κατάχρισμα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From κατα- (kata-, “down, thoroughly”) +‎ χρῖσμα (khrîsma, “ointment, anointing”), from χρῑ́ω (khrī́ō, “to rub, smear, anoint”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ka.tá.kʰriːz.ma/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.kʰriz.ma/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.xriz.ma/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.xriz.ma/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.xriz.ma/

Noun

κᾰτάχρῑσμᾰ • (kătákhrīsmă) n (genitive κᾰταχρῑ́σμᾰτος); third declension

(medicine) salve, ointment applied externally, especially to delicate or mobile parts of the body
- Antyll., ap. Orib..10.27.1:
  Χρώμεθα καταχρίσμασιν ἐπὶ μερῶν τοῦ σώματος, ἐφ’ ὧν οὔτε ἐμβροχὰς παραλαμβάνειν δυνατὸν οὔτε καταπλάσματα
  Khrṓmetha katakhrísmasin epì merôn toû sṓmatos, eph’ hôn oúte embrokhàs paralambánein dunatòn oúte kataplásmata
  We use ointments on parts of the body where it is not possible to apply washes or poultices

Declension

Third declension of τὸ κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσμᾰ; τοῦ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσμᾰ tò kătắkhrīsmă	τὼ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτε tṑ kătăkhrī́smăte	τᾰ̀ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ tằ kătăkhrī́smătă
Genitive	τοῦ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτος toû kătăkhrī́smătos	τοῖν κᾰτᾰχρῑσμᾰ́τοιν toîn kătăkhrīsmắtoin	τῶν κᾰτᾰχρῑσμᾰ́των tôn kătăkhrīsmắtōn
Dative	τῷ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτῐ tōî kătăkhrī́smătĭ	τοῖν κᾰτᾰχρῑσμᾰ́τοιν toîn kătăkhrīsmắtoin	τοῖς κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰσῐ / κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰσῐν toîs kătăkhrī́smăsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸ κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσμᾰ tò kătắkhrīsmă	τὼ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτε tṑ kătăkhrī́smăte	τᾰ̀ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ tằ kătăkhrī́smătă
Vocative	κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσμᾰ kătắkhrīsmă	κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτε kătăkhrī́smăte	κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ kătăkhrī́smătă
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Usage notes

The noun κατάχρῑσμα (katákhrīsma) belongs to technical medical vocabulary, especially in pharmacological and surgical contexts. In contrast to κατάπλασμα (katáplasma) (poultice) or ἐμβροχή (embrokhḗ) (wash), it denotes a preparation suitable for application to sensitive, exposed, or frequently moving areas such as the eyelids, ears, nose, or face.

Related terms

ἔγχρῑσμα (énkhrīsma)
ἐπίχρῑσμα (epíkhrīsma)
καταχρῑ́ω (katakhrī́ō)
περίχρῑσμα (períkhrīsma)

References

“κατάχρισμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
κατάχρισμα in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007), Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften