Oenochoe

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /iːˈnɒ.kəʊ.i/

Definitions

1. A container used in ancient times, particularly in Greek culture, primarily designed for the pouring of wine, characterized by a single handle and a slender neck
2. This artifact from antiquity, often made of pottery, served the specific purpose of holding and serving wine, featuring one handle and a tapered neck for ease of pouring
3. A type of ancient jug with a narrow neck and one handle used traditionally to serve wine

Etymology: The Greeks had a precise word for the jug used to pour wine at a meal: "oinokhoē," built from "oinos," wine, and "khein," to pour. Pouring was the whole point of the vessel, so the name describes its job rather than its shape or material. The same two elements turn up in other Greek compounds for drink and service, which is why the English term sounds more like a piece of classical vocabulary than a word that was made up in a museum. English took the word over directly from Greek and kept its sense of a specific ancient vessel, typically a jug with a single handle and a pouring lip, often shown in vase paintings of symposia. It is a learned borrowing, used by archaeologists and museum curators to name these jugs, so its meaning has stayed fixed to the Greek object rather than drifting into general use.