κιχάνω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • κιγχάνω (kinkhánō) post-Homeric

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰi-ǵʰn̥h₁-, reduplicated nasal-infix present of the root *ǵʰeh₁- (to go, walk). Cognate with Old English gān (English go) and Sanskrit जहाति (jáhāti, to abandon, avoid). The reduplicating syllable /ki/ was reinterpreted as part of the root and extended beyond the present and imperfect tenses to the entire conjugation.

Pronunciation

 

Verb

κῐχᾱ́νω • (kikhā́nō) (poetic)

  1. to overtake
  2. to come upon, find
  3. to catch, grip, hit
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 12.122:
      δείδω μή σ᾽ ἐξαῦτις ἐφορμηθεῖσα κίχῃσι / τόσσῃσιν κεφαλῇσι, τόσους δ᾽ ἐκ φῶτας ἕληται
      deídō mḗ s᾽ exaûtis ephormētheîsa kíkhēisi / tóssēisin kephalêisi, tósous d᾽ ek phôtas hélētai
      I fear that [Scylla] will be incited to reach out for you a second time with her heads to catch as many men again

Conjugation

Further reading

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