χῆρος

Validation

No

Last modification

Tue, 07/04/2023 - 17:40

Word-form

χηραμός

Transliteration (Word)

khēramos

English translation (word)

hole

Transliteration (Etymon)

khēros

English translation (etymon)

bereaved, vacant

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. *204

Edition

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

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, khi p. 164

Ed.

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

Quotation

Χηραμός· ὁμοίως παρὰ τὸ χῶ, τὸ χωρῶ· χῶ χήσω χῆρος, ὁ ἔρημος, ὁ χωρεῖν δυνάμενος διὰ τὸ κενὸν εἶναι. χῆρος οὖν καὶ παρώνυμον χηραμός.

Translation (En)

Khēramos "hole": similarly, from *khō, "to contain"; *khō *khēsō khēros, that which is vacant, that which can contain because it is empty. Thus khēros, and a derivative khēramos.

Other translation(s)

Khēramos « cavité » : de même, vient de *khō, « contenir » ; *khō *khēsō khēros, « ce qui est désert », ce qui peut contenir puisqu’il est vide. Donc, khēros, et un dérivé khēramos.

Comment

Derivational etymology. The semantic relationship between the lemma and the etymon is not obvious, since χηραμός means "hole, cleft" and χῆρος "bereaved". It becomes clear only through the assumed etymon of χῆρος, the monosyllabic verb *χῶ meaning χωρέω. The meaning of the verb is "to make room", hence "to contain", and a hole can contain something since it is empty. Thus, the passive meaning of χῆρος "left behind, emptied" (in the etymology provided by Philoxenus) is not incompatible with the active meaning of χηραμός "container". Greek grammarians did not pay much attention to the problems of diathesis, and this is a nice example.

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, khi, p. 564 (Χηραμὸς, παρὰ τὸ χῶ τὸ χωρῶ· χῶ, χήσω, χῆρος, ὁ ἔρημος, ὁ χωρεῖν δυνάμενος, διὰ τὸ κενὸν εἶναι· χῆρος οὖν καὶ παρωνύμως χηραμός· ἔστι δὲ χηραμὸς ὁ φωλεὸς τοῦ ὄφεως); Eustathius, Comm. Od, vol. 1, p. 102 (Χηλὸς δὲ, γίνεται μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ χῶ χήσω τὸ χωρῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ὁ χηραμός); Scholia in Lycophronis Alexandra, scholion 181 (χηραμὸς γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ χῶ τὸ χωρῶ καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ χηραμὸς ὁ φωλεὸς καὶ ἡ κατάδυσις)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Eva Ferrer