κρίνω

Pronunciation

• IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /krǐː.nɔː/^[1]
• IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈkri.no/^[1]
• IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈkri.no/^[1]

Forms

κρῑ́νω (krī́nō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *kríňňō, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kri-n-yé-ti, from *krey- (“to sift, separate”).^[1][2] The nasal present has exact counterparts in Latin cernō (“to sift, distinguish”) and Welsh gogrynu (“to sift”), and the verbal adjective κριτός (kritós) matches Latin certus (“decided, certain”).^[3][2][4] The long /ī/ of the present arose by compensatory lengthening when the double consonant was simplified;^[1] Aeolic kept κρίννω (krínnō).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it for picking out: “he picked out twenty rowers” (Iliad 1.309).^[5][6] In the Iliad Demeter separates grain from chaff, a commander divides his troops, and judges give “crooked judgements” (16.387).^[7][5]

Semantic evolution

Its senses run from separating and distinguishing (the true from the false, good men from bad: Simonides, Plato, Xenophon) to choosing, deciding the outcome of a fight, and settling disputes.^[7] The Odyssey uses it for deciding quarrels, and Herodotus and Aeschylus for judging cases.^[5] In Classical Greek it also meant to judge or form an opinion, to give legal judgement, to condemn and to bring to trial, and to interrogate.^[7][5]

Modern Greek κρίνω continues the ancient verb.^[8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for picking out, separating and judging.^[5][7]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod uses it for distinguishing truth.^[7][9]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for judging cases.^[5][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it for distinguishing good from bad.^[7][9]
• Modern Greek – κρίνω continues the ancient verb.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To separate, part; to distinguish.^[7][5]
2. To pick out, choose.^[7][5]
3. To decide (a contest or dispute).^[7][5]
4. To judge, form an opinion.^[7]
5. (law) To give judgement; to condemn; to bring to trial.^[7][5]
6. To question, interrogate.^[7]

Word family

• κρίμα (kríma)
• κρίσις (krísis)
• κριτής (kritḗs)
• κριτός (kritós)
• ἀνακρίνω (anakrī́nō)
• ἀποκρίνω (apokrī́nō)
• διακρίνω (diakrī́nō)
• ἐγκρίνω (enkrínō)
• κατακρίνω (katakrī́nō)
• συγκρίνω (sunkrínō)
• ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrī́nomai)

Related words

• Latin cernō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
3. ^ Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge