# σύγχυση vs σύγχιση



## winegrower

Looking for the right spelling of the word on WR-dictionary, I found both versions and thought it can be spelled either way. Then I noticed that the english tranlations are different. In the case of σύγχιση=muddle/distraction/disorder, while for σύγχυση=confusion. So I suppose the two words have different etymologies but I can't find them.
Help please?


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## brian

σύγχυσις, -εως meant "mixture" and "confusion" in Ancient Greek.

It comes from the verb συγχύνω, "to confound, confuse," from:συν, "with" + χύνω < χέω, "to pour" = *to pour together, commingle, confound*.​I'm not aware of any Ancient Greek noun συνχ*ί*σ-, though it seems plausible that a word like that (especially if it came about later, and the spelling were due to pronunciation reasons) would have the same etymology as the one above.


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## Δημήτρης

Until now, I was almost sure that σύγχιση is a misspelling but it seems like that's not the case.



> *σύγχυση* = μπέρδεμα, ανακάτεμα, νοητική διαταραχή (οι αντιφάσεις του δημιούργησαν σύγχυση στο ακροατήριο) | *σύγχιση* = ψυχική αναστάτωση, εκνευρισμός, ταραχή ( αποφύγετε τις συγχίσεις)


http://www.teicrete.gr/users/kutrulis/Glosika/Mikro_Lexiko.htm



> σύγχυση νοημάτων (<συγχέω) - ψυχική σύγχιση (<συγχίζω)


http://users.att.sch.gr/ikomninou/Common mistakes it.htm


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## Traduita

This is Babiniotis' dictionary point of view, because συγχύζομαι comes to be assimilated with the verbs in -ιζω paradigm. 
Triantafyllidis dictionary, on the other hand, keeps has no σύγχιση, only σύγχυση. I have always also seen and written σύγχυση, never σύγχιση. 
I think that that the two concepts (mental and emotional σύγχυση) are quite related and the distinction in spelling is quite pedantic.  
Also, personally I find it both confusing and upsetting when spelling of words in the media and elsewhere seems to change suddenly because of one person's or linguistic school's etymological explanation (the Βατοπέδι becoming Βατοπαίδι is the other case that comes to mind easily now).


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## winegrower

Traduita said:


> This is Babiniotis' dictionary point of view, because συγχύζομαι comes to be assimilated with the verbs in -ιζω paradigm.
> Triantafyllidis dictionary, on the other hand, keeps has no σύγχιση, only σύγχυση. I have always also seen and written σύγχυση, never σύγχιση.
> I think that that the two concepts (mental and emotional σύγχυση) are quite related and the distinction in spelling is quite pedantic.
> Also, personally I find it both confusing and upsetting when spelling of words in the media and elsewhere seems to change suddenly because of one person's or linguistic school's etymological explanation (the Βατοπέδι becoming Βατοπαίδι is the other case that comes to mind easily now).


 I always respect your opinion Traduita but in this case, as Δημήτρης pointed out, the two words come from different verbs, namely: σύγχυση νοημάτων (<συγχέω) - ψυχική σύγχιση (<συγχίζω) -By the way, this is what I suspected. Do you still think they are more or less synonyms?


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## Traduita

Thank you. Maybe the reason is that i always write συγχύζω, this συγχίζω business is totally news to me .  I don't even remember ever seeing συγχίζω. 

In any case,  συγχύζω originally comes from συγχέω. The origin is the same, like brian supposed, either through σύγχυσα (Babiniotis) or σύγχυσις (Andriotis). Also, in Chypriot Greek συγχύζω does mean συγχέω/ μπερδεύω. 
The argument for two different spellings is just that συγχύζω has become an -ίζω verb (ποτίζω, ραντίζω etc.) and thus should be spelled συγχίζω. And accordingly  we should have two spellings for σύγχυση: συγχίζω>σύγχιση / συγχέω>σύγχυση.  
 The main reason that I disagree with this, as I said before is that I don't like novelties and trends in spelling. I prefer to do things as I have learned at school as far as spelling is concerned. This of course is just my opinion. 
Also, in this case, I think the two concepts (mental σύγχυση and emotional σύγχυση) are related although they are not the same. And sometimes they blur. What about "Μέσα στη σύγχυσή μου ξέχασα να πάρω τα κλειδιά και κλείστηκα απέξω"? It should be "σύγχιση" maybe,  but it also points to mental confusion.


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## cougr

I think that the two words under consideration exemplify the richness of nuance and subtlety of the Greek language . As has been described in the previous posts, although both words have a similar meaning , *σύγχιση* is associated more with a feeling or emotional state as opposed to a purely mental phenomenon.


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## winegrower

Our difference is that I don't have a classical cultural background, on the contrary my mind is practical and adds 1+1=2, so I have trouble discovering Cougr's nuanses and subtleties of the language! I guess I'll have to take your word for it!


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## brian

How can the Greek language be considered "rich" in this context (based on these two words) when in conversation they are pronounced exactly the same?

That is, in conversation they cannot be distinguished.


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## Traduita

Well, a language can be called "rich" if it has a word for every conceivable concept, or if it has many concepts nicely packed into fewer words. They are different kinds of wealth, if you want to go there. 

By the way, is "depression" one word, or is it three or four because its meaning is different depending on whether we are talking about emotions, economy or geography? Should a different spelling be created to distinguish between different meanings of "depression"? 

I have just googled σύγχιση and σύγχυση. Predictably, there are 23.000 something hits of σύγχιση and 669.000 of σύγχυση. * The problem is that in these hits most the times σύγχιση refers to mental confusion, not being upset or angry.* So, I think that this trend to distinguish the two meanings just confuses people more, and most will think σύγχυση can be written eitherway, like many other words, or simply that σύγχυση has been simplified to σύγχιση, again many other words. 

I 'll soon be changing my signature to "Κάτω τα χέρια από τη σχολική ορθογραφία!"...


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## cougr

brian8733 said:


> How can the Greek language be considered "rich" in this context (based on these two words) when in conversation they are pronounced exactly the same?
> 
> That is, in conversation they cannot be distinguished.


 
In this instance I was basically alluding to the richness of the language in it's written form ,using the two words under consideration as just one example of the numerous cases where words may sound similar but have various spellings depending on their meaning and etymology.

I  am aware that in many cases it could be argued whether such complexities actually enrich or enhance a language or detract from it.


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## cougr

Winegrower ,here's something that's a bit more tangible and more to the point in relation to your initial question :

Η νοητική σύγχυση παράγεται απ' το συγχέω, ενώ η απότοκος σύγχιση απ' το συγχίζω/-ομαι, που προέρχεται από τον αόριστο συνέχυσα [του συγχέω] κατά τα εις -ίζω [πδχ. ζωγράφησα - ζωγραφίζω, συνέχυσα - συγχίζω κ.ο.κ.]

It is further discussed in the following link

http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_fpage_text/dt=16.03.2002,id=45249924


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## winegrower

cougr said:


> Winegrower ,here's something that's a bit more
> It is further discussed in the following link
> http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_fpage_text/dt=16.03.2002,id=45249924


Thanks Cougr, very interesting. This kind of confirm my initial assumption that we're talking about two different words here, but some members of the forum seem to have a different opinion.


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## orthophron

I don't think Babiniotis is strict in case of "συγχ?ζω". Although he suggests "συγχίζω" as the correct spelling, in a special note in the entry of "αντικρίζω" he accepts the spelling "συγχύζω", classifying the verb among those considered original (not formed by adding the suffix -ίζω to a noun) and thus keeping -υ-. Did you see it? This being the case, it results in "σύγχυση" carrying the meaning of "συγχύζω" (apart from that of "συγχέω").
I am still wondering if I have missed something though.


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