ῥάσσω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • ῥᾱ́ττω (rhā́ttō)Attic
  • ῥήσσω (rhḗssō)Ionic

Etymology

There is no certain etymology.

Since a consonant must have been lost before the initial ῥ- (rh-), a pre-form *ϝρᾱ́χ-ιω (*wrā́kh-iō) (compare ῥαχία (rhakhía, flood tide; roar of the breakers)) can perhaps be identified with Proto-Slavic *raziti (to smite, pound), and derive from a Proto-Indo-European *wreh₂ǵʰ- (to strike, pound). The Slavic word, however, has also been connected with *rězati (to cut, slice), which is related to ῥήγνῡμι (rhḗgnūmi, to break); these forms derive instead from a different, albeit superficially similar, root *wreh₁ǵ-.

The semantically attractive connection with ἀράσσω (arássō, to smite, dash) would require a pre-form *warakʰ-, but for ἀράσσω (arássō), there is no indication for ϝ- (w-).[1]

Pronunciation

 

Verb

ῥᾱ́σσω • (rhā́ssō)

  1. to strike, dash
  2. (of dancers) to beat the ground, dance

Inflection

Derived terms

  • ἐπῐρᾱ́σσω (epĭrā́ssō)
  • κᾰτᾰρρᾱ́σσω (kătărrhā́ssō)
  • προσρᾱ́σσω (prosrā́ssō)
  • ῥᾰκτηρῐος (rhăktērĭos)
  • ῥᾰκτός (rhăktós)
  • ῥᾰ́κτρῐᾰ (rhắktrĭă)
  • σῠρρᾱ́σσω (sŭrrhā́ssō)

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ῥᾱ́σσω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1276

Further reading