χρηστομάθεια

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From χρηστομᾰθέω (khrēstomathéō, “be desirous for learning”), from χρηστός (khrēstós, “useful”) +‎ μανθάνω (manthánō, “learn”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kʰrɛːs.to.má.tʰeː.a/ → /xris.toˈma.θi.a/ → /xris.toˈma.θi.a/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kʰrɛːs.to.má.tʰeː.a/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /kʰre̝s.toˈma.tʰi.a/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /xris.toˈma.θi.a/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /xris.toˈma.θi.a/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /xris.toˈma.θi.a/

Noun

χρηστομᾰ́θειᾰ • (khrēstomátheia) f (genitive χρηστομᾰθείᾱς); first declension

1. desire for learning
   • 213 CE – 273 CE, Cassius Longinus, Collected Works 44.1
2. a book containing a summary of useful knowledge or select passages, a vade mecum

Inflection

First declension of ἡ χρηστομᾰ́θειᾰ; τῆς χρηστομᾰθείᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ χρηστομᾰ́θειᾰ hē khrēstomátheia	τὼ χρηστομᾰθείᾱ tṑ khrēstomatheíā	αἱ χρηστομᾰ́θειαι hai khrēstomátheiai
Genitive	τῆς χρηστομᾰθείᾱς tês khrēstomatheíās	τοῖν χρηστομᾰθείαιν toîn khrēstomatheíain	τῶν χρηστομᾰθειῶν tôn khrēstomatheiôn
Dative	τῇ χρηστομᾰθείᾳ têi khrēstomatheíāi	τοῖν χρηστομᾰθείαιν toîn khrēstomatheíain	ταῖς χρηστομᾰθείαις taîs khrēstomatheíais
Accusative	τὴν χρηστομᾰ́θειᾰν tḕn khrēstomátheian	τὼ χρηστομᾰθείᾱ tṑ khrēstomatheíā	τᾱ̀ς χρηστομᾰθείᾱς tā̀s khrēstomatheíās
Vocative	χρηστομᾰ́θειᾰ khrēstomátheia	χρηστομᾰθείᾱ khrēstomatheíā	χρηστομᾰ́θειαι khrēstomátheiai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• (desire for learning): μᾰ́θησῐς (máthēsis)

Descendants

• → Latin: chrēstomathia
• → English: chrestomathy
• → Finnish: krestomatia
• → French: chrestomathie
• → Russian: хрестоматия (xrestomatija)
• → Swedish: krestomati
• → Polish: chrestomatia

Further reading

• “χρηστομάθεια”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• χρηστομάθεια in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette