γράμμα

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • γράθμα (gráthma) Doric

Etymology

From γράφω (gráphō, I write) + -μα (-ma, result noun suffix).

About its weight meaning there are two theories:

  • It was taken from Latin scrūpulus, which in its meaning, "smallest division of weight", was more frequently written scrūpulum, scrīpulum, and by some fancied derivation from scrīptum was written scrīptulum, scrīptlum. Hence it was later translated in Ancient Greek as γράμμα from γράφω (gráphō, to write), as scrīptulum from scrībō (to write).[1][2]
  • It was a Semitic borrowing, with the measure tallied to the stones or pits of small fruits, Jewish Palestinian Aramaic גרוֹם (grūm, kernel), Classical Syriac ܓܪܽܘܡܳܐ (grūmā, bone; kernel, stone, pit), Arabic جَرَام (jarām, date-stone), related to the common גַּרְמָא / ܓܰܪܡܳܐ (garmā, bone; kernel, stone, pit).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

γράμμα • (grámma) n (genitive γράμματος); third declension

  1. that which is written, that which is drawn, picture
  2. letter
  3. (in the plural) alphabet
  4. writing, book
  5. a kind of small weight, 1/24 of an ounce, scruple

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

References

  1. γράμμα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
  2. https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/gramme
  3. Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “gërmoj”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 115

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek γράμμα (grámma). Morphologically γράφω (gráfo, to write) + -μα (-ma, result noun suffix).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɣra.ma/
  • Hyphenation: γράμ‧μα

Noun

γράμμα • (grámma) n (plural γράμματα)

  1. letter (written or printed symbol)
  2. (computing) character
  3. (in the plural) literature, letters
    γράμματα και οι τέχνες.
    Ta grámmata kai oi téchnes.
    Literature and the arts
  4. (in the plural, informal) education, literacy
    Ξέρεις γράμματα;
    Xéreis grámmata;
    Can you read?
    (literally, “Do you know letters?”)
  5. letter (correspondence)
    • Στο ’πα και στο ξαναλέω
      μη μου γράφεις γράμματα
      γιατί γράμματα δεν ξέρω
      και με πιάνουν κλάματα.
      Sto ’pa kai sto xanaléo
      mi mou gráfeis grámmata
      giatí grámmata den xéro
      kai me piánoun klámata.
      I've told you and I'm telling you again
      don't write me letters
      because I can't read (letters)
      and tears overcome me
      (traditional Greek song)
  6. (in the plural) tails (of a coin; mainly used in κορώνα ή γράμματα (koróna í grámmata, heads or tails))

Declension

Synonyms

Descendants

References

  1. Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “gërmoj”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 115
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.