ἔχω

Validation

No

Last modification

Sun, 03/06/2022 - 11:00

Word-form

χεῖρα

Transliteration (Word)

kheir

English translation (word)

hand

Transliteration (Etymon)

ekhō

English translation (etymon)

to hold, to have

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus

Century

2 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

De adverbiis, Gr. Gr. II/1, 1, p. 147

Ed.

R. Schneider, Grammatici Graeci, vol. 2.1, Leipzig: Teubner, 1878

Quotation

ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ τὴν χεῖρα παρὰ τὸ ἔχειν φασὶν ἐσχηματίσθαι. 

Translation (En)

But some say that kheir "hand" is derived from ekhein "to hold".

Comment

The hand is etymologized as the "holding" one (functional etymology). The detail of the derivation is not explicit in Apollonius but is mentioned in Orion: from the infinitive ἔχειν one changes the last consonant and obtains *ἔχειρ, from which χείρ is then derived through dropping of the initial vowel. Starting from the infinitive, which is not common in Greek etymology, provides the diphthong [ei]. In some sources we find an elliptic etymology with ἴσχω instead of ἔχω for semantic reasons (ἔχω means generally "to have", and ἴσχω retains the meaning "to hold").

Parallels

Herodian, Peri orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 431 (Πάντα τὰ εἰς ειρ λήγοντα εἴτε ἁπλᾶ εἴτε σύνθετα διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου γράφεται οἷον χείρ παρὰ τὸ ἔχειν, ὅπερ οἱ Αἰολεῖς χήρ φασι τρέποντες τὴν ει εἰς τὸ η οἷον πλείων πλήων, μείων μήων, φθείρ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς τοῦ σώματος ἀπὸ τοῦ φθείρω); Orion, Etymologicum, chi, p. 163 (Χείρ. ἀφαίρεσις τοῦ ε, παρὰ τὸ ἔχειν, ἐχεὶρ καὶ χείρ); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), phi, p. 617 (χεὶρ, ἀφαιρέσει τοῦ ε περὶ τὸ ἔχειν· ἐχείρ ἐστι καὶ χείρ); Choeroboscus, De orthographia (epitome), p. 279 (Χείρ: παρὰ τὸ ἔχειν); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.89b (χείρ: παρὰ τὸ ἔχειν χείν καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ν εἰς ρ χείρ); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, chi 30 (χειρός: κατὰ ἀφαίρεσιν τοῦ ε γέγονε παρὰ τὸ ἔχειν, ὡς παρὰ τὸ ἑνὶ εἴκειν κατὰ Σιμωνίδην (PMG 519, fr. 79 [c] 2) νίκη); Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 118 (ἢ χεὶρ παρὰ τὸ ῥᾶον χεῖσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω τὸ κρατῶ· ἡ ἐπιτήδειος πρὸς τὸ κρατεῖν· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ διϊστᾶν τοὺς δακτύλους καὶ διαχεῖν·); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 222 (χεῖται δὲ ῥᾷστα χεὶρ ἔχει τε ῥᾳδίως ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 810 (Χείρ: Παρὰ τὸ ἔχω, τὸ κρατῶ· ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ παρὰ τὸ ῥᾶον χεῖσθαι, ὅ ἐστι χωρεῖσθαι, ἢ διαχέειν); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1.166 (χεῖρες· παρὰ τὸ ἔχω τὸ κρατῶ ἐχεὶρ καὶ χείρ, ἢ παρὰ τὸ χῶ τὸ χωρῶ)

Modern etymology

Old name of the hand, cognate with Ved. hasta- "hand" and Hitt. kesar "id.". PIE *ghes-r- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG has χείρα as a learned word, including in compounds; the usual form is χέρι

Entry By

Le Feuvre