χαρά

Validation

No

Word-form

χορούς

Transliteration (Word)

khoros

English translation (word)

dance, choir

Transliteration (Etymon)

khara

English translation (etymon)

joy, delight

Author

Plato

Century

4 BC

Source

Idem

Ref.

Leges654a

Ed.

J. Burnet, Platonis Opera, Oxford UP, 1903

Comment

Paronymic causal etymology: the choir gets its name from the joy expressed by those dancing. It implies a formal manipulation (change of the vowel in the first syllable). A variant of this etymology derives χορός from the verb χαίρω instead of the noun χαρά (see Parallels): Theognostus apparently attributes this etymology to Herodian (= Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 368-369) but the formulation in Theognostus is corrupt and a part of the text is missing: comparison with other sources make it clear that Herodian etymologized χορός from χῶρος, which is what the τροπῇ τοῦ ω εἰς ο· οὕτως Ἡρωδιανὸς in Theognostus refers to. Χορός is often used together with χαίρω in Greek literature, but this frequent semantic association does not point to an implicit etymology in most cases.

Parallels

Theognostus, Canones sive De orthographia 385 (χαίρω χαρῶ χόρος· τροπῇ τοῦ ω εἰς ο· οὕτως Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῇ καθόλου); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 188 (παρὰ τὸ χαίρω, χαρὸς καὶ χορὸς, ἢ παρὰ χεὶρ χερός); Etym. Gudianum, chi, p. 569 (Χορὸς, παρὰ τὸ χαίρω χαρὸς, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο χορός· ἢ παρὰ τὸ χεὶρ χειρός. τὸ χο μικρὸν διάτι; πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τοῦ χῶρος τοῦ σημαίνοντος τὸν τόπον, καὶ Ὅμηρος, χῶρον μὲν πρῶτον διεμέτρεον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 813 (Χορός: Οἶμαι παρὰ τὸ χαίρειν· ἢ ἐκ τοῦ χῶρος· ἀπὸ τοῦ περιέχοντος τὸ περιεχόμενον. Ἢ χαίρω χαρὸς καὶ χορός. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ χεὶρ χερὸς, χορός); Scholia in Batrachomyomachiam 1.52 (χορὸς σημαίνει δύο· χορὸς ὁ τοῦ κύκλου. καὶ ἐτυμολογεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ τὴν χεῖρα ὀρέγειν καὶ παρέχειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ χαρά· ἤ, ὃ καὶ κρεῖττον, παρὰ τὸ κόρος ἡ χορτασία γίνεται χορός κατὰ τροπὴν τοῦ κ εἰς χ, μεταπεσόντος καὶ τοῦ τόνου· κορεσθέντες γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀνίστανται εἰς τὸ παίζειν καὶ χορεύειν. καὶ χορὸς τὸ πλῆθος [Moschopoulos]); Bessarion, In calumniatorem Platonis 4.9.8. (καὶ χοροὺς ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς ἔμφυτον ὄνομα αὐτὰ ὠνομακέναι); ibid. 4.9.9. (καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ τῆς μουσικῆς καὶ παιδιᾶς ὀρθὴ χρεία μετὰ χορείας ἐστίν—ἀπὸ δὲ χαρᾶς ὁ χορός)

Modern etymology

Etymology disputed. A connection with χαίρω has been advocated (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

The word is still used in Modern Greek to designate: 1. 'dancing', 2. 'the Chorus of ancient drama', 3. a "metaphysical" community, e.g., angels, martyrs.

Entry By

Le Feuvre