χάος

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

 

Etymology 1

Likely related to χαῦνος (khaûnos, “porous, loose-grained”) (via an earlier form χάος (kháos) < *χάϝος (*kháwos)), with original meaning "hole, empty space, yawning opening"; from this spring the traditional connections with χάσκω (kháskō, “I gape, yawn”), χήμη (khḗmē, “gaping; clam”). If so, then likely from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₂- (“to yawn, gape”); cognates thus include Proto-Germanic *gōmô (“gum, palate”) and Lithuanian gomurỹs (“palate”) (< *gʰéh₂mr̥/n-). The Germanic and Baltic terms probably originally referred to "mouth" before shifting to "palate".[1]

An alternative theory by Furnee connects the word with Proto-Georgian-Zan *qew- (“ravine”).[2]

The oft-compared χώρα (khṓra, “open space, place”) is likely not related.

Noun

χᾰ́ος • (khắos) n (genitive χᾰ́εος or χᾰ́ους); third declension (singular only, uncountable)

  1. chaos, the primordial state of existence
  2. space, air
  3. abyss, chasm
  4. infinite darkness
Declension

Normally, only in singular; but χάη occasionally found.

Third declension of τὸ χᾰ́ος; τοῦ χᾰ́ους (Attic)
Case / # Singular
Nominative τὸ χᾰ́ος
tò khắos
Genitive τοῦ χᾰ́ους
toû khắous
Dative τῷ χᾰ́ει
tōî khắei
Accusative τὸ χᾰ́ος
tò khắos
Vocative χᾰ́ος
khắos
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.
Descendants

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

χᾰ́ος • (khắos) m or f (neuter χᾰ́ον); second declension

  1. alternative spelling of χάϊος (kháïos, “genuine, true”)
Declension
Second declension of χᾰ́ος; χᾰ́ον (Attic)
Number Singular Dual Plural
Case/Gender Masculine / Feminine Neuter Masculine / Feminine Neuter Masculine / Feminine Neuter
Nominative χᾰ́ος
khắos 		χᾰ́ον
khắon 		χᾰ́ω
khắō 		χᾰ́ω
khắō 		χᾰ́οι
khắoi 		χᾰ́ᾰ
khắă
Genitive χᾰ́ου
khắou 		χᾰ́ου
khắou 		χᾰ́οιν
khắoin 		χᾰ́οιν
khắoin 		χᾰ́ων
khắōn 		χᾰ́ων
khắōn
Dative χᾰ́ῳ
khắōi 		χᾰ́ῳ
khắōi 		χᾰ́οιν
khắoin 		χᾰ́οιν
khắoin 		χᾰ́οις
khắois 		χᾰ́οις
khắois
Accusative χᾰ́ον
khắon 		χᾰ́ον
khắon 		χᾰ́ω
khắō 		χᾰ́ω
khắō 		χᾰ́ους
khắous 		χᾰ́ᾰ
khắă
Vocative χᾰ́ε
khắe 		χᾰ́ον
khắon 		χᾰ́ω
khắō 		χᾰ́ω
khắō 		χᾰ́οι
khắoi 		χᾰ́ᾰ
khắă
Derived forms Adverb Comparative Superlative
χᾰ́ως
khắōs 		χᾰώτερος
khăṓteros 		χᾰώτᾰτος
khăṓtătos
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “χάος, έος, όυς”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1614
  2. ^ Furnée, Edzard Johan (1979) Vorgriechisch-Kartvelisches: Studien zum ostmediterranen Substrat nebst einem Versuch zu einer neuen pelasgischen Theorie (in German), Editions Peeters, →ISBN, page 34

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos). For sense disorder, mess, semantic loan from French chaos (in that sense) from Latin chaos, from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈxa.os/
  • Hyphenation: χά‧ος

Noun

χάος • (cháos) n

  1. (singular only) chaos
  2. (singular only, figuratively) disorder, mess
  3. (singular only, mathematics) chaos

Usage notes

    • Kostas Karyotakis, poem «Φύγε, η καρδιά μου νοσταλγεί» ("Go, my heart is nostalgic") from collection Ελεγεία και Σάτιρες (Elegia and Satires), published in 1927. (Greek text)
      Φύγε κι ἄσε με μοναχό, ποὺ βλέπω νὰ πληθαίνη
      ἀπάνω ἡ νύχτα, καὶ βαθιὰ νὰ γίνωνται τὰ χάη.
      Fýge ki áse me monachó, pou vlépo na plithaíni
      apáno i nýchta, kai vathiá na gínontai ta chái.
      Go and leave me alone looking at the growing
      night upon [me], and the deepening chaoses.

Declension

Declension of χάος
singular
nominative χάος (cháos)
genitive χάους (cháous)
accusative χάος (cháos)
vocative χάος (cháos)

Plural χάη, as in literature.

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • η θεωρία του χάους (i theoría tou cháous, “the chaos theory”) (mathematics)
  • χαοτικός (chaotikós, “chaotic”)

References

  1. ^ χάος, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language
  2. ^ χάη in greek poetry at greek-language.gr retr:2018.09.24.

Further reading

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