χρηστός
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
Χριστιανοί
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
Khristianos
English translation (word)
Christian
Transliteration (Etymon)
khrēstos
English translation (etymon)
good, honest
Century
2 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Apologiae I.41, 333A
Ed.
Ch. Munier, Justin, Apologie pour les chrétiens, Paris, 2006
Quotation
Χριστιανοὶ γὰρ εἶναι κατηγορούμεθα· τὸ δὲ χρηστὸν μισεῖσθαι οὐ δίκαιον
Translation (En)
because we are accused of being khristianoi “Christians”; but it is unfair that to khrēston “the good” be hated
Other translation(s)
Modern Greek: γιατί κατηγορούμαστε ότι είμαστε Χριστιανοί· δεν είναι δίκαιο να μισούμε το καλό
Parallels
Theophilus Antiochenus, Ad Autolycum 1.12
Modern etymology
"Χριστιανός" derives from "Χριστός", i.e. Christ (Chantraine 1970, 1277)
Persistence in Modern Greek
The word is still used in Modern Greek to denote the one who believes in Christ (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of MG)
Entry By
Maria Chriti
Comment
The etymology relies on iotacism, namely the phonetic confusion between [ē] and [i]: as a consequence, khrēstos was pronounced [khristos] in Justin's Greek, as it is in Modern Greek. A semantic combination between 'Christ' (Χριστός) and the concept of 'virtuοus' (χρηστός) has happened in the course of the history of the Greek language and in Modern Greek the name "Χρήστος" is celebrated in Christmas. Some Greeks, however, write their name as "Χρίστος", acknowledging its derivation from "Christ".