κέντρον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ḱent-r-om (pointed tool), from *ḱent- (to prick; point); direct cognate with Albanian çandër (forked pole) and probably Old Armenian սանտր (santr), սանդր (sandr, comb).

Equivalent to κεντέω (kentéō, I sting) + -τρον (-tron).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

κέντρον • (kéntron) n (genitive κέντρου); second declension

  1. Something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur
  2. sting, quill, thorn
  3. Torture device or instrument of motivation: whip, goad
  4. nail, rivet
  5. stationary point of a pair of compasses
  6. center of a circle
  7. (figuratively, vulgar) penis
    • Sotades on Ptolemy II's incestuous marriage, cited by Plutarch, De liberis educandis 11a, and Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae 14.621a:
      εἰς οὐχ ὁσίην τρυμαλιὴν τὸ κέντρον ὠθεῖς.
      eis oukh hosíēn trumaliḕn tò kéntron ōtheîs.
      You're sticking your prick in an unholy hole.

Inflection

Descendants

  • Aramaic:
    Classical Syriac: ܩܢܛܪܘܢ (qenṭrōn, qanṭrōn)
  • Georgian: კენტრო (ḳenṭro)
  • Greek: κέντρο (kéntro)
  • Latin: centrum (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Armenian: կենդրովն (kendrovn), կենտրովն (kentrovn), կենտրոն (kentron)
  • Sanskrit: केन्द्र (kendra) (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

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