χαλεπός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown, perhaps Pre-Greek.[1]

Pronunciation

 

Adjective

χᾰλεπός • (khălepósm (feminine χᾰλεπή, neuter χᾰλεπόν); first/second declension

  1. difficult, hard
    • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.59.3:
      ὅπερ δὲ ἀναγκαῖόν τε καὶ χαλεπώτατον τοῖς ὧδε ἔχουσι, λόγου τελευτᾶν
      hóper dè anankaîón te kaì khalepṓtaton toîs hôde ékhousi, lógou teleutân
      Finally, to do what is necessary and yet most difficult for men in our situation—that is, to make an end of speaking
  2. hard to bear, painful, grievous
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 14.417:
      τὸν δ’ οὔ περ ἔχει θράσος ὅς κεν ἴδηται ἐγγὺς ἐών, χαλεπὸς δὲ Διὸς μεγάλοιο κεραυνός
      tòn d’ oú per ékhei thrásos hós ken ídētai engùs eṓn, khalepòs dè Diòs megáloio keraunós
      Then verily courage no longer possesseth him that looketh thereon and standeth near by, for dread is the bolt of great Zeus
  3. hard to deal with, cruel, harsh, stern
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.232:
      μή τις ἔτι πρόφρων ἀγανὸς καὶ ἤπιος ἔστω σκηπτοῦχος βασιλεύς [] ἀλλ’ αἰεὶ χαλεπός τ’ εἴη καὶ αἴσυλα ῥέζοι:
      mḗ tis éti próphrōn aganòs kaì ḗpios éstō skēptoûkhos basileús [] all’ aieì khalepós t’ eíē kaì aísula rhézoi:
      Never henceforth let sceptred king with a ready heart be kind and gentle [] but let him ever be harsh and work unrighteousness.
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.245:
      καί μιν ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν χαλεπῷ ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ:
      kaí min hupódra idṑn khalepōî ēnípape múthōi:
      And with an angry glance Odysseus chid him with harsh words.
  4. savage, fierce
    • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 5.8.24:
      τοὺς μὲν γὰρ κύνας τοὺς χαλεποὺς τὰς μὲν ἡμέρας διδέασι, τὰς δὲ νύκτας ἀφιᾶσι
      toùs mèn gàr kúnas toùs khalepoùs tàs mèn hēméras didéasi, tàs dè núktas aphiâsi
      For dogs that are savage are tied up by day and let loose by night.

Inflection

Synonyms

  • (difficult): ἐργώδης (ergṓdēs)
  • (harsh, cruel): ᾰ̓μείλικτος (ămeíliktos)

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • ᾰ̓ντῐχᾰλεπαίνω (ăntĭkhălepaínō)
  • ᾰ̓χᾰλέπως (ăkhălépōs)
  • ἐπῐχᾰλεπαίνω (epĭkhălepaínō)
  • πᾰγχᾰ́λεπος (pănkhắlepos)
  • σῠγχᾰλεπαίνω (sŭnkhălepaínō)
  • τρῐχᾰ́λεπτος (trĭkhắleptos)
  • ῠ̔ποχᾰλεπαίνω (hŭpokhălepaínō)
  • χᾰλεπαίνω (khălepaínō)
  • χᾰλεπότης (khălepótēs)
  • χᾰλέπτω (khăléptō)
  • χᾰλεπῶς (khălepôs)
  • χᾰλεπώτᾰτᾰ (khălepṓtătă)
  • χᾰλεπωτέρως (khălepōtérōs)

See also

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “χαλεπός [adj.]”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1609

Further reading