χέω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
χώρα
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
khōrā
English translation (word)
place, spot, land
Transliteration (Etymon)
kheō
English translation (etymon)
to pour
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, khi p. 164
Ed.
W.F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig: Weigel, 1820
Quotation
Χώρα. ἡ κεχυμένη γῆ· ἡ παρὰ τὸ χῶ τὸ χωρῶ
Translation (En)
Khōrā "land" comes from the poured (kekhumenē) earth; or it is from khô which means "to give way" (khōrô)
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
Χώρα is related to χωρέω. It may go back to a root *gheh1- "to leave behind" and be connected within Greek with χήρα "widow" (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Χώρα is still used in Modern Greek to designate 1. a country, 2. the capital of a Greek island, 3. (with an adjective) a part of the body (e.g., καρδιακή χώρα), 4. all the inhabitants of a country (Triandaf, Dict. of MG).
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Orion's etymology by χέω "to pour" implies a contraction in χέω > χω-, which never happens. The notion of pouring earth is associated with funeral contexts in Homer where it is used for the construction of a tumulus (Il. 23.256 εἶθαρ δὲ χυτὴν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἔχευαν). From there an explanation adapted to "funeral place" was extended to "place" in general