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.^[1]

Pronunciation

(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

pointed stake
pole, vine prop
Synonym: κάμαξ (kámax)
pale used in fortifying the entrenchments of a camp
palisade
Synonym: σκόλοψ (skólops)
cutting, slip
a kind of bream of the genus Sargus
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 khắrăx	τὼ χᾰ́ρᾰκε tṑ khắrăke	οἱ, αἱ χᾰ́ρᾰκες hoi, hai khắrăkes
Genitive	τοῦ, τῆς χᾰ́ρᾰκος toû, tês khắrăkos	τοῖν χᾰρᾰ́κοιν toîn khărắkoin	τῶν χᾰρᾰ́κων tôn khărắkōn
Dative	τῷ, τῇ χᾰ́ρᾰκῐ tōî, tēî khắrăkĭ	τοῖν χᾰρᾰ́κοιν toîn khărắkoin	τοῖς, ταῖς χᾰ́ρᾰξῐ / χᾰ́ρᾰξῐν toîs, taîs khắrăxĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν, τὴν χᾰ́ρᾰκᾰ tòn, tḕn khắrăkă	τὼ χᾰ́ρᾰκε tṑ khắrăke	τοὺς, τᾱ̀ς χᾰ́ρᾰκᾰς toùs, tā̀s khắrăkăs
Vocative	χᾰ́ρᾰξ khắrăx	χᾰ́ρᾰκε khắrăke	χᾰ́ρᾰκες khắrăkes
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
- Asturian: carayu
- Catalan: carall
  - → Spanish: caray
    - → Asturian: carái
- Leonese: carallu
- Old Galician-Portuguese: caralho
  - Fala: carallu
  - Galician: carallo
  - Portuguese: caralho
- Spanish: carajo
Translingual: Charax

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “χαράσσω (> ETYM)”, 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