Chrism - Etymology

Etymology

Greek χρῖμα or χρῖσμα, later χρίσμα "ointment, unguent, anointment" besides χρῖσται "oil, oil flask" and χριστός "fit to be anointed", in LXX and NT "the anointed, Messiah", "Christ", is from a verb χρίω, χρίομαι (long -ῑ-, later also short -ῐ-; aorist χρῖσαι, -σασθαι, -σθῆναι, perfect κέχριμαι, -ισμαι, -ικα), "smear, anoint, rub or daub with oil or grease".

The further connection of the Greek verb to Indo-European forms is fairly certain, stemming from Proto-Indo-European *ghrei-, "to rub". Cognates include Lithuanian gr(i)ejù, griẽti "skimming (of cream)" and Middle Low German grēme "dirt", Old English grīma "mask, helm, spectre" (from a meaning "covered, concealed", c.f. Tarnhelm), English grime, and possibly Phrygian gegreimenan "painted, ornamented, inscribed". A much more obvious cognate, and one with comparable religious significance, is Sanskrit ghṛtə घृत ("sprinkled"), modern ghee, used in Vedic and Hindu custom in anointment and other rituals.

χρίσμα came into Latin as chrisma, into Old French, by contamination with Latin cramum "cream" as cresme (Modern French crème) and finally into English, in the 14th century as creme, spelled cream with the Great Vowel Shift from the 15th century (crème as a dessert ingredient was re-borrowed in the 19th century). Chrism was loaned into English earlier, in the 11th century as crism, spelled with ch- from the 16th century.