χρῶμα (chroma)

Where it lives

De Sensu et Sensibilibus 34 · 43.51/10k
De Insomniis 4 · 16.76/10k
Meno 9 · 9.2/10k
Timaeus 15 · 6.35/10k
Categories 6 · 5.97/10k
Theaetetus 10 · 4.45/10k
Lysis 3 · 4.32/10k
Phaedo 9 · 4.13/10k
Philebus 7 · 3.97/10k
De Somno et Vigilia 1 · 3.36/10k
Cratylus 6 · 3.36/10k
Metaphysics 26 · 3.31/10k

Densest 12 of 43 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

χρῶμα · chrōma — LSJ

skin

skin, esp. of the human body, κάθαρσις διὰ τοῦ χρώματος Hp. Insomn. 89 (sed χρωτός recte cod. θ).

II colour, complexion, colour, colour

colour, esp. of the skin or body, complexion, Hdt. 2.32, 3.101, Hp. Aph. 4.40, etc.; χρῶμα ἀλλάξαι E. Ph. 1246, cf. Men. Epit. 466; μεθιστάναι τοῦ χρώματος Ar. Eq. 399 (lyr.); τὸ χ. διακεκναισμένος Id. Nu. 120; παντοδαπὰ ἠφίει χρώματα changed colour continually, Pl. Ly. 222b; χ. διαμένον an unchanging colour (of the face), Nicol.Com. 1.28; so of animals, x.Cyn. 4.7.

2 colour, pigments, the outside

generally, colour, Gorg. ap. S.E. M. 7.85; defined by Zeno Stoic. 1.26; χρώματα βάπτειν use pigments for dyeing, Pl. R. 429e; ἐκ τῶν χρωμάτων καὶ σχημάτων θεωρεῖν, i.e. look to the outside only, ib. 601a; διὰ τῶν χ. ἀπεικάζειν X. Mem. 3.10.1; χρώμασι καὶ σχήμασι μιμεῖσθαι Arist. Po. 1447a18; περὶ χρωμάτων, title of treatise by Arist.; ἐναλείφειν τοῖς χ. Id. GA 743b24; χρωμάτων κρᾶσις Luc. Zeux. 5; χρώματος ἔντριψις, of cosmetics, X. Cyr. 1.3.2; τοῖς ἐγχρίστοις εἰς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς χρώμασιν Arist.

III turmeric, Curcuma longa

turmeric, Curcuma longa, used in dyeing, Thphr. Od. 31.

IV complexion, character of style

complexion, character of style in writing, χρώματα [λέξεως] (of τὸ στριφνόν, τὸ τυκνόν, etc.) D.H. Amm. 2.2; ποιητικῆς χρώματα Phld. Mus. p.84K., cf. Hermog. Id. 1.12.

2 ornaments, embellishments

metaph. in pl., ornaments, embellishments, ἀλλοτρίοις χ. καὶ κόσμοις Pl. Phdr. 239d, cf. Grg. 465b; also of style or language, D.H. Comp. 20; of Music, γυμνωθέντα . . τῶν τῆς μουσικῆς χρωμάτων τὰ τῶν τοιητῶν Pl. R. 601b.

3 modification

in Music, a modification of the simplest music: τὰ μέλη μεταβολαῖς καὶ χρώμασιν ὡς εὖ κέκραται Antiph. 209.4; χρώματα εὔχροα ἐκιθάρισε Philoch. 66:but esp.

b chromatic

chromatic scale or music, οὔτε χρῶμα δειλοὺς οὔτε ἁρμονία ἀνδρείους ποιεῖ Anon. in PHib. 1.13.22, cf. Cleonid. Harm. 3, Bacch. Harm. 23, etc.: χ. μαλακόν, ἡμιόλιον, τονιαῖον, Cleonid. Harm. 7.

4 complexion, colourable pretence

Rhet., complexion, colourable pretence, Hermog. Stat. 1, 3 (pl.), Arg. D. 19 § 12.

V

of the factions in the Circus at Constantinople, Agath. 5.14, 21.

VI complexion

Astrol., = χρόα I.3, complexion of heavenly bodies, Phld. D. 3.9, Vett.Val. 107.26.

In the wild

χρωμάτων · chrōmatōn Aristotle, Analytica priora et posteriora AHys.Β (DIORISIS sentence 2415)
χρώμασι · chrōmasi Aristotle, Analytica priora et posteriora AHys.Β (DIORISIS sentence 2373)
χρῶμα · chrōma Aristotle, Analytica priora et posteriora AHys.Β (DIORISIS sentence 2414)
χρώματι · chrōmati Aristotle, Analytica priora et posteriora AHys.Β (DIORISIS sentence 2414)
χρώμασι · chrōmasi Aristotle, Ars Poetica 1
χρώματος · chrōmatos Aristotle, Athenian Constitution Ath. Pol..65 (DIORISIS sentence 784)

6 of 271 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) Treated in Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill 2010) s.v. χρῶμα (scan p. 1704; entry #6614).
Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch Treated in Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. χρῶμα (scan p. 2095; entry #6151).

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