βρέχω

Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *mergʰ- (“to moisten, wet”) via a metathesized schwebeablaut form of *mregʰ- or zero-grade form *mr̥gʰ-; cognates include Latvian merguot (“to rain slowly”), merga (“soft rain”).^[1]

The shift of PIE *mr > Greek *b is also seen in the unrelated βρεχμός (brekhmós, “front part of the head”), from *mregʰ- (“brain, skull”), as well as βραχύς (brakhús, “short, brief; few”), from *mr̥ǵʰús (“short, brief”).

βρέχω • (brékhō)

1. to wet, to drench
2. (Koine)
   1. send rain

      Ζεὺς ἔβρεχε ― Zeùs ébrekhe ― Zeus was sending rain

   2. (in 3rd singular as impersonal) it rains
      • New Testament, Revelation 11:6:

        ἵνα μὴ ὑετὸς βρέχῃ τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς προφητείας αὐτῶν

        hína mḕ huetòs brékhēi tàs hēméras tês prophēteías autôn

        that it may not rain in the days of their prophecies

• βροχή (brokhḗ), βροχετός (brokhetós), βροχμός (brokhmós), βρέγμα (brégma): “moistening, inundation; rain”
• βρόχιον (brókhion), βροχίς (brokhís): “ink-horn”

Compounds

• -βρέχ- at perseus.tufts.edu

• “βρέχω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βρέχω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “βρέχω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• βρέχω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette (in French)
• βρέχω in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024) (in Spanish)
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • bathe idem, page 65.
  • bedew idem, page 69.
  • damp idem, page 194.
  • drench idem, page 252.
  • moisten idem, page 538.
  • soak idem, page 790.
  • sprinkle idem, page 806.
  • steep idem, page 815.
  • wet idem, page 974.

From Ancient Greek βρέχω (brékhō, “to wet, drench. Sense "rain" since Hellenistic times”). The impersonal 3rd singulars, by ellipsis of noun God, or Zeus, or the cloud, etc. Unrelated to βρέγμα (vrégma, “(anatomy) bregma”), assumed as related by Hippocrates and Aristotle.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈvre.xo/
• Hyphenation: βρέ‧χω

βρέχω • (vrécho) (past έβρεξα, passive βρέχομαι, p‑past βράχηκα, ppp βρεγμένος / βρεμένος)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to wet, dampen

   Θα βρέξω τα ρούχα πριν τα σιδερώσω.

   Tha vréxo ta roúcha prin ta sideróso.

   I'll wet the clothes before I iron them.

   1. (transitive) to offer treat (usually a drink) for good luck for newly acquired goods

      Αγόρασα παπούτσια. Πάμε να τα βρέξουμε.

      Agórasa papoútsia. Páme na ta vréxoume.

      I bought new shoes. Let's go wet them [drink for their good luck].

2. (transitive) to send rain
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:βρέχω.

   Βρέχει ο Θεός και βρέχομαι. (proverb)

   Vréchei o Theós kai vréchomai.

   God rains and I get wet.

3. (intransitive) to rain (3rd person singulars are impersonal) βρέχει (vréchei)
   • 16th century Vitsentzos Kornaros (1553‑1613/14) Ἐρωτόκριτος [Erotokritos] Β´ 754

     καὶ πάντα κεῖ ποὺ πολεμᾷ, στράφτει, βροντᾶ καὶ βρέχει.

     kai pánta kei pou polemá, stráftei, vrontá kai vréxei

     and always in the place he fights, it flashes, thunders and it rains.

   Θα βρέξει; Μα ήδη βρέχει.

   Tha vréxei; Ma ídi vréchei.

   Will it rain? But it is already raining.

• βρεγμένος (vregménos, “wet”, participle), βρεμένος (vreménos)

Expressions:

• βρεγμένη σανίδα (vregméni sanída, “literally: wet plank (to spank or scold someone)”)
• βρέχει με το τουλούμι (vréchei me to touloúmi, “it's raining cats and dogs”) & see expressions for "rain" at βρέχει (“it rains”)
• έχω (κάποιον) μη στάξει και μη βρέξει (écho (kápoion) mi stáxei kai mi vréxei, “I treat (someone) with special care”)
• σαν τη βρεγμένη γάτα (san ti vregméni gáta, “literally: like a wet cat (disgraced)”)
• τις βρέχω (tis vrécho, “I spank”)

From stems βρεχ-βρεγ(βρεξ)-βροχ (& see their derivatives)

• άβρεχτος (ávrechtos, “unwetted”)
• αδιάβροχος (adiávrochos, “waterproof”)
• αιματόβρεχτος (aimatóvrechtos, “bloodsoaked”)
• αναβροχιά f (anavrochiá, “aridity”)
• ανεμόβροχο n (anemóvrocho) & -βροχο (-vrocho) compounds
• απόβροχο n (apóvrocho, “humidity and cold after the rain”)
• βρέξιμο n (vréximo, “making wet”)
• βροχερός (vrocherós, “rainy”)
• βρόχινος (vróchinos, “of rain”)
• βροχή n (vrochí, “rain”)
• δακρύβρεχτος (dakrývrechtos, “soaked in tears”) (ironic)
• διαβρέχω (diavrécho, “to imbue”)
• καταβρέχω (katavrécho, “to water, to sprinkle”)
• περιβρέχω (perivrécho, “to bath, to wet”)
• ψιλοβρέχει (psilovréchei, “to drizzle”)

• βρέχω, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language