leksikonides

Leksikonides is a scholarly term used in discussions of Greek lexicography to refer to the compilers or authors of lexica—dictionaries or glossary-like word collections—in antiquity and the later Byzantine world. The form combines the Greek elements lexis (word, speech) and lexikon (dictionary) with the suffix -ides, which in Greek often denotes a group, lineage, or profession, yielding a rough translation along the lines of “the lexicon-makers” or “lexicographers.”

The term is not widely attested as the name of specific individuals. Rather, it functions as a label in academic contexts for a class of lexicographical writers whose exact identities may be obscure or anonymous. In many discussions, leksikonides is used to signal a collective role—those who authored, compiled, or edited lexical works—rather than to identify particular named figures. Because Greek lexicography from antiquity includes influential but sometimes anonymous authors and compilers, leksikonides helps scholars frame questions about transmission, annotation practices, and the sources behind early lexica.

In modern scholarship, the concept of leksikonides is often contrasted with individual named lexicographers or with broader categories such as glossographers or etymologists. It serves as a conceptual tool for discussing how lexical knowledge was gathered, organized, and circulated in Greek literary culture. Related topics include Lexicography, Lexicon, Glossography, and classical lexicographical corpora such as the Suda and Hesychius.