παρά

See also: παρα-, παρά-, πάρα, and Appendix:Variations of "para"

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• πᾰ́ρ (pár) — Epic, Lyric
• πᾰρ’ (par’) — apocopic
• πᾰ́ρᾰ (pára)
• πᾰραί (paraí) — Epic, Poetic

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *pərai, from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-. Compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀞𐀫 (pa-ro).

The genitive is from the PIE ablative of origin or cause. The dative is from the locative. The accusative is perhaps from a metaphor of going near someone to attack them. Compare Latin ante.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pa.rá/ → /paˈra/ → /paˈra/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pa.rá/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /paˈra/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /paˈra/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /paˈra/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /paˈra/

Preposition

πᾰρᾰ́ • (pará) (governs the genitive, dative, and accusative)

1. [+genitive]
   1. from
   2. because of
2. [+dative]
   1. at, beside, by, near

   μένειν παρὰ τισί ― ménein parà tisí ― to stay at someone's house/home

3. [+accusative]
   1. contrary to
   2. beside, by, near (w/ verbs of coming or going; w/ verbs of past motion; w/ verbs of striking or wounding)

   παρ’ ἔμ’ ἵστασο ― par’ ém’ hístaso ― stand by/beside me

Derived terms

• παρα- (para-)

Further reading

• “παρά”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “παρά”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “παρά”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• παρά in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• παρά in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “παρά”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G3844 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• παρά in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • against idem, page 18.
  • along idem, page 25.
  • among idem, page 27.
  • at idem, page 48.
  • before idem, page 69.
  • beside idem, page 75.
  • by idem, page 107.
  • contrary idem, page 169.
  • contravention idem, page 169.
  • deposit idem, page 212.
  • during idem, page 256.
  • except idem, page 288.
  • from idem, page 346.
  • house idem, page 408.
  • next idem, page 557.
  • parallel idem, page 591.
  • past idem, page 597.
  • pay idem, page 600.
  • presence idem, page 636.
  • reason idem, page 676.
  • refer idem, page 684.
  • resort idem, page 703.
  • rule idem, page 725.
  • time idem, page 875.
  • to idem, page 878.
  • violation idem, page 953.
  • visit idem, page 954.

Greek

Alternative forms

• παρ' (par')

Etymology

From Ancient Greek παρά (pará)

Preposition

παρά • (pará) (+ accusative)

1. despite, in spite of
2. less (minus; not including)
   1. (time) to (preceding the next whole hour)

      Είναι έξι παρά είκοσι πέντε.

      Eínai éxi pará eíkosi pénte.

      It's twenty-five to six

      (literally, “It's six less twenty-five.”)

      Στις έντεκα παρά τέταρτο.

      Stis énteka pará tétarto.

      At a quarter to eleven.

      (literally, “At eleven less (a) quarter.”)

Conjunction

παρά • (pará)

1. (qualifying a negative) but
2. (comparative) than

References

• παρά - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.