Greek word · G2148

Εὐροκλύδων

euroklydōn

a north wind

The proper name of a wind from between east and north, roughly east-north-east, in the twelve-point wind compass used in Roman times.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Εὐρ-ακύλων (Rec. εὐροκλύδων, which see), -ωνος

(Εὖρος, the East wind, and Lat. Aquilo; Vg., Euroaquilo),

the Euraquilo, a N.E. wind (i.e. between Eurus and Aquilo): Acts 27:14.†

εὐρο-κλύδων (G, εὐροκλ-), -ωνος, ὁ

(Εὖρος (seel. εὐρύς, broad), κλύδων),

Euroclydon (prob. a sailor's corruption of Εὐρακύλων, which see): Acts 17:14, Rec,†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 27:14

Range of meaning

The proper name of a wind from between east and north, roughly east-north-east, in the twelve-point wind compass used in Roman times.

Against the English

KJV and WEB have 'Euroclydon', from a later form of the text. NASB transliterates it as 'Euraquilo'. ESV, NIV and BSB translate it as 'the Northeaster', which is fair for the direction but loses the sense that this was a sailors' nickname.

How it drifted

Copyists who did not recognise the Greek-Latin hybrid seem to have changed it to Euroklydōn ('east-wind surge', from κλύδων 'wave'). That form entered the Textus Receptus and the KJV.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Latin form 'euroaquilo' appears on a wind compass carved in a pavement at Thugga (Dougga, Tunisia), placed between Aquilo and Vulturnus. The Vulgate also reads 'Euroaquilo'. Today it matches the gregale, the fierce winter north-easterly of the central Mediterranean. Metzger's Textual Commentary explains why the committee preferred Eurakylōn.

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 27:14 εὐρακύλων. [the] Northeaster.

    But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.

    Here: A sailors' name that mixes two languages: Greek Euros (the east wind) and Latin Aquilo (the north wind). It names a violent wind from about east-north-east, in the sector between those two.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.