γόνυ, gen. γούνατοσ and γουνόσ, pl. γούνατα and γοῦνα, gen. γούνων, dat. γούνασι and γούνεσσι: knee;γόνυ κάμπτειν, phrase for sitting down to rest, ἐπὶ γούνεσσι καθίσσᾶσ, taking upon the lap, Il. 9.488, Il. 5.370; freq. as typical of physical strength, εἰσόκε μοι φίλα γούνατ' ὀρώρῃ, so long as my knees can spring, so long as my strength shall last; but oftenest of suddenly failing strength, swooning, death, πολλῶν ἀνδρῶν ὑπὸ γούνατ' ἔλῦσεν (Helen caused the death of many men); λύτο γούνατα, Od. 4.703, knees were relaxed, of Penelope. From the custom of embracing the knees in supplication come the phrases γοῦνα or γούνων λαβεἶν, ἅψασθαι, ὑπὲρ γούνων or γούνων λίσσεσθαι, by the knees, by your life; hence θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται, rests with the gods, in the gift of the gods, Od. 1.267.
γόνῠ, τό, gen. γόνατοσ, Ep. and Ion. γούνατοσ (for γόνfατοσ) Il.21.591, Hdt.2.80: pl. nom. γούναταIl.5.176, Hes.Op.587, Hdt.1.199, Schwyzer694.7 (Chios, iv B. C.), gen. γουνάτωνHdt.9.76, dat. γούνασιIl.9.455, Hdt.4.152 (also Pi.I.2.26), γονάτεσσιTheoc.16.11, Epigr.Gr. 782 (Halic.); also Ep. gen. γουνόσ (expl. as for γόνυοσ by Hdn.Gr.2.768, A.D.Synt.342.9) Il.11.547: pl. γοῦνα 6.511; γούνων 1.407, al.: dat. γούνεσσι 9.488, al. (v.l. γούνασσι):— Aeol. acc. pl. γόναAlc.39.7 (prob.), but γόννα acc. to St.Byz. s.v. Γόννοι, Eust.335.39: gen. pl. γόνωνAlc.Supp.10: E. has γουνάτωνHec.752, 839, γούνασιSupp.285 (lyr.), Andr.529 (lyr.), but not γουνός (γοῦν' acc. pl. was read by Sch. in Ph.852): gen. pl. γεύνων, Hsch.:—