δάκρυμα

Forms

δάκρῡμα (dákruma) n (genitive δακρύματος); third declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek δακρύω (dakrúō, “to weep”) + -μα (-ma).^[3][4][5][6] The verb is derived from δάκρυ (dákru, “tear”), which is *dáḱru in Wiktionary's reconstruction and Pokorny's *dak̑ru- (“tear”).^[7][8] Pokorny lists δάκρυμα beside δάκρυον (dákruon) among the Greek words for “tear”, with the cognates Latin lacrima, Old Latin dacruma, Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐍂 (tagr) and Old English tēar.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest uses are in the lyrics of Aeschylus' Persians, where beds are filled with tears of longing for the absent men, and in an oracle quoted by Herodotus, where it means a thing to be wept for, a cause of grief.^[1][2][9]

Semantic evolution

It was always rare: the GLAUx corpus has it only three times, in Aeschylus, Euripides and Herodotus.^[9] Euripides' Andromache uses the plural beside laments and wailing.^[2][1] The sense “cause of tears” is that of the oracle in Herodotus, which reproaches the Cretans with the griefs Minos sent them.^[2][4]

Modern Greek has δάκρυμα (dákryma) in new senses: the oozing of a liquid drop by drop, as resin from a tree, and in medicine the constant watering of the eyes.^[10][6]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus' Persians uses the plural for tears.^[1][2]
• 5th century BC – An oracle quoted by Herodotus uses it for a cause of tears.^[1][2]
• 5th century BC – Euripides uses the plural for tears in the Andromache.^[1][2]
• Modern Greek – δάκρυμα (dákryma) means the oozing of a liquid in drops and the watering of the eyes.^[10][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A tear; in the plural, tears, weeping.^[1][2][4]
2. A thing wept for, a cause of grief.^[1][2][3]

Related words

• δάκρυ (dákru)
• δάκρυον (dákruon)
• δακρύω (dakrúō)
• Latin lacrima

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
3. ^ a b Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
5. ^ Malhadas, Daisi; Dezotti, Maria Celeste C.; Neves, Maria Helena de Moura, eds. (2006–2010), Dicionário Grego-Português, São Paulo: Ateliê; digital ed. 3 (2022), UNESP Araraquara
6. ^ a b c Τεγόπουλος, Γ.; Φυτράκης, Ε. (1997), Μείζον Ελληνικό Λεξικό, Athens: Αρμονία
7. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
8. ^ a b Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
9. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
10. ^ a b Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος