μέχρι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• μέχρις (Before vowels)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *méǵʰ(s)ri. Cognate with Old Armenian մերձ (merj).

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /mékʰri/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /mɛ́kʰri/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /méxri/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /méxri/

• (15th AD Constantinopolitan): IPA: /méxɾi/

Adverb

μέχρι (mekhri)

1. until

Conjunction

μέχρι (mekhri)

1. until

Preposition

μέχρι (mekhri)' (+ genitive)

1. Marker of spatial extension: as far as
2. Marker of temporal extension: until
3. Marker of general extent: to the point of, so far as

Usage notes

The general rule of μέχρις being used before vowels only holds true in poetry, and is generally (but not always) ignored in prose works, with μέχρι being used regardless of what follows.

Related terms

• ἄχρι

References

• LSJ
• BDAG
• Robert S. P. Beekes (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill Academic Publishers)
• Strong’s concordance number: G3360

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Greek

Alternative forms

• μέχρις (méchris)

Preposition

μέχρι (méchri)

1. until, till, til, 'til

   θα μείνω μέχρι (I will stay until...)

   … μέχρι το 1975 (… until 1975)

2. until, as far as

   μέχρι τέλους (until the end)

   περπατάω μέχρι την ταβέρνα. (I walked as far as the taverna.)

Synonyms

• έως (éos) (preposition)
• ως (os) (preposition)
• ωσότου (osótou) (conjunction)
• ώσπου (óspou) (conjunction)