σταυρός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

(deprecated template usage) From Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”). See ῐ̔́στημῐ (hístēmi). Cognate with Icelandic staur (“a stake, pole”), English stour (“stake, pole”), Swedish stör. Compare also staff.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /stau̯.rós/ → /staˈβros/ → /staˈvros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /stau̯.rós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /stawˈros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /staˈβros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /staˈvros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /staˈvros/

Noun

σταυρός • (staurós) m (genitive σταυροῦ); second declension

1. upright stake or pile
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 14.11:

     Outside he had driven stakes the whole length, this way and that.

2. crucifix
   • 70 CE – 110 CE, The Gospel of Matthew 27:40:

     εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, κατάβηθι απὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ.

     ei huiòs eî toû theoû, katábēthi apò toû stauroû.

     If you are the son of God, come down from the cross!

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ σταυρός; τοῦ σταυροῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σταυρός ho staurós	τὼ σταυρώ tṑ staurṓ	οἱ σταυροί hoi stauroí
Genitive	τοῦ σταυροῦ toû stauroû	τοῖν σταυροῖν toîn stauroîn	τῶν σταυρῶν tôn staurôn
Dative	τῷ σταυρῷ tôi staurôi	τοῖν σταυροῖν toîn stauroîn	τοῖς σταυροῖς toîs stauroîs
Accusative	τὸν σταυρόν tòn staurón	τὼ σταυρώ tṑ staurṓ	τοὺς σταυρούς toùs stauroús
Vocative	σταυρέ stauré	σταυρώ staurṓ	σταυροί stauroí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• πᾶλος (pâlos)
• σκόλοψ (skólops)
• στᾰ́λῐξ (stálix)
• χᾰ́ρᾰξ (khárax)

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓νᾰσταυρῐ́ζω (anastaurízō)
• ᾰ̓νᾰσταυρόω (anastauróō)
• ᾰ̓νᾰσταύρωσῐς (anastaúrōsis)
• ᾰ̓ποσταυρόω (apostauróō)
• δῐᾰσταυρόω (diastauróō)

• πᾰρᾰσταυρόω (parastauróō)
• περῐσταυρόω (peristauróō)
• περῐσταύρωμᾰ (peristaúrōma)
• προᾰποσταυρόω (proapostauróō)
• προσσταυρόω (prosstauróō)

• προσταυρόω (prostauróō)
• σταυρῐκός (staurikós)
• σταυρῐ́ον (stauríon)
• σταυροειδής (stauroeidḗs)
• σταυροφόρος (staurophóros)

• σταυρόω (stauróō)
• σταύρωμᾰ (staúrōma)
• σταύρωσῐς (staúrōsis)
• στεφᾰνοσταύριον (stephanostaúrion)
• σῠσταυρόομαι (sustauróomai)

Descendants

• Greek: σταυρός (stavrós)
  • → Gagauz: stavroz

Further reading

• “σταυρός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σταυρός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• σταυρός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• G4716 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • cross idem, page 185.
  • pale idem, page 589.
  • paling idem, page 590.
  • pile idem, page 612.
  • post idem, page 629.
  • stake idem, page 809.

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Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σταυρός (staurós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stavˈros/
• Hyphenation: σταυ‧ρός

Noun

σταυρός • (stavrós) m (plural σταυροί)

1. cross (geometrical figure)

   Επειδή ο παππούς μου είναι αγράμματος, υπογράφει με σταυρό. ― Epeidí o pappoús mou eínai agrámmatos, ypográfei me stavró. ― Since my grandfather is illiterate, he signs with a cross.

2. (Christianity) cross, crucifix (cross on which one is crucified; usually refers to the one upon which Jesus Christ died)

   Ο Χριστός πέθανε πάνω στο σταυρό. ― O Christós péthane páno sto stavró. ― Christ died on the cross.

3. (figuratively) cross (difficult situation that must be endured)

   Ο καθένας σηκώνει μεγάλο σταυρό. ― O kathénas sikónei megálo stavró. ― Everyone has their own cross to bear.

4. (Christianity) cross, crucifix (representation of the crucifixion stake of Christ worn or displayed by Christians)

   Ο αρχιεπίσκοπος φοράει χρυσό σταυρό. ― O archiepískopos foráei chrysó stavró. ― The archbishop is wearing a gold cross.

5. (Christianity) sign of the cross (gesture of the hand moving over the front of one's body in the shape of a cross)

   κάνω τον σταυρό μου ― káno ton stavró mou ― I bless myself/I make the sign of the cross

6. (puppetry) control bar (wooden device used to control marionettes)
7. (anatomy, colloquial) glabella (space between the eyebrows and the nose)
8. (gymnastics) Iron Cross (maneuver in which both arms are extended straight out from the sides of the body while suspended mid air and holding onto rings)

Declension

Declension of σταυρός

	singular	plural
nominative	σταυρός •	σταυροί •
genitive	σταυρού •	σταυρών •
accusative	σταυρό •	σταυρούς •
vocative	σταυρέ •	σταυροί •

Derived terms

• σταυρώνω (stavróno, “to crucify, to cross”)
• σταυροδρόμι n (stavrodrómi, “crossroads”)
• σταυρόλεξο n (stavrólexo, “crossword”)
• σταυρόνημα n (stavrónima, “reticle, crosshairs”)
• σταυροφορία f (stavroforía, “crusade”)
• Ερυθρός Σταυρός m (Erythrós Stavrós, “Red Cross”)
• Σταυρός του Νότου m (Stavrós tou Nótou, “Crux, Southern Cross”)
• Βόρειος σταυρός m (Vóreios stavrós, “Cygnus”) (constellation)
• πλάγιος σταυρός m (plágios stavrós, “saltire, diagonal cross”)

Descendants

• → Gagauz: stavroz