Etymologically
Log in

χείρ

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:45. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /kʰěːr/[1]
  • IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈçir/[1]
  • IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈçir/[1]

Forms

χείρ (kheír) f (genitive χειρός); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *kʰéhər, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰésōr (“hand”), an old inherited word.[1][2] Doric χήρ (khḗr) and Aeolic χέρρα (khérra) correspond well to Hittite keššar (“hand”), from *ǵʰes-r.[3] Greek replaced the expected nominative *χέαρ (*khéar) after the genitive.[3] The older reconstruction *ǵʰer-s- has been abandoned.[3]

Cognate with Tocharian A tsar (“hand”), Old Armenian ձեռն (jeṙn, “hand”) and Albanian dorë (“hand”).[3][2][1] A connection with Sanskrit हस्त (hásta, “hand”) and Old Persian dasta- (“hand”) is likely, though their suffix is hard to explain.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it from the first book of the Iliad (1.14) for the hand.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

From Homer on hands are clasped in greeting and in pledges; they are also raised to heaven.[5] It also meant the arm, the paw of an animal and a finger, and figuratively a deed, strength, violence, or a band of men.[1][3]

It is unlimited in compounds: χειροτέχνης (kheirotékhnēs) “craftsman” (Ionic, Attic), χέρνιψ (khérnips) “water for washing the hands” (Odyssey) and many more.[3][2] English chiro- comes from its combining form, and Lord Kelvin coined chiral from it in 1894.[6]

Timeline

  • Homer – The Iliad uses it for the hand.[4][5]
  • Homer – The Odyssey has the compound χέρνιψ.[3]
  • 1894 – Lord Kelvin coins chiral from it.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The hand; the fist.[7][3]
  2. The arm, hand and arm together.[1]
  3. The paw of an animal.[1]
  4. A finger.[1]
  5. (figurative) A deed; strength, violence.[3]
  6. A band, crowd of men.[3]

Word family

  • ἐγχειρέω (enkheiréō)
  • ἑκατόγχειρος (hekatónkheiros)
  • ἐπιχειρέω (epikheiréō)
  • πρόχειρος (prókheiros)
  • χειραγωγέω (kheiragōgéō)
  • χειραγωγός (kheiragōgós)
  • χειραπτάζω (kheiraptázō)
  • χειριδωτός (kheiridōtós)
  • χειρίζω (kheirízō)
  • χείριος (kheírios)
  • χειρόδεικτος (kheiródeiktos)
  • χειροδίκης (kheirodíkēs)
  • χειροδράκων (kheirodrákōn)
  • χειροήθης (kheiroḗthēs)
  • English chiro-
  • English chiral

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
  5. ^ a b c Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press