Ancient Greek

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Uncertain. Probably from Proto-Indo-European *wreh₁ǵ-; compare Old Armenian երգիծանեմ (ergicanem, I tear, dissect), Lithuanian rėžti, and Old Church Slavonic рѣзати (rězati, to cut, slaughter).[1] Also compare Latin frangō and Old English brecan (English break), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-. Further compare Sanskrit रुजति (rujati, break up, break open, shatter) and Albanian rrege.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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ῥήγνῡμῐ (rhḗgnūmi)

  1. (transitive) to break asunder, tear, rend, shatter
    1. to break through a line or body of men
    2. (post-Homeric) to break into speech, speak out
    3. to burst into tears
  2. (passive voice) to break, burst
    1. to burst forth
    2. (of ships) to be wrecked
    3. to be inscribed on
  3. (intransitive) to break, burst forth

Inflection

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1282-3

Further reading

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