κρούω

Forms

κρούω (kroúō) ^[1] Future κρούσω (kroúsō), aorist ἔκρουσα (ékrousa), perfect κέκρουκα (kékrouka); middle aorist ἐκρουσάμην (ekrousámēn).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *krews- (“to push, strike, break”), with a Greek stem κρουσ- (krous-); the present may come from *krous-ye- or be modelled on the aorist.^[3][4][5] LIV classes it as a *-ye- present.^[4] Cognates are Proto-Slavic *krušiti (whence Russian крушить (krušítʹ, “to shatter”)), Latvian krausēt (“to stamp”) and Lithuanian kraušýti, with zero grade Lithuanian krùšti (“to pound, crush”) and Russian кроха (kroxá, “crumb”).^[3][1][4] κροαίνω (kroaínō) may be explained the same way as ἀκοή (akoḗ) beside ἀκούω (akoúō).^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Simonides, in the 6th–5th century BC, uses it of striking the strings of a lyre with a plectrum.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to strike or knock, especially one thing against another so as to make a sound: Euripides of clapping the hands and stamping the foot in the dance, Thucydides and Xenophon of weapons and shields clashing.^[2][7] Plato uses it of playing a stringed instrument, and of testing an idea, as one taps a pot to hear whether it rings sound.^[2][7] Knocking at a door is κρούειν τὴν θύραν in Aristophanes, Xenophon and Plato.^[2][8] In the middle, “to strike the stern” was to back water, in Thucydides.^[2]

The New Testament uses it only of knocking at a door, as in Matthew 7:7.^[8] Medieval Greek kept the verb.^[9] In Modern Greek κρούω (krúo) is a learned word for “to strike”, chiefly in the phrase “to sound the alarm bell”.^[10] Babiniotis traces Modern Greek κρούση (krúsi), Modern Greek κρούσμα (krúsma) and Modern Greek κρουστός (krustós) to ancient derivatives of it.^[11]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Simonides uses it of striking a lyre with a plectrum.^[2][12]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides uses it of weapons knocking together and, in the middle, of backing water.^[2][7][12]
• 5th century BC – Euripides uses it of clapping the hands and beating the ground in dance.^[2][7][12]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes, Xenophon and Plato use it of knocking at a door.^[2][8][12]
• 1st century AD – The Gospels use it of knocking at a door.^[8]
• Modern Greek – κρούω (krúo) survives as a learned word, above all “to sound the alarm”.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To Strike, smite, kick.^[2][7]
2. To strike one thing against another; to clap the hands, clash weapons; to beat the ground with the foot in dancing.^[2][7]
3. To strike a stringed instrument with a plectrum; to play an instrument.^[2][7]
4. To knock at a door.^[2][7][8]
5. (figurative) To test, as one taps a pot to hear whether it is sound.^[2][7]
6. (middle, nautical) κρούεσθαι πρύμναν, to back water.^[2]

Related words

• κροῦμα (kroûma)
• κρούπεζαι (kroúpezai)
• κροῦσις (kroûsis)
• κροῦσμα (kroûsma)
• κρουστικός (kroustikós)
• κρουστός (kroustós)
• ἀνάκρουσις (anákrousis)
• ἀνακρούω (anakroúō)
• ἀντίκρουσις (antíkrousis)
• ἀποκρούω (apokroúō)

Usage notes

The Atticist Phrynichus held that κόπτω (kóptō) is the better Attic verb for knocking at a door.^[2][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
5. ^ a b Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b c d e f Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
9. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
12. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge