Discussion of Greek place-names and ethnics ending in -ίς (e.g., Salmakis, Phyllis, Hyllis), with accentuation and phonological rules, examples, and citations (Herodotus, Polybius).
Ἑκαταῖος Εὐρώπῃ. Ἀρσακίς, Ἀτρακίς, Φαιακίς, Ῥυνδακίς, Σαλμακίς πόλις Καρίας, Βυζακίς χώρα περὶ τὰς Σύρτεις ὡς Πολύβιος ἐν δωδεκάτῳ «σταδίων μὲν οὖσα τὴν περίμετρον δισχιλίων, τῷ δὲ σχήματι περιφερής». Ἰωλκίς, Τεμμικίς, Σελευκίς χώρα. ἔστι καὶ ποτηρίων εἶδος ἀπὸ Σελεύκου. Ναρθηκίς νησίδιον ἐγγὺς Σάμου ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῖς προσπλέουσι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν. Τὰ εἰς 'λις' ἀπλᾶ ἔχοντα σύμφωνον κατ´ ἐπιπλοκὴν ἢ διπλασιασμὸν τοῦ 'λ' ὀξύνεται, εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ 'θ' κλίνοιτο ἢ πόλιν σημαίνοι, φυλλίς· ἔστι δὲ καὶ χώρα Θρᾴκης. Ἡρόδοτος ἑβδόμῃ (c. 113) «ἡ δὲ γῆ αὕτη περὶ τὸ Πάγγαιον ὄρος καλέεται Φυλλίς». ἔστι καὶ ποταμὸς Βιθυνίας Φυλλίς. κιγκλίς, θυλλίς ὁ θύλακος. Ὑλλίς τὸ θηλυκὸν ἐθνικοῦ παρὰ Καλλιμάχῳ ἀπὸ Ὑλλίδος Ἀργείας μιᾶς τῶν νυμφῶν καὶ Ἀπολλόδωρος Ὑλλὶς πρόκειται χερρόνησος ἡλίκη μάλιστα Πελοπόννησος, ὥς φασι.................. πεντεκαίδεκα πόλεις ἔχουσα παμμεγέθεις οἰκουμένας. ἔστιν Ὑλλίς καὶ φυλὴ Ἄργους καὶ Δωριέων καὶ Τροιζηνίων. Βυβλίς, ἀδελφὴ Καύνου, οὗ ἐρασθεῖσα φεύγοντος ἐκείνου ἀπήγξατο. οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἐκαλεῖτο Μῆλος μία τῶν Κυκλάδων ἀπὸ τῶν Βυβλίων Φοινίκων. Βρυλλίς χώρα ἐν τῇ Προποντίδι. τὸ δὲ Τράλλις πόλις Λυδίας πρὸς τῷ Μαιάνδρῳ ποταμῷ, καὶ τὸ Βύλλις πόλις Ἰλλυρίδος παραθαλασσία, τῶν μετὰ Νεοπτολέμου Μυρμιδόνων κτίσμα. καὶ τὸ δέλλις τὸ μικρὸν σφηκίον διὰ τοῦ 'θ' κλίνεται. καὶ τὸ βάλλις δὲ βαρύνεται εἶδος ἄνθους, ὃ δοκεῖ ποιεῖν ἀναζῆν τὸν νεκρόν. Τὰ εἰς 'λις' βραχείᾳ παραληγόμενα δισύλλαβα, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ 'π' ἄρχοιτο μήτε ὑποκοριστικὰ εἴη, ὀξύνεται, βολίς, φολίς, σελίς, ψαλίς, πυλίς ὑποκοριστικόν. τὸ δὲ πρύλις βαρύνεται ἡ ἔνοπλος ὄρχησις ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ πόλις ἀπὸ τοῦ 'π' ἀρχομένη. καὶ Τύλις πόλις
Hecataeus, in Europa: Ἀρσακίς, Ἀτρακίς, Φαιακίς, Ῥυνδακίς, Σαλμακίς, a city of Caria; Βυζακίς, a region about the Syrtes, as Polybius says in the twelfth book: “being in perimeter two thousand stades, and in shape circular.” Ἰωλκίς, Τεμμικίς, Σελευκίς, a region; there is also a kind of drinking-cup from Seleucus. Ναρθηκίς, a small island near Samos, on the right for those sailing toward the city.
The simple words in -λις that have a consonant by combination or by doubling of λ are accented with an acute, unless they are declined through θ or signify a city: φυλλίς; it is also a region of Thrace. Herodotus in the seventh book (c. 113): “and this land about Mount Pangaeum is called Φυλλίς.” There is also a river of Bithynia, Φυλλίς. κιγκλίς; θυλλίς, “the pouch.” Ὑλλίς, the feminine of an ethnic adjective in Callimachus, from Ὑλλίς of Argos, one of the nymphs; and Apollodorus says: “There lies before it a peninsula, Ὑλλίς, about as large as the Peloponnese, as they say … having fifteen very large inhabited cities.” Ὑλλίς is also a tribe of Argos and of the Dorians and of the Troezenians.
Βυβλίς, sister of Caunus, having fallen in love with him, when he fled she hanged herself. And thus too Melos, one of the Cyclades, was called from the Byblians, Phoenicians. Βρυλλίς, a region in the Propontis. And Τράλλις, a city of Lydia by the river Maeander; and Βύλλις, a coastal city of Illyria, a foundation of the Myrmidons who came with Neoptolemus. And δέλλις, “the little wasp,” is declined through θ. And βάλλις is accented with a grave: a kind of flower, which is thought to make the dead come back to life.
The disyllables in -λις with a short penult are accented with an acute, unless they begin with π or are diminutives: βολίς, φολίς, σελίς, ψαλὶς, πυλίς (a diminutive). But πρύλις is accented with a grave, “the armed dance,” just as also the city beginning with π. And Τύλις, a city.