χαράσσω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • χᾰρᾰ́ττω (khărắttō)Attic

Etymology

    Of uncertain origin.

    Beekes claims that the verb, although both earlier and more frequently attested than χάραξ (khárax, pointed stake; pole), is a denominative formation from the latter, with original form χαράκ-ι̯ω (kharák-i̯ō). He derives both terms from Pre-Greek, and seems to reject Pokorny's traditional connection with Lithuanian žer̃ti (to scrape),[1] which derives the Greek from some *k-extension to a Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- (to scratch, scrape) (and the Lithuanian from *ǵʰer- without the extension).[2]

    The donor language in question could very well be Phoenician, from the Phoenician cognate to the much-used Jewish Babylonian Aramaic חֲרַץ (ḥăraṣ, to cut into, to incise), Hebrew חָרַץ (ḥāraṣ, to cut or dig a cavity into; to sharpen), Arabic خَرَزَ (ḵaraza, to bore into),[3] exactly attested with the semantics of the Greek as active participle or occupational noun Punic 𐤇𐤓𐤔 (ḥrš, crafter; engraver).[4]

    Pronunciation

     

    Verb

    χᾰρᾰ́σσω • (khărắssō)

    1. to sharpen
    2. to engrave, carve, write, draw, stamp

    Conjugation

    Derived terms

    References

    1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “χαράσσω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1614-5
    2. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), “*ǵʰer-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 441
    3. ^ Müller, David Heinrich (1887), “Arabisch-aramäische Glossen”, in Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes[1] (in German), volume 1, page 25
    4. ^ Krahmalkov, Charles R. (2000), Phoenician-Punic Dictionary (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta; 90), Leuven: Uitgeverij Peeters en Departement Oosterse Studies Leuven, →ISBN, pages 198–199

    Further reading