Accentuation rules and examples for Greek words ending in -φη and -χη, with place-name examples (Anaphe, Oche, Doliche, Erysiche) and discussion of vowel loss and stress patterns.
σκάφιον, κνήφη, ἀκαλήφη ἡ κνίδη. τὸ δὲ ἀλοιφή ὀξύνεται δύο φωνήεντα ἔχον. Τὰ εἰς 'φη' ὑπερδισύλλαβα κύρια ἢ παραληγόμενα 'α' βαρύνεται, ἀράφη, Ἀνάφη νῆσος μία τῶν Σποράδων πλησίον Θήρας, ἥτις ἀπὸ Μεμβλιάρου τοῦ σὺν Κάδμῳ πλεύσαντος εἰς ἀναζήτησιν Εὐρώπης Μεμβλίαρος ἐκαλεῖτο· τοῖς δ´ Ἀργοναύταις ὑπὸ χειμῶνος τρυχομένοις καὶ σκοτομήνης ἀναφανεῖσα Ἀνάφη ἐπικέκληται. σκιδάφη ἡ ἀλώπηξ, Ἱεράφη νῆσος Λιβύης. Ἑκαταῖος περιηγήσει. Ἐρίφη κύριον. Τηλέφη ἡ τῆς Εὐρώπης μήτηρ, ἣ καὶ Τηλεφάη καλεῖται. Τὰ εἰς 'χη' δισύλλαβα παραληγόμενα φωνήεντι προσηγορικὰ ὀξύνεται, ἠχή, βληχή, ψυχή, βρυχή ὁ κτύπος, βροχή, ὀχή, τὸ δὲ Ὄχη ὄρος τῆς Εὐβοίας βαρύνεται. ἐκλήθη δὲ τὸ ὄρος ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκεῖ ὀχείας ἤτοι τῶν θεῶν μίξεως Διὸς καὶ Ἥρας ἢ διὰ τὸ τὰ πρόβατα κυΐσκεσθαι ὀχευόμενα ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. οἱ γὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ τὴν τροφὴν ὀχήν φασι. λέγεται καὶ ἀρσενικῶς ὁ Ὄχης. τὸ δὲ τύχη καὶ μάχη βαρύνεται· ἔστι δὲ καὶ Τύχη πόλις Σικελίας πλησίον Συρακουσῶν. Ἔφορος ἐν δωδεκάτῳ νῆσον Τυχίαν φησίν. βαρύνεται δὲ καὶ Τρῦχαι πόλις Εὐβοίας. Λυκόφρων δὲ (v. 374) μεταφράσας Τρύχαντα καλεῖ. τὸ δὲ Χωχή κώμη πρὸς τῷ Τίγριδι ποταμῷ ὀξύνεται. Ἀρριανὸς δεκάτῳ »καὶ βασιλεὺς δ´ ἐξελαύνει ἐκ Σελευκείας, οὐ πρόσω τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ Τίγριδος ἐς κώμην, ᾗτινι Χωχὴ ὄνομα«. Τὰ εἰς 'χη' ἔχοντα ἄλλο σύμφωνον κατὰ σύλληψιν ἢ διάστασιν βαρύνεται, βάκχη, κόγχη, λέσχη, λόγχη, τὸ δὲ Λογχή κύριον, Ῥύγχαι χωρίον Εὐβοίας. τὸ δὲ ἀρχή ὀξύνεται. Τὰ εἰς 'χη' ὑπερδισύλλαβα εἰς 'α' ἢ 'υ' παραληγόμενα, εἰ μὴ κύρια εἴη, ὀξύνεται, στοναχή, ταραχή, ἰαχή, ἀλυχή, διδαχή, τὸ δὲ μαλάχη βαρύνεται. τὸ δὲ Μαράχη πόλις Ἰνδικὴ κύριόν ἐστιν. Τὰ εἰς 'χη' παραληγόμενα 'ι' βαρύνεται, Δολίχη νῆσος πρὸς τῇ Λυκίᾳ, ὡς Καλλίμαχος. ἔστι καὶ Δολίχη πόλις τῆς Κομμαγηνῆς. δολιχή δὲ ἡ μακρά. μαστίχη, σαβαρίχη τὸ τῆς γυναικὸς αἰδοῖον, πυρρίχη, Μυστίχη. Ἐρυσίχη πόλις Ἀκαρνανίας, ἥτις ὕστερον Οἰνιάδαι ὠνομάσθη. καὶ τινὲς δὲ τὴν χώραν τῶν Οἰνιαδῶν πᾶσαν Ἐρυσίχην ὠνόμασαν ἀπὸ Ἐρυσίχης τῆς Ἀχελῴου θυγατρός. * Τὰ εἰς 'χη' ὑπερδισύλλαβα παραληγόμενα 'ο' σπάνια ὄντα βαρύνεται, οἷον Ἀστυόχη ἡ μήτηρ Τληπολέμου.
σκάφιον, κνήφη, ἀκαλήφη: the nettle. But ἀλοιφή is accented with an acute, since it has two vowels. Proper names of more than two syllables ending in -φη, or those with α in the penult, take the grave accent: ἀράφη; Ἀνάφη, an island, one of the Sporades near Thera, which was called Μεμβλίαρος from Membliareus, who sailed with Cadmus in search of Europa; but when it appeared to the Argonauts, storm-tossed and in darkness, it was called Ἀνάφη. σκιδάφη: the fox. Ἱεράφη, an island of Libya—Hecataeus in his Circuit of the Earth. Ἐρίφη, a proper name. Τηλέφη, the mother of Europa, who is also called Τηλεφάη. Disyllabic appellatives ending in -χη with a vowel in the penult are accented with an acute: ἠχή, βληχή, ψυχή, βρυχή (the noise), βροχή, ὀχή; but Ὄχη, a mountain of Euboea, takes the grave. The mountain was so called from the mating there, that is, the union of the gods Zeus and Hera, or because the sheep conceive when mated in that place; for the Achaeans call fodder ὀχή. It is also said in the masculine, ὁ Ὄχης. But τύχη and μάχη take the grave; and there is also Τύχη, a city of Sicily near Syracuse. Ephorus in the twelfth book says there is an island Τυχία. Τρῦχαι too, a city of Euboea, takes the grave; but Lycophron (v. 374), translating, calls it Τρύχαντα. But Χωχή, a village by the river Tigris, is accented with an acute. Arrian in the tenth book: “and the king marches out from Seleuceia, not far from the river Tigris, to a village whose name is Χωχή.” Words ending in -χη that have another consonant in combination or separated take the grave: βάκχη, κόγχη, λέσχη, λόγχη; but Λογχή is a proper name; Ῥύγχαι, a place in Euboea. But ἀρχή is accented with an acute. Words of more than two syllables ending in -χη with α or υ in the penult, unless they are proper names, are accented with an acute: στοναχή, ταραχή, ἰαχή, ἀλυχή, διδαχή; but μαλάχη takes the grave. Μαράχη, a city in India, is a proper name. Words ending in -χη with ι in the penult take the grave: Δολίχη, an island off Lycia, as Callimachus says; and there is also Δολίχη, a city of Commagene. δολιχή means “the long.” μαστίχη; σαβαρίχη, the woman’s pudendum; πυρρίχη; Μυστίχη. Ἐρυσίχη, a city of Acarnania, which was later named Οἰνιάδαι; and some also called the whole territory of the Oeniadae Ἐρυσίχη, from Ἐρυσίχη, daughter of Achelous. Words of more than two syllables ending in -χη with ο in the penult, being rare, take the grave, for example Ἀστυόχη, the mother of Tlepolemus.