κρόσσαι

Ancient Greek

Etymology

This word is a technical expression of unknown origin.

• Frisk's suggestion that the expression originally derives from weaving, connecting κρόκη (krókē, “woof”), is not likely.
• A connection with Balto-Slavic words for "bar, rod, rafters", like Lithuanian krake (“rod, staff”) and krēklas (“rafters”), seems rather speculative, though supported by Pokorny, who derives it from Proto-Indo-European *krek- (“post”) and also compares Proto-Celtic *krīkʷā (“furrow”).
• Furnée connects κόρση (kórsē, “temple, side of the head”), which is unwarranted.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /krós.sai̯/ → /ˈkros.sɛ/ → /ˈkro.se/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /krós.sai̯/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈkros.sɛ/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈkros.sɛ/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈkros.se/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈkro.se/

Noun

κρόσσαι • (króssai) f pl (genitive κροσσῶν); second declension

1. stepped copings of parapets
2. courses, steps of the pyramids

Declension

First declension of αἱ κρόσσαι; τῶν κροσσῶν (Attic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	αἱ κρόσσαι hai króssai
Genitive	τῶν κροσσῶν tôn krossôn
Dative	ταῖς κρόσσαις taîs króssais
Accusative	τᾱ̀ς κρόσσᾱς tā̀s króssās
Vocative	κρόσσαι króssai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Further reading

• “κρόσσαι”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• κρόσσαι in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN