Phalanx
/ˈfæ.læŋks/noun
A compact body of troops or a bone in a finger or toe.
Did you know?The ancient Greek phalanx was named for a word meaning a roller or log-like row, and that same root later gave English the anatomical term for the bones that form your fingers and toes.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
φάλαγξ (phálanx)
“A log, roller, or a tightly packed line/formation; later a close-ranked battle array.”
Classical Greek
Greek
φάλαγγ- / φάλαγξ
“A military formation of heavily armed infantry drawn up in dense ranks.”
Late Latin
Latin
phalanx
“A Greek-style battle line; also used in learned anatomical and military writing.”
Middle French
French
phalange
“A finger or toe bone; also a military body in learned usage.”
16th Century
English
phalanx
“A close-ranked body of soldiers, especially in classical history.”
Modern English
English
phalanx
“A compact military formation or one of the bones of the fingers or toes.”
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