χάραξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The formation is similar to κάμαξ (kámax, “vine pole, prop”) and πίναξ (pínax, “board, plank”), and the traditional connection with Lithuanian žer̃ti (“to scrape”) does not explain the Greek formation. In view of the suffix, the word is most probably Pre-Greek; see χαράσσω (kharássō, “to sharpen, engrave”) for more.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kʰá.raks/ → /ˈxa.raks/ → /ˈxa.raks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kʰá.raks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈkʰa.raks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈxa.raks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈxa.raks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈxa.raks/

Noun

χάραξ • (khárax) m or f (genitive χάρᾰκος); third declension

1. pointed stake
2. pole, vine prop

   Synonym: κάμαξ (kámax)

3. pale used in fortifying the entrenchments of a camp
4. palisade

   Synonym: σκόλοψ (skólops)

5. cutting, slip
6. a kind of bream of the genus Sargus
7. name of a bandage

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ, ἡ χᾰ́ρᾰξ; τοῦ, τῆς χᾰ́ρᾰκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ, ἡ χᾰ́ρᾰξ ho, hē khárax	τὼ χᾰ́ρᾰκε tṑ khárake	οἱ, αἱ χᾰ́ρᾰκες hoi, hai khárakes
Genitive	τοῦ, τῆς χᾰ́ρᾰκος toû, tês khárakos	τοῖν χᾰρᾰ́κοιν toîn kharákoin	τῶν χᾰρᾰ́κων tôn kharákōn
Dative	τῷ, τῇ χᾰ́ρᾰκῐ tôi, têi kháraki	τοῖν χᾰρᾰ́κοιν toîn kharákoin	τοῖς, ταῖς χᾰ́ρᾰξῐ / χᾰ́ρᾰξῐν toîs, taîs kháraxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν, τὴν χᾰ́ρᾰκᾰ tòn, tḕn kháraka	τὼ χᾰ́ρᾰκε tṑ khárake	τοὺς, τᾱ̀ς χᾰ́ρᾰκᾰς toùs, tā̀s khárakas
Vocative	χᾰ́ρᾰξ khárax	χᾰ́ρᾰκε khárake	χᾰ́ρᾰκες khárakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• χαρακίας (kharakías)
• χαρακίζω (kharakízō)
• χαρακίτης (kharakítēs)
• χαρακοβολία (kharakobolía)
• χαρακόω (kharakóō)
• χαράσσω (kharássō)
• ὠμοχάραξ (ōmokhárax)

 

Descendants

• Greek: χάρακας (chárakas)
• → Latin: characium
  • Catalan: carràs
  • Gascon: carràs
• →? Vulgar Latin: *characulum, *caraculum
  • Catalan: carall
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: caralho
    • Fala: carallu
    • Galician: carallo
    • Portuguese: caralho
  • Spanish: carajo
• Translingual: Charax

Further reading

• “χάραξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• χάραξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette