χρῖσμα

See also: χρίσμα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From χρίω (khríō) (“to rub, smear”) + -μα (-ma). Later form of χρῖμα (khrîma) (LSJ).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kʰrîːz.ma/ → /ˈxriz.ma/ → /ˈxriz.ma/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kʰrîːz.ma/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈkʰriz.ma/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈxriz.ma/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈxriz.ma/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈxriz.ma/

Noun

χρῖσμᾰ • (khrîsmă) n (genitive χρῑ́σμᾰτος); third declension

1. ointment, unguent, oil
2. anointing, unction
   1. (biblical, Septuagint) ritual anointing oil
      • 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Exodus 29.7:

        ἐλαίου τοῦ χρίσματος

        elaíou toû khrísmatos

        oil of anointing

      • 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Exodus 35.15:

        τὸ ἔλαιον τοῦ χρίσματος

        tò élaion toû khrísmatos

        the oil of anointing

   2. (New Testament) spiritual anointing, divine empowerment
      • 50 CE – 100 CE, First Epistle of John 2:20:

        χρῖσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου

        khrîsma ékhete apò toû hagíou

        you have an anointing from the Holy One

      • 50 CE – 100 CE, First Epistle of John 2:27:

        τὸ χρῖσμα ὃ ἐλάβετε … διδάσκει ὑμᾶς

        tò khrîsma hò elábete … didáskei humâs

        the anointing which you received … teaches you

3. coating, plaster (of walls or surfaces)
   • 80 BCE – 20 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, 2 9
   • 125 CE – 200 CE, Lucian, How to Write History 62

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ χρῖσμᾰ; τοῦ χρῑ́σμᾰτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ χρῖσμᾰ tò khrîsmă	τὼ χρῑ́σμᾰτε tṑ khrī́smăte	τᾰ̀ χρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ tằ khrī́smătă
Genitive	τοῦ χρῑ́σμᾰτος toû khrī́smătos	τοῖν χρῑσμᾰ́τοιν toîn khrīsmắtoin	τῶν χρῑσμᾰ́των tôn khrīsmắtōn
Dative	τῷ χρῑ́σμᾰτῐ tōî khrī́smătĭ	τοῖν χρῑσμᾰ́τοιν toîn khrīsmắtoin	τοῖς χρῑ́σμᾰσῐ / χρῑ́σμᾰσῐν toîs khrī́smăsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸ χρῖσμᾰ tò khrîsmă	τὼ χρῑ́σμᾰτε tṑ khrī́smăte	τᾰ̀ χρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ tằ khrī́smătă
Vocative	χρῖσμᾰ khrîsmă	χρῑ́σμᾰτε khrī́smăte	χρῑ́σμᾰτᾰ khrī́smătă
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Usage notes

In early Greek, χρῖσμα denotes a substance applied by rubbing or smearing. In the Septuagint, the term is used for ritual anointing oil. In the New Testament (notably 1 John 2:20, 27), the word develops a figurative sense referring to a spiritual endowment, extending the physical act of anointing to denote divine influence or empowerment.

Synonyms

• χρῖμα (khrîma)

Descendants

• → Latin: chrisma, crisma
  • Italo-Romance:
    • Italian: cresima
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • ⇒ Old French: cresme, creme (see there for further descendants)
• ⇒? Latin: crismon
  • → English: chrismon
  • → German: Chrismon
• Greek: χρίσμα (chrísma)

References

• “χρῖσμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “χρῖσμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• χρῖσμα in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette