ἐπίχρισμα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ἐπι- (epi-, “on, upon”) +‎ χρῖσμα (khrîsma, “ointment, anointing”), from χρῑ́ω (khrī́ō, “to rub, smear, anoint”).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

ἐπίχρῑσμᾰ • (epíkhrīsmă) n (genitive ἐπιχρῑ́σμᾰτος); third declension

(medicine) an ointment, unguent, or salve applied to the body
- AD 40–90, Dioscorides, 1 70.3:
  μείγνυται δὲ καὶ σμήγμασιν ὀδόντων καὶ ἐπιχρίσμασι προσώπου στιλβοποιοῦσα
  meígnutai dè kaì smḗgmasin odóntōn kaì epikhrísmasi prosṓpou stilbopoioûsa
  it is also mixed with tooth-cleansers and facial ointments, producing a shining effect
- 129 CE – 216 CE, Galen, On the Composition of Drugs according to Places 19.382:
  ἐπιχρίσματα πρὸς περιωδυνίας
  epikhrísmata pròs periōdunías
  ointments for severe pains

Declension

Third declension of τὸ ἐπῐ́χρῑσμᾰ; τοῦ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ἐπῐ́χρῑσμᾰ tò epĭ́khrīsmă	τὼ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτε tṑ epĭkhrī́smăte	τᾰ̀ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ tằ epĭkhrī́smătă
Genitive	τοῦ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτος toû epĭkhrī́smătos	τοῖν ἐπῐχρῑσμᾰ́τοιν toîn epĭkhrīsmắtoin	τῶν ἐπῐχρῑσμᾰ́των tôn epĭkhrīsmắtōn
Dative	τῷ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτῐ tōî epĭkhrī́smătĭ	τοῖν ἐπῐχρῑσμᾰ́τοιν toîn epĭkhrīsmắtoin	τοῖς ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰσῐ / ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰσῐν toîs epĭkhrī́smăsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸ ἐπῐ́χρῑσμᾰ tò epĭ́khrīsmă	τὼ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτε tṑ epĭkhrī́smăte	τᾰ̀ ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ tằ epĭkhrī́smătă
Vocative	ἐπῐ́χρῑσμᾰ epĭ́khrīsmă	ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτε epĭkhrī́smăte	ἐπῐχρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ epĭkhrī́smătă
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Usage notes

The noun ἐπίχρισμα denotes a medicinal or cosmetic preparation applied externally by smearing or rubbing onto the body. In medical writers such as Dioscorides and Galen, it is distinguished from other topical forms (e.g. κατάπλασμα (katáplasma, “poultice”), ἐγχρίσμα (enkhrísma, “liniment”)) by its method of application and consistency.

Related terms

ἐπίχρῑσις (epíkhrīsis)
ἐπίχρῑστος (epíkhrīstos)
ἐπιχρῑ́ω (epikhrī́ō)
χρῖσμα (khrîsma)

Descendants

Greek: επίχρισμα (epíchrisma)

References

“ἐπίχρισμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
ἐπίχρισμα in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2026)
ἐπίχρισμα, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011