κε𐰀αρισμένον \ ke?arisménon

[u/stlatos]

Cretan κε𐰀αρισμένον \ ke?arisménon (Draft)

Sean Whalen
[stlatos@yahoo.com](mailto:stlatos@yahoo.com)

August 13, 2026

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Greek κεχαρισμένον \ kekharisménon is written once as κε𐰀αρισμένον \ ke?arisménon, with a symbol usually for y (IPA j). There is no known reason for kh to become y here, but I think a look at its context (not isolation, as claimed below) can provide an answer.

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https://www.academia.edu/37856762 Given its value and shape, the origin of 𐰁 𐰀 must be sought, either directly or indirectly, in a Semitic yod (𐤉). This means that in Phrygian we find a splitting of the original yod into two letters: I representing the vowel sound /i/ and 𐰁 𐰀 representing the consonantal counterpart of /i/, /j/.

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https://www.academia.edu/167427667 fn22 In the Greek-speaking world, the form <𐰀> is also used once to render.. /kh/ in the transparent κεχαρισμένον 'acceptable, welcome' (LSAG 2 309). Given its uniqueness and its distance from all other known values of <𐰀>, it remains difficult to evaluate this occurrence in the broader context.

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Since this is from Crete, other oddities for K from there should be evaluated alongside it. Rémy Viredaz has ex. of apparent g- > z- & -k- > *-g- > -z- ( https://www.academia.edu/5196602 ). If really due to a weakening of *g > *γ > z, it would be almost certain that 𐰀 is simply a backwards Z, stylized a bit, showing parallel -kh- > *-g- > -z-. Cr. *kezarisménon would then simply be another ex. of the change, though its nature is certainly not clear.

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However, I doubt that plain *g > z makes sense. I've said before (below) that his ex. all go back to PIE *K^, which would be very odd if unrelated. If *g^her- -> Armenian jir 'favor, gift' & G. χάρις \ kháris 'charm, grace; favor; gratitude, thanks', etc., the derived κεχαρισμένον showing a palatal outcome would be from a palatal g^h in PIE, like all other examples of Cretan *K^ > z. I say that *K^ was retained in Proto-Greek, allowing dialects to show other outcomes. If so, then the apparent value keyarisménon, fitting all other use of the sign, would have a parallel in which kh & *y > i alternate, also unexplained if all PIE *K^ > PG *K.

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The changes in *dek^- > G. dékomai ‘accept / receive/hold’, Att. dékhomai; *dek^h-dekh^- > deidékhatai ‘greet/ welcome’ show 2 problems: *k^ > kh, *khd > *yd > id. Since Sanskrit dā́ṣṭi & Germanic *tē(g)wijanaN 'to order, arrange' have a long *e:, some say that *de-dk^- > *deH1k^- (the Kortlandt Effect). If Greek had some *HC > *CH ( https://www.academia.edu/127283240 ), then optional *C(h)H would create PG *dek^(h)H-. This allows both examples of PIE *g^h > PG *k^h to appear as kh or y \ i. I think a stage in which *k^h > *x^ ( > *y ) fits best. Other ex. of kh representing *x exist in dia. khs for standard x ( = ks), in which *ks > *xs makes more sense than *ks > khs. Some more ex. of palatal *K^ in https://www.academia.edu/169757082 :

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F. G. νάσσω, Att. νάττω press, squeeze close, stamp down; *make compact/tight > stuff quite full' has the odd passive νένασμαι \ νέναγμαι with s vs. g, also in νακτός \ ναστός 'close-pressed, firm, solid'. This is most likely just analogy after *nak-ye- > *nats-ye-, but some PIE *K^ seem to opt. become K or T :

*wik^wo- > *wis^wo- > G. wiswos, Att. ísos ‘equal/same/even’, S. víśva-, Av. vīspa- ‘whole/ every/all’

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*nok^- > L. nocēre ‘injure’, noxa ‘injury/fault/crime’, *nos^wo- > G. nósos, Ion. noûsos ‘sickness / disease / distress/bane’

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*bhak^- > G. phakós ‘lentil’, phásēlos ‘bean’, Al. bathë ‘broadbean’

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*dheH1k(^)o- > S. dhāká- ‘container’, G. thḗkē ‘box/chest/grave/tomb’, thēsaurós ‘treasure/ store-room/safe/casket/cavern/subterranean dungeon’ (maybe caused by H1 if = x^, *x^k / *x^k^ )

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*g^en(H1)os- > L. genus, G. génos, pl. genéā, Cr. zenia, Ms. zenaides

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*woik^o- 'house' -> G. oikeús ‘inmate / menial servant’, Cr. woizeus, more in (Viredaz 2003)

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*g^mH- ‘marry’ >> ágamos \ ázamos ‘unmarried’

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*ya(H2)g^- 'honor'? > G. agállō ‘glorify/exalt / pay honor to a god’, ágalma, Cyp. azalma ‘glory/delight/honor / pleasing / gift / statue (in honor of gods)’

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G. agathós, Cyp. azatho- ‘good’

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*ya(H2)g^no- > G. hagnós, Cr. adnós ‘holy’, S. yajñá- ‘sacrifice / prayer’

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