Faith & RitualGreek → English
Christ
/kraɪst/noun
The title given to Jesus of Nazareth in Christian belief.
The Greek roots
χρίω
khríō
to anoint, rub with oil
Literally: “the anointed one”
Follow a root:χρίω2 words
The story of the word
Χριστός is a translation of Hebrew māšīaḥ, messiah, and both words mean smeared with oil, the ritual that made a man king or priest. It is a title and not a surname, which is why the Greek New Testament often says Jesus the Christ. The plain Greek word for the ointment itself, χρῖσμα, gives English chrism, the consecrated oil still used at confirmation.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → Old English → English
Same family
chrismchristenChristmasChristianChristopher
In a sentence
The mosaic shows Christ enthroned, with the donors kneeling at the edges.
Christ is a title, and the Gospels use it as one.