Κερχνεία

Grammatical information: m. (f.), mostly plur.

Meaning: `millet, grain of m.', metaph. `spawn of fish, small ball, speck in the eye etc.' (Hes. Sc. 398, Sapph. 5, 13 [?], Hecat., Hdt., Arist.).

Compounds: As 1. member e. g. in κεγχρο-φόρος (Str.). With metathesis or other dissim. (cf. below) κέρχνος (Anaxandr., Gal., H.); also Κερχνεία GN?

Derivatives: 1. κεγχρίς f. = κέγχρος (Hp.), also name of a bird fattened with millet, Lat. miliarius (Ael.; cf. Thompson Birds s. v.) 2. κεγχρίας m. `milletlike protuberances' ( ἕρπης, Gal.) with - ιδίας `id.' (Dsc.). 3. κεγχρίνης m. `snake with millet-like spots' (Nic., Lyc.); cf. κέγχρινος below. 4. κεγχρίτης `id.' (Aët.), - ῖτις ἰσχάς `dried fig' (AP; Redard Les noms grecs en - της 112). 5. κεγχραμίς f. `kernel of a fig' (Hp., Arist., Thphr.), after καλαμίς, σησαμίς a. o.; not with Schwyzer 494 foreign suffix; - ιδώδης. 6. κεγχρώματα pl. `small vizier-openings on a shield (?)' (E. Ph. 1386, cf. Chantraine Formation 186; s. also on κέρχνος). 7. κεγχρεών, - ῶνος m. `place where iron is granulated' (Docum. ap. D. 37, 26). 8. κεγχρ-ιαῖος `of the size of a millet corn' (Luc., Dsc.; Chantraine 49). 9. κέγχρινος `made of millet' (Dsc., Gal.). 10. κεγχρώδης `millet-like', of eruptions (Hp.), of plants (Thphr.). 11. κεγχρωτός `with corns, drips' (pap.). 12. Κεγχρεαί pl. GN.

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Uncertain. Mostly with Persson Studien 73 as "pulverized" from reduplicated IE. * gher-ghr-os with old dissimilation r - r \> n - r (or r - n) and further connection with χέρ-μα, χερ-άς etc. Here also κάχρυς (p. 124) with further NHG grū-z `corn of sand or grain', Lith. grú-das `corn' etc. - Diff. Niedermann Symb. Rozwadowski 1, 111ff.: for *κέρχνος (with metathesis) \< *κερκσνος to OHG hirso `millet' \< * hirhso (?). See on κάχρυς where it is seen as Pre-Greek. But in that case one expects also forms without prenasalization (*κεχρ-ος) which do not occur.

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