ψύχω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • ψύγω (psúgō)

Etymology

Uncertain. Could be from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰes- (to blow), with cognates including Sanskrit भस्त्रा (bhástrā, bellows), अप्सु (á-psu, without breath), and Albanian badër. Beekes is skeptical of an Indo-European derivation and argues for a Pre-Greek origin.[1]

Compare also Proto-Circassian *psa, Proto-Northwest Caucasian *pǝsA (literally soul).

Pronunciation

 

Verb

ψῡ́χω • (psū́khō)

  1. to breathe, blow
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 20.440:
      καὶ τό γ’ Ἀθήνη
      πνοιῇ Ἀχιλλῆος πάλιν ἔτραπε κυδαλίμοιο
      ἦκα μάλα ψύξασα
      kaì tó g’ Athḗnē
      pnoiēî Akhillêos pálin étrape kudalímoio
      êka mála psúxasa
      but Athene with a breath turned it back from glorious Achilles, breathing full lightly
  2. to chill, make cold
    • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.104.3:
      καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου ἀπιὼν ἐπὶ μᾶλλον ψύχει
      kaì tò apò toútou apiṑn epì mâllon psúkhei
      as day declines [the sun] makes it ever cooler
    • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.181.4:
      παρέρχονται τε μέσαι νύκτες καὶ ψύχεται μέχρι ἐς ἠῶ
      parérkhontai te mésai núktes kaì psúkhetai mékhri es ēô
      after midnight it becomes cooler until dawn
    1. to cool, refresh
    2. (passive voice, figuratively) to be frigid
  3. (transitive) to dry
    • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cynegeticus 5.3:
      ποιοῦσι δύσοσμον, ἕως ἂν ψυχθῇ
      poioûsi dúsosmon, héōs àn psukhthēî
      [storms] make the earth bad for scent until it dries

Inflection

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • ᾰ̓νᾰψῡ́χω (ănăpsū́khō)
  • ἀντῐψῡ́χω (antĭpsū́khō)
  • ᾰ̓ποψῡ́χω (ăpopsū́khō)
  • ᾰ̓́ψυκτος (ắpsuktos)
  • δῐᾰψῡ́χω (dĭăpsū́khō)
  • δῠ́σψυκτος (dŭ́spsuktos)
  • ἐκψῡ́χω (ekpsū́khō)
  • ἐμψῡ́χω (empsū́khō)
  • ἐπῐψῡ́χω (epĭpsū́khō)
  • εὔψυκτος (eúpsuktos)
  • εὐψῡχής (eupsūkhḗs)
  • ἡμῐ́ψυκτος (hēmĭ́psuktos)
  • κᾰτᾰψῡ́χω (kătăpsū́khō)
  • οἰνοψυκτήρ (oinopsuktḗr)
  • πᾰρᾰψῡ́χω (părăpsū́khō)
  • περιψῡ́χω (peripsū́khō)
  • προσψῡ́χω (prospsū́khō)
  • προψῡ́χω (propsū́khō)
  • σκῐόψυκτος (skĭópsuktos)
  • σῠμψῡ́χομαι (sŭmpsū́khomai)
  • ὑδροψῠγεῖον (hudropsŭgeîon)
  • ὑδροψύκτῐον (hudropsúktĭon)
  • ῠ̔περψῡ́χω (hŭperpsū́khō)
  • ῠ̔ποψῡ́χω (hŭpopsū́khō)
  • χλιᾰροψῡ́χῐον (khliăropsū́khĭon)
  • ψῡχοποιός (psūkhopoiós)
  • ψῡχορροφέω (psūkhorrhophéō)
  • ψῠγεῖον (psŭgeîon)
  • ψῠγεύς (psŭgeús)
  • ψῠ́γμᾰ (psŭ́gmă)
  • ψυγμός (psugmós)
  • ψυκτέον (psuktéon)
  • ψῠκτήρ (psŭktḗr)
  • ψυκτηρῐ́δῐον (psuktērĭ́dĭon)
  • ψυκτήρῐον (psuktḗrĭon)
  • ψυκτήρῐος (psuktḗrĭos)
  • ψυκτηρίσκος (psuktērískos)
  • ψυκτῐκός (psuktĭkós)
  • ψύκτρα (psúktra)
  • ψῦξῐς (psûxĭs)
  • ψῡχάζω (psūkházō)
  • ψῡχεινός (psūkheinós)
  • ψῡχεῖον (psūkheîon)
  • ψῡχή (psūkhḗ)
  • ψῡχίζομαι (psūkhízomai)
  • ψῦχος (psûkhos)
  • ψῡχόω (psūkhóō)
  • ψῡ́χρᾱ (psū́khrā)
  • ψῡχρός (psūkhrós)

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ψῡχή (> DER > ψύχω)”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1671-2

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

Inherited from Ancient Greek ψύχω (psúkhō).

Verb

ψύχω • (psýcho) (past έψυξα, passive ψύχομαι, ppp ψύχθηκα)

  1. (transitive) to chill, freeze

Conjugation

  • αποψύχω (apopsýcho, to defrost)
  • ψυχρός (psychrós, cold, cool, adjective)
  • ψυχρότητα f (psychrótita, coolness)
  • ψυχρούλα f (psychroúla, cool)

Further reading