κάρχαρος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

κάρκαρος (kárkaros)

Etymology

Apparently an onomatopoeic reduplicative formation with proto-form along the lines of *kʰar-kʰar-, with similar terms in many languages including Sanskrit खर (khára, “hard, raw, sharp”), Persian (xâr, “thorn”), Old Armenian կարկառ (karkaṙ, “heap of stones”), though there is a phonetic mismatch between Sanskrit kh- and Greek χ- (kh-). Beekes considers the κ-χ (k-kh) alternation implied by a related term in the Greek corpus, κάρκαροι (kárkaroi), to suggest Pre-Greek origin.^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kár.kʰa.ros/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈkar.kʰa.ros/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈkar.xa.ros/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈkar.xa.ros/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈkar.xa.ros/

Adjective

κάρχᾰρος • (kárkhăros) m or f (neuter κάρχᾰρον); second declension or
κάρχᾰρος • (kárkhăros) m (feminine καρχάρᾱ, neuter κάρχᾰρον); first/second declension

sharp-pointed, jagged, with sharp or jagged teeth
(figurative) sharp, biting (of language)

Declension

As a two-ending adjective:

Second declension of κᾰ́ρχᾰρος; κᾰ́ρχᾰρον (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	κᾰ́ρχᾰρος kắrkhăros		κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō		κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰ́ρχᾰροι kắrkhăroi		κᾰ́ρχᾰρᾰ kắrkhără
Genitive	κᾰρχᾰ́ρου kărkhắrou		κᾰρχᾰ́ρου kărkhắrou	κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin		κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin	κᾰρχᾰ́ρων kărkhắrōn		κᾰρχᾰ́ρων kărkhắrōn
Dative	κᾰρχᾰ́ρῳ kărkhắrōi		κᾰρχᾰ́ρῳ kărkhắrōi	κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin		κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin	κᾰρχᾰ́ροις kărkhắrois		κᾰρχᾰ́ροις kărkhắrois
Accusative	κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron		κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō		κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰρχᾰ́ρους kărkhắrous		κᾰ́ρχᾰρᾰ kắrkhără
Vocative	κᾰ́ρχᾰρε kắrkhăre		κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō		κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰ́ρχᾰροι kắrkhăroi		κᾰ́ρχᾰρᾰ kắrkhără
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	κᾰρχᾰ́ρως kărkhắrōs			κᾰρχᾰρώτερος kărkhărṓteros			κᾰρχᾰρώτᾰτος kărkhărṓtătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

As a three-ending adjective:

First and second declension of κᾰ́ρχᾰρος; κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱ; κᾰ́ρχᾰρον (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	κᾰ́ρχᾰρος kắrkhăros	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱ kărkhắrā	κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱ kărkhắrā	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰ́ρχᾰροι kắrkhăroi	κᾰ́ρχᾰραι kắrkhărai	κᾰ́ρχᾰρᾰ kắrkhără
Genitive	κᾰρχᾰ́ρου kărkhắrou	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱς kărkhắrās	κᾰρχᾰ́ρου kărkhắrou	κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin	κᾰρχᾰ́ραιν kărkhắrain	κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin	κᾰρχᾰ́ρων kărkhắrōn	κᾰρχᾰ́ρων kărkhắrōn	κᾰρχᾰ́ρων kărkhắrōn
Dative	κᾰρχᾰ́ρῳ kărkhắrōi	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾳ kărkhắrāi	κᾰρχᾰ́ρῳ kărkhắrōi	κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin	κᾰρχᾰ́ραιν kărkhắrain	κᾰρχᾰ́ροιν kărkhắroin	κᾰρχᾰ́ροις kărkhắrois	κᾰρχᾰ́ραις kărkhắrais	κᾰρχᾰ́ροις kărkhắrois
Accusative	κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱν kărkhắrān	κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱ kărkhắrā	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰρχᾰ́ρους kărkhắrous	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱς kărkhắrās	κᾰ́ρχᾰρᾰ kắrkhără
Vocative	κᾰ́ρχᾰρε kắrkhăre	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱ kărkhắrā	κᾰ́ρχᾰρον kắrkhăron	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰρχᾰ́ρᾱ kărkhắrā	κᾰρχᾰ́ρω kărkhắrō	κᾰ́ρχᾰροι kắrkhăroi	κᾰ́ρχᾰραι kắrkhărai	κᾰ́ρχᾰρᾰ kắrkhără
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	κᾰρχᾰ́ρως kărkhắrōs			κᾰρχᾰρώτερος kărkhărṓteros			κᾰρχᾰρώτᾰτος kărkhărṓtătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

καρχαρέος (karkharéos)
καρχαρίᾱς (karkharíās)
καρχαρόδους (karkharódous)
καρχαρόδων (karkharódōn)

Descendants

→⇒ Translingual: Carcharodon, Carcharodontosaurus

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “κάρχαρος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 652