κάρα
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
κάρα: παρὰ τὸ κείρω, τὸ κόπτω· ἡ κειρομένη διὰ τὸ τετριχῶσθαι <μᾶλλον> τῶν ἄλλων μερῶν τοῦ σώματος. ἐκ τοῦ κάρα οὖν κάρατος καὶ ἐν συγκοπῇ κράτος. ἐκ τοῦ κράτος κρατύς· ‘κρατὺς Ἀργειφόντης’ (Π 181 alibi)· ἐκ τοῦ κρατύς κρατύτερος κρατίων καὶ τὸ ὑπερθετικὸν κράτιστος καὶ ἐν ὑπερθέσει τοῦ ρ κάρτιστος.
Translation (En)
Kara "head": from keirō "to cut", the shaved one because it is more hairy than the other parts of the body. From kara <comes> karatos and through syncope kratos "power". From kratos, kratus "strong", kratus Argeiphontes "the strong slayer of Argus". From kratus, kratuteros "stronger', *kratiōn and the superlative kratistos "strongest". and with metathesis of the /r/, kartistos
Parallels
Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 125 (Κρατίστη, ἐκ τοῦ κράτος κράτερος κρατίων, τὸ ὑπερθετικὸν κράτιστος, παρὰ τὸ κάρα, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἄκρον); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 343 (Κρατῶ, παρὰ τὸ κράτος· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ κάρα κάρατος καὶ κράτος· ὁ γὰρ κρατῶν καὶ ἄρχων ἐκεῖνος ἔστι κεφαλή); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 535 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 343 (κράτιστος […] τὸ δὲ κράτος παρὰ τὸ κάρα· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἄκρον); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 1257 (Κρατῶ. παρὰ τὸ κράτος· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ κάρα· ὁ γὰρ κρατῶν καὶ ἄρχων ἐκεῖνος ἐστὶ κεφαλή)
Comment
Derivational etymology starting from the genitive of κάρα, which should be *κάρατος but is κρᾱτός in Homer, explained through a syncope. This genitive "of the head" is then turned into the nominative of the neuter noun κράτος "power" (although this remains implicit), notwithstanding the difference in vocalic quantity (genitive κρᾱτός / nominative κρᾰ́τος). The etymology was probably designed after the loss of phonemic vocalic quantity. The end of the explanation, which lists derivatives of κράτος "power", makes it clear that κράτος is the word for "power" and not the genitive of κάρα. This is a reversible etymology (see κάρα / κρατός).