χρεία
Word
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Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
Χεῖρες. ἀπὸ τῆς χρήσεως, ὡσανεὶ χρήσιες οὖσαι, ἢ χρεῖαι. οὐδεμία γὰρ τέχνη προκόπτει δίχα χειρῶν. […] ἢ χειαί τινες εἰσὶν, οἷον χωρητική. ὡς δὲ Ἀπολλόδωρος, ἀπὸ τοῦ διϊστᾶν τοὺς δακτύλους, καὶ διέχειν. καὶ χηραμὸς, ἡ κεχηνυῖα.
Translation (En)
Kheires "hands", from the usage, as though they were usages or uses (khreiai). Because no technical skill works without the hands. […] or they are "pouring" (kheiai), as capable of holding. But Apollodorus says the name comes from the fact that the fingers stand apart (diekhein) and at a distance. And also khēramos "hole, lair", the hollow one.
Parallels
Anastasius Sin., Viae dux 2.8 (χεῖρες διὰ τὸ χεῖσθαι ῥᾷον καὶ διὰ τὸ τὴν χρείαν ὑπουργεῖν); Etym. Gudianum, chi, p. 564 (idem, with διὰ τὴν χρείαν ὑπουργεῖν); Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 118 (Χεῖρες οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς χρήσεως λέγονται, ὡσανεὶ χρεῖαι οὖσαι· οὐδέμια γὰρ τέχνη προκόπτει δίχα χειρῶν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς φησὶν, ‘χειρῶν ὀλλυμένων ἔῤῥει πολύεργος Ἀθήνη’· 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)
Comment
Derivational etymology relying on a metathesis [khrei] > [kheir]. The hands are the body part we use for everything, especially for production, hence the specification about handwork.