κράνος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
κρανίον
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
kranion
English translation (word)
skull
Transliteration (Etymon)
kranos
English translation (etymon)
helmet
Century
2 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
De usu partiom, Lühn vol. 3, p. 660-661
Ed.
G. Helmreich, Galeni de usu partium libri xvii, Leipzig: Teubner, 1:1907; 2:1909 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1968
Quotation
τὸ περικείμενον ἔξωθεν ὀστοῦν, ὃ ‖ δὴ καὶ κρανίον ὀνομάζουσι, καθάπερ τι κράνος ἐπίκειται
Translation (En)
The bone surrounding it, which is called kranion "skull", is placed on top of it like a helmet (kranos).
Parallels
Oribasius, Collectiones médicae 24.1.14 (quotation of Galen); Theodoretus, De providentia orationes decem, MPG vol. 83, p. 601 (Τὸ γὰρ κρανίον οἷον ἕρκος καὶ κράνος· ἐπώνυμον γὰρ τούτου τὸ κράνος, πρὸς τὴν τούτου μίμησιν κατεσκευασμένον)
Modern etymology
Derivative of κάρα "head", *kr̥h2s-n-io- (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has κρανίο "skull" in the anatomical vocabulary
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational descriptive etymology: the skull is over the brain like a helmet over the head. Since κράνος "helmet" and κρανίον "skull" are both derivatives of the same stem, the etymology is roughly correct. Reversible etymology (see κράνος / κρανίον).