A.“τίκτω,--οὐκ ἔστι μήτηρ ἡ κεκλημένου τέκνου τοκεύς, τροφὸς δὲ . . ” A.Eu.658), child, “ἄλοχοι καὶ νήπια τέκνα” Il.2.136, al.; “πατρὸς σωφροσύνη μέγιστον τέκνοις παράγγελμα” Democr.208, cf. 222; “τέκνα καὶ γυναῖκες” Hdt.1.164, 2.30, SIG569.10 (Cos, iii B.C.), al., Plb.2.58.9, 9.39.3; γυναῖκες καὶ τ. Hdt.6.19, al., Plb.5.78.1 (cf. 10.34.3), SIG633.46 (Milet., ii B.C.), BGU1811.5 (i B.C.), etc.: the sg. is used by Hom. only in voc., as a form of address from elders to their youngers, my son, my child, sts. with masc. Adj., “φίλε τέκνον” Il.22.84, Od.2.363, al.: the relat. Pron. or Participle sts. follows in masc. or fem., Pi.Fr.171, E.Supp.12 sq., Tr. 740:—the word is used in Prose at Cyrene, Berl.Sitzb.1927.160, and Epidaurus, IG42(1).122.82 (iv B.C.), al., but is rarer than παῖς in Att. Prose, Lys.2.74, 11.10, 12.96, D.11.9, Din.1.109; freq. in X., Lac. 1.8, al., also Arist., Pol.1253b7, al., and later, PPetr.3p.237 (iii B.C.), PCair.Zen.620.9 (iii B.C.), LXX Ge.3.16, al., PAmh.2.35.55 (ii B.C.), Plb. (v. supr.); rare in Com. exc. in paratragoedic passages, Ar. Ach.891, al.; in Trag. it is generally used with espec. reference to the mother, “ὦ τέκνον Νηρῇδος, ὦ παῖ Πηλέως” E.IA896 (troch.); Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖ (sic codd.) “καὶ Κλυταιμήστρας τέκνον” Id.IT238.
2. of animals,young, Od.16.217, Il.2.311, 12.170, al., A.Th.292 (lyr.), Hdt. 2.66, 3.102,109, X.Cyr.4.1.17, Arist.GA753a8, etc.
3. metaph., flowers are “γαίας τέκνα” A.Pers.618; birds “αἰθέρος τέκνα” E.El.897; frogs λιμναῖα κρηνῶν τ. Ar.Ra.211, etc. [The penult. is long in Hom.; it is occasionally long in Trag.(e.g. S.Ph.249,260,875,914), but much more freq. short, as always in old Com., e.g.Ar.Lys.7, Th.469, al., except in mock Tragic passages, e.g.Ar.V.1518 (lyr.); but sts. long in later Com., Antiph.163.6.]
