σχάζω

Forms

σχᾰ́ζω (skházō) ^[1] Also σχάω (skháō) (imperfect ἔσχων in Aristophanes); aorist ἔσχασα, Aeolic participle σχάσαις in Pindar.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is perhaps inherited from Proto-Indo-European *skeh₂- (“to split”), and has been compared since Fick with Sanskrit छ्यति (chyati, “cuts, wounds”).^[1][4][5][6] LIV sets up the root as *sk̑ʰeh₂(i̯)- (“to cut open, to skin”).^[7] Beekes and Frisk find the comparison sound in meaning, but note that the Sanskrit forms outside the present, such as the s-aorist, are known only from the grammarians.^[4][6]

The whole system is built on the aorist σχάσαι (skhásai), the most common form, from which the presents σχάζω and σχάω (skháō) were made.^[4][5][6] Frisk asks whether that aorist is a blend of σχίζω (skhízō) with χαλάω (khaláō) or ἐάω (eáō).^[5] The first sense is usually taken to be “to cut open”, but Beekes allows “to let loose”, comparing Middle Low German āderlāten (“to let blood”).^[4] A link with Latin sciō is doubtful.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is in Pindar, who uses the aorist imperative for easing off the oar.^[2][8][5]

Semantic evolution

In tragedy and comedy it means to relax or let go: Euripides speaks of easing fierce looks or resting one's voice, and Aristophanes of slitting open a haggis and, in the middle, of giving up horse-racing.^[2][3] Pindar and Bacchylides use it of breaking an opponent's strength.^[2]

Medical writers from Hippocrates on use it for opening a vein or lancing, and Xenophon and Plutarch use it in the same way.^[3][2] Aristotle writes of bleeding an animal under the tongue.^[3][2][5] In technical writing it is the release of a mechanism, and its derivative σχαστηρία (skhastēría) is the trigger of an engine.^[5][4] Plutarch uses the verb for discharging engines of war.^[5][4][2]

Medieval Greek made it σκάζω (skázo), with σχ becoming σκ, in the sense “to burst, to crack”.^[9][10] Modern Greek σκάζω (skázo) continues it.^[9][10][1]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for easing off the oar.^[2][8][11]
• 5th century BC – Euripides uses it for relaxing, and Hippocrates for opening a vein.^[2][3][11]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it for slitting open a haggis.^[3][11]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for bleeding an animal under the tongue.^[3][11]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it for discharging engines of war.^[2][11]
• Medieval Greek – It becomes σκάζω (skázo) “to burst”, still used in Modern Greek.^[9][10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To slit open, to lance; to open (a vein), to bleed.^[3][2]
2. To let go, to relax, to ease off (an oar); to rest (one's voice).^[2]
3. To weaken, to foil (an opponent's strength).^[2]
4. To let drop, to lower.^[2]
5. (middle) To give up.^[2]
6. To discharge (engines of war).^[2]

Word family

• σχαστηρία (skhastēría)
• ἀποσχάζω (aposkházō)
• σχάσις (skhásis)
• σχάσμα (skhásma)
• σχαστήρ (skhastḗr)
• σχαστήριον (skhastḗrion)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
7. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
8. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
9. ^ a b c Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b c Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
11. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge