemían kataleípousin.
* (particularly of dreams) inexplicable, mysterious, unexplainable
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 19.560:δοιαὶ γάρ τε πύλαι ἀμενηνῶν εἰσὶν ὀνείρων· αἱ μὲν γὰρ κεράεσσι τετεύχαται, αἱ δ᾿ ἐλέφαντι· τῶν οἳ μέν κ᾿ ἔλθωσι διὰ πριστοῦ ἐλέφαντοςdoiaì gár te púlai amenēnôn eisìn oneírōn; hai mèn gàr keráessi teteúkhatai, hai d’ eléphanti; tôn hoì mén k’ élthōsi dià pristoû eléphantos
* difficult to deal with, against whom nothing can be done
** 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, The Histories 586-589:θαῦμα δ᾽ ἔχ᾽ ἀθανάτους τε θεοὺς θνητούς τ᾽ ἀνθρώπους, ὡς εἶδον δόλον αἰπύν, ἀμήχανον ἀνθρώποισιν.thaûma d’ ékh’ athanátous te theoùs thnētoús t’ anthrṓpous, hōs eîdon dólon aipún, amḗkhanon anthrṓpoisin.
** (of situations) helpless, unfixable, unreconcilable, irremediable
*** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Eumenides 561-562:τὸν οὔποτ᾽ αὐχοῦντ᾽ ἰδὼν ἀμαχάνοις δύαις λαπαδνὸν οὐδ᾽ ὑπερθέοντ᾽ ἄκρανtòn oúpot’ aukhoûnt’ idṑn amakhánois dúais lapadnòn oud’ huperthéont’ ákran
** irresistible
*** 630 BCE – 570 BCE, Sappho, Fragments 130:Ἔρος δηὖτέ μ᾿ ὀ λυσιμέλης δόνει, γλυκύπικρον ἀμάχανον ὄρπετονÉros dēûté m’ o lusimélēs dónei, glukúpikron amákhanon órpeton

#### Alternative forms

* ἀμάχανος (amákhanos) — Doric

#### Related terms

* ἀμηχανοποιέομαι (amēkhanopoiéomai)
* κᾰκομήχᾰνος (kăkomḗkhănos)
* μηχᾰνάομαι (mēkhănáomai)
* μηχᾰνεύς (mēkhăneús)
* μηχᾰ́νημᾰ (mēkhắnēmă)
* μηχᾰ́νησῐς (mēkhắnēsĭs)
* μηχᾰνῐκός (mēkhănĭkós)
* μηχᾰ́νωμᾰ (mēkhắnōmă)
* ποικῐλομήχᾰνος (poikĭlomḗkhănos)

### References

* “ἀμήχανος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* ἀμήχανος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
* ἀμήχανος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* “ἀμήχανος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* Pape, Wilhelm, Benseler, Gustav Eduard (1884) Wörterbuch der griechischen Eigennamen (in German), 3rd edition, Braunschweig: Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn