χρήσιμος + φεύγω

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Sun, 06/21/2026 - 16:05

Word-form

κρησφύγετα

Transliteration (Word)

krēsphugeton

English translation (word)

last refuge

Transliteration (Etymon)

khrēsimos + pheugō

English translation (etymon)

useful + to flee

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, kappa, p. 85

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

Κρησφύγετα. φρούρια, καταφύγια, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνοα φεύγοντες. τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον τὸ χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς ἀσφάλειαν.

Translation (En)

Krēsphugeta "refuges": strongholds, refuges in which the islanders fleeing (pheugontes) Minos used to hide. So, they called krēsphugeton what was useful (khrēsimon) to the fugitives (pheugousin) for their safety

Comment

Compositional etymology. See for the details of Orion's presentation κρησφύγετον / Κρής + φεύγω. The etymology requires a formal change from /kh/ to /k/ in χρήσιμος > κρησ-. This was not a problem, as it relies on the many examples of dissimilation of aspiration (Grassmann's law)

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 346 (Κρησφύγετα, φρούρια καὶ φυγαί τινες ὄντα, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνωα φεύγοντες· τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον τὸ χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς ἀσφάλειαν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 537-538 (Κρησφύγετα: Φρούρια τινὰ οὕτω λεγόμενα, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνωα φεύγοντες· παρὰ τὸ κριτὴν αὐτῶν εἶναι Κρῆτα. Τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον σπήλαιον χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς τὸ κρύπτεσθαι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 2256 (Κρησφύγετα. φρούρια τινὰ οὕτω λεγόμενα, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνωα φεύγοντες. παρὰ τὸ Κρῆτα αὐτὸν εἶναι. τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς τὸ κρύπτεσθαι)

Modern etymology

Compound of κάρα "head" and *φυγετός "flight". The first member κρησ- is the Ionic equivalent of κρασ- in κράσπεδον "border, edge"

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has κρησφύγετο "refuge" as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre