Christ

English

Alternative forms

• X, Xt

Etymology

From Middle English Crist, from Old English Crist, from Latin Christus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστός (Khrīstós), proper noun use of χρῑστός (khrīstós, “ anointed ”), a semantic loan of Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (māšīaḥ, “anointed”) or the Aramaic equivalent (whence ultimately also English messiah, also via Latin, Greek). Compare grime for the Proto-Indo-European root, *gʰr-ey- (“to rub, smear; to anoint”); further related to ghee.

Pronunciation

• enPR: krīst, IPA^(key): /kɹaɪst/

• Audio (Mid-Atlantic)

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪst

Proper noun

Christ

1. (Christianity) The anointed one, the Messiah predicted by the Old Testament.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Matthew 24:24:

     For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

2. (Christianity) A title given to Jesus of Nazareth, seen as the fulfiller of the messianic prophecy.
   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     "But I have seen the Christ. Oh, He was glorious, glorious! Now, good-bye - good-bye!" She backed towards the cabinet and sank into the shadows.

3. A surname.

Usage notes

Like God, Mom, etc., Christ is usually used directly in the manner of a name. However, it is sometimes used with a definite article—the Christ—in archaic or learned settings to emphasize its nature as a title equivalent to the Anointed One. When used as a title for Jesus, it is almost always applied as a postpositive: Jesus Christ.

Synonyms

• ☧

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• Jesus
• God
• Appendix:Glossary of Christianity

Noun

Christ (plural Christs)

1. (art) A figure or other artistic depiction of Jesus Christ.

Translations

Interjection

Christ

1. (blasphemous) An expletive.

Usage notes

Use as a standalone expletive is considered blasphemous by some Christians.

Synonyms

• (expletive): God, Jesus Christ
• (expression of surprise): See Thesaurus:wow

Translations

Anagrams

• criths, strich, trichs

East Central German

Proper noun

Christ

1. (Erzgebirgisch) a diminutive of the male given name Christoph
2. (Erzgebirgisch) a diminutive of the female given name Christa and Christine.

Further reading

• 2020 June 11, Hendrik Heidler, Hendrik Heidler's 400 Seiten: Echtes Erzgebirgisch: Wuu de Hasen Hoosn haaßn un de Hosen Huusn do sei mir drhamm: Das Original Wörterbuch: Ratgeber und Fundgrube der erzgebirgischen Mund- und Lebensart: Erzgebirgisch – Deutsch / Deutsch – Erzgebirgisch‎, 3. geänderte Auflage edition, Norderstedt: BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 29:

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French Christ, borrowed from Latin Christus, from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós), proper noun use of χριστός (khristós, “the anointed one”), a calque of Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (māšīaḥ, “anointed”) or the Aramaic equivalent (whence ultimately also English messiah, also via Latin, Greek).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁist/
• IPA^(key): /kʁi/ (obsolete; except in Jésus-Christ and alternatively in antéchrist)

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Christ m

1. Christ

Related terms

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁɪst/

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle High German kriste, kristen, from Old High German kristāni, from Latin Christianus, derived from the forms in etymology 2 below.

Noun

Christ m (weak, genitive Christen, plural Christen, feminine Christin)

1. (Christianity) a Christian
   • 1888, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Der Antichrist, § 58:

     Nihilist und Christ: das reimt sich, das reimt sich nicht bloss.

     Nihilist and Christian: they rhyme , they do not merely rhyme .

Usage notes

• This is a weak noun in the standard language, but is part of a group of nouns which have a strong tendency to be strong colloquially, so one might hear dem Christ instead of dem Christen.

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

From Middle High German and Old High German Krist, from Latin Christus, from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós), a calque of Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (māšīaḥ, “anointed”) and/or its Aramaic equivalent ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ (whence also German Messias).

Proper noun

Christ m (proper noun, strong, genitive Christs)

1. (archaic, now only poetic) Alternative form of Christus (“Christ”)
   • The template Template:rfdate does not use the parameter(s):

     2=estimated date, first attestation

     Please see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.(Can we date this quote?) Christian song Christ ist erstanden:

     Christ ist erstanden von der Marter alle. Des solln wir alle froh sein; Christ will unser Trost sein. Kyrieleis.

     Christ is risen from all torment. Therefore we should all be happy; Christ will be our comfort. Kyrie eleison.

Declension

Further reading

• “Christ” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Christ” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Christ” in Duden online
• Christ on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Middle English

Proper noun

Christ

1. Alternative form of Crist

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Christus from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós), proper noun use of χριστός (khristós, “the anointed one”).

Proper noun

Christ m

1. Christ

Descendants

• French: Christ

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Christus, from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós), proper noun use of χριστός (khristós, “the anointed one”).

Proper noun

Christ m

1. (Jersey, Christianity) Christ

Old Irish

Proper noun

Christ

1. Alternative spelling of Chríst: lenited form of Crist.

Scots

Proper noun

Christ

1. Christ

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /χriːst/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /χrɪst/

Proper noun

Christ m

1. aspirate mutation of Crist (“Christ”)

Mutation