χέω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

χαίρω

Transliteration (Word)

khairō

English translation (word)

to rejoice

Transliteration (Etymon)

kheō

English translation (etymon)

to pour

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 198

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2], Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, chi, p. 164

Ed.

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

Quotation

Χαίρω. παρὰ τὸ χέω, οὗ συναλοιφὴ χῶ, καὶ παράγωγον χαίρω. τὸ διακεχυμένην καὶ ἡδομένην ἔχειν τὴν ψυχήν

Translation (En)

Khairō "to rejoice": from kheō "to pour", through contraction khō, and the derivative is khairō. The fact that one's soul is relaxed and pleased

Comment

This etymology, where the derivation base is reduced to the initial consonant (-αἰρω being analyzed as a suffix), relies on the meaning of διαχέομαι "to be relaxed", applied to the state of mind as well as to the face of a person, From there one moves on to the notion of peace, calm, and joy. The same idea is expressed in Plato's etymology of "joy" (see χαρά / χέω + ῥοή) with parses the word as a compound instead of a derivative, but also identifies the first element as χέω

Parallels

Philoxenus, fr. 57 (ap. Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1523) (ἄχος· ἡ λύπη. παρὰ τὸ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ συνέχεσθαι τὴν ψυχήν· ὅθεν καὶ τὸ χαίρειν εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς); Orion, Etymologicum, alpha, p. 4 (Ἄχος, παρὰ τὸ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ συνέχεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐν τῇ λύπῃ· ὅθεν τὸ χαίρειν εἴρηται, παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς); idem, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. regio 2610) p. 175 (Ἄχος· ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι· ὅθεν καὶ τὸ χαίρειν παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι); idem, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Vat. gr. 1456) 21 (idem); idem, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), alpha, p. 611 Sturz (ἄχος, παρὰ τὸ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι ἀλλὰ συνέχεσθαι τὴν ψυχήν· ὅθεν τὸ χαίρειν εὕρηται παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ χαρᾶς); Philoxenus, fr. 30 (ap. Orion, Etymologicum, chi, p. 165) (χάρτης· παρὰ τὸ χῶ, τὸ χωρῶ, οὗ ὁ μέλλων χήσω. ὥσπερ τὸ χῶ, τὸ διαχέομαι, παράγωγον ποιεῖ τὸ χαίρω, οὕτω καὶ τὸ χῶ ἐπὶ τοῦ χωρῶ παράγωγον ποιεῖ τὸ χαίρω οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ σημαινομένου τὸ χαίρειν, <ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τοῦ χωρεῖν>. παρὰ δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ χαίρω χάρτης, χωρητικὸς ὢν τῶν ἐγγραφομένων. Φιλόξενος ἐν τῷ Περὶ μονοσυλλάβων ῥημάτων); Epimerismi Homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 42 (ἄχος (Β 171): ὄνομα παρὰ τὸ χέω μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, ἡ <λύπη ἡ> μὴ διαχέουσα τῇ ψυχῇ ἀλλὰ συνέχουσα, ὥσπερ τοὐναντίον ἐπὶ τοῦ χαίρω παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι); ibid., alpha 71 (ἀχνύμενοι (Β 270): ἐκ τοῦ ἄχω· τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ χῶ, τοῦ δηλοῦν<τος> τὸ διαχεῖσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ χαρᾶς, ἐξ οὗ γίνεται χαίρω. λοιπὸν ἐκ τοῦ χῶ γίνεται ἄχω, τὸ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι ἀλλὰ συνέχεσθαι ὑπὸ λύπης τὴν ψυχήν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 251 (idem); ibid., alpha, p. 252 (Ἄχος· παρὰ τὸ χῶ, τὸ χέω, μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἄχος, τὸ μὴ διαχεόμενον. ‖ ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι, ὅθεν καὶ <τὸ> χαίρειν παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 2, 587 Van der Valk (Ὅτι διαχέει μὲν ἡ χαρά, ὡς δῆλον καὶ ἐκ τοῦ χαίρειν, ὅπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ χέω χῶ γίνεται, πυκνοποιεῖ δὲ ἡ λύπη); ibid., 4, 44 Van der Valk (ἐνταῦθα δὲ θυμὸν ἑκάστου ὁ Ἕκτωρ ἀέξει τῇ θεραπείᾳ, δώροις δηλαδὴ καὶ τιμαῖς καὶ τοιούτοις, ὑφ’ ὧν ψυχὴ μετεωριζομένη δοκεῖ πλείων ἑαυτῆς γίνεσθαι διαχεομένη. ὅθεν παρῆκται τὸ χαίρειν); Eustathius, Exegesis in canonem iambicum pentecostalem 1.241 (Ἰστέον δὲ καὶ ὅτι σεμνὴ λέξις ἡ χάρις καί πως ῥυτὴ καὶ αὐτὴ καθ’ αὑτὴν μονήρης λεγομένη δίχα τοῦ θεόρρυτος, καθότι καὶ χυτὴ τρόπον τινὰ εἴπερ ἐκ τοῦ χέω γίνεται τὸ χαίρω ὅθεν καὶ ἡ χάρις ἡ τῇ χαρᾷ παρώνυμος· διάχυσις γάρ τις καὶ ἡ χαρὰ καὶ ἡ χάρις, καθὰ σύγχυσις τὸ ἐναντίον αὐταῖς); Scholia in Oppinaum, Hal. 1.659 (ὥσπερ ἐκ τοῦ χῶ τὸ χέω γίνεται χαίρω, οὕτως καὶ ἐκ τοῦ χῶ χαλῶ καγχαλῶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν, καὶ καγχαλόω ἰωνικῶς); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 182 (Ἄχος: Ἡ λύπη. Ἐκ τοῦ χῶ τοῦ δηλοῦντος τὸ διαχεῖσθαι, (ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ χαίρω) γίνεται ἄχω, παρὰ τὸ μὴ διαχεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ συνέχεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ λύπης· ὅθεν καὶ τὸ χαίρειν εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ διαχεῖσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς); ibid., p. 807 (Χαίρω: Παρὰ τὸ χῶ, τὸ διαχέω, παράγωγον χαίρω); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, chi, p. 1845 (Χαίρω. παρὰ τὸ χῶ, τὸ διαχέω)

Modern etymology

Χαίρω belongs with χάρις "grace", χαρά "joy". Cognate with Vedic háryati "to enjoy", Lat. hortor "to exhort", German gern "willingly", Engl. yearn (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Χαίρω survives in Modern Greek: 1. In learned expressions (χαίρω πολύ = nice to meet you), 2. 'to enjoy', 3. as a salutation, in vernacular or official language.

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