ἄκρος

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Last modification

Tue, 08/23/2022 - 22:30

Word-form

κάρα

Transliteration (Word)

kara

English translation (word)

head

Transliteration (Etymon)

akros

English translation (etymon)

at the extremity

Author

Choeroboscus

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 125

Ed.

T. Gaisford, Georgii Choerobosci epimerismi in Psalmos, vol. 3, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1842

Quotation

Κρατίστη, ἐκ τοῦ κράτος κράτερος κρατίων, τὸ ὑπερθετικὸν κράτιστος, παρὰ τὸ κάρα, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἄκρον.

Translation (En)

Kratistē "the strongest": from kratos "strength", krateros "strong", *kratiōn "stronger", the superlative is kratistos "strongest". From kara "head", and the latter comes from akron "extremity"

Comment

Derivational descriptive etymology, the head being the upper end of the body. Formally, it implies a metathesis.

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 343 (Κράτιστος, κρατύτερος, κρατύων, καὶ τὸ ὑπερθετικὸν κράτιστος· τὸ δὲ κράτος παρὰ τὸ κάρα· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἄκρον); ibid., p. 298 (Κάρα, τὴν κεφαλὴν, ἀπὸ τοῦ κέρας κέρα καὶ κάρα, ἀπὸ τοῦ τετριχᾶσθαι κάρα εἴρηται· κέρας γὰρ ἡ θρίξ. τὸ δὲ κάρα λεῖπαρ ἀλεῖφα ἀποκοπὴν πεπονθυῖαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κάρανον λιπαρὸν ἀλείφαρον. ἄλλοι δὲ ἀπὸ ἄκρα, καὶ καθ’ ὑπερβιβασμὸν κάρα, ἡ ἀποτερμάτωσις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 490 (Κάρα: Ἡ κεφαλή· ἀπὸ τοῦ κέρας (ὃ σημαίνει τὴν τρίχα) γίνεται κέρα καὶ κάρα, διὰ τὸ τετριχῶσθαι. Κλίνεται τῆς κάρας. Οἱ δὲ ἐτυμολογοῦσι παρὰ τὸ ἄκρα· καὶ καθ’ ὑπερβιβασμὸν κάρα, ἡ ἀποτερμάτωσις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου)

Modern etymology

Κάρα belongs with κέρας, both are derived from a PIE *kerh2-s- meaning "head" (Beekes)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has κάρα as a learned word referring to the head of a relic

Entry By

Le Feuvre