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χρή. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
χρή, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
χρή in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
χρή you have here. The definition of the word
χρή will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
χρή, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Ancient Greek
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- (“to yearn”). Originally probably a neuter noun in plural, but used always as a verbal expression by omission of copula ἐστί or "crasis" of χρὴ with it.
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kʰrɛ̌ː/ → /xri/ → /xri/
Verb
χρή • (khrḗ)
- (impersonal, expressing necessity) have to, ought, should (with accusative of person and present or aorist infinitive)
Inflection
- Present indicative: χρή (khrḗ) (from χρή ἐστι)
- Present infinitive: χρῆναι (khrênai) (from χρὴ εἶναι)
- Imperfect indicative: ἐχρῆν (ekhrên), and originally χρῆν (khrên) (from χρὴ ἦν).
- Present subjuntive: χρῇ (khrêi) (from χρὴ ᾖ).
- Present optative: χρείη (khreíē) (from χρὴ εἴη).
- Present participle, mostly as noun: χρεών (khreṓn) (from χρὴ ὄν > χρηόν > χρεών: transfer of vowel quantity).
- Future indicative: χρήσει (khrḗsei) and originally χρήσται (khrḗstai) (from χρὴ ἔσται, which in some codexes is sometimes erroneously written χρῆσται and even χρῆσθαι).
Related terms
References
- “χρή”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “χρή”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
- “χρή”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
- χρή in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
- “χρή”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
- G5534 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
- Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.