κρέκω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kreḱ- (to strike, beat). Cognate with Proto-Slavic *kresati (to strike fire), Lithuanian krešė́ti (to clot), and perhaps Proto-Germanic *hragilą (garment).[1]

Pronunciation

 

Verb

κρέκω • (krékō)

  1. to weave
    • c. 415 BCE, Euripides, Electra 541-544:
      οὐκ οἶσθʼ, Ὀρέστης ἡνίκʼ ἐκπίπτει χθονός, νέαν μʼ ἔτʼ οὖσαν; εἰ δὲ κἄκρεκον πέπλους, πῶς ἂν τότʼ ὢν παῖς ταὐτὰ νῦν ἔχοι φάρη, εἰ μὴ ξυναύξοινθʼ οἱ πέπλοι τῷ σώματι
      ouk oîsth’, Oréstēs hēník’ ekpíptei khthonós, néan m’ ét’ oûsan? ei dè kákrekon péplous, pôs àn tót’ ṑn paîs tautà nûn ékhoi phárē, ei mḕ xunaúxointh’ hoi péploi tōî sṓmati
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (of an instrument) to play
    • 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, Birds 682-684:
      ἀλλʼ ὦ καλλιβόαν κρέκουσʼ αὐλὸν φθέγμασιν ἠρινοῖς, ἄρχου τῶν ἀναπαίστων
      all’ ô kallibóan krékous’ aulòn phthégmasin ērinoîs, árkhou tôn anapaístōn
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    1. (figurative) to create a noise, song

Conjugation

Usage notes

The Aeolic infinitive form κρέκην (krékēn) is attested.

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “κρέκω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 774

Further reading