Many Greek words that are common in English were adopted directly from Greek – this is only 6%- or indirectly from Latin –this is 29%- as Latin had been strongly influenced by Greek. So, 35% of the English vocabulary is Greek!
Here are some interesting examples of English words that have Greek origin:
- English words influenced by the Greek Mythology
They are presented in this order with the Greek word or name (followed by a description) > the English word (followed by a definition).
Ares (god of war) > battle (to fight)
Atlas (a Titan who was condemned to carry the heavens upon his shoulders) > atlas (book of maps), Atlantic (the ocean)
Clotho (the youngest of the Three Fates who spun the thread of life) > cloth (material made by weaving)
Chronos (keeper of time) > chronology (events in order of time)
Erôs (god of love and sexual desire) > erotic (sexual in nature)
Hypnos (god of sleep) > hypnosis (a sleep-like state of consciousness)
Hêlios (god of the sun and guardian of oaths) > heliotrope (plant that turns towards the sun)
Khaos (the nothingness from which all sprang) > chaos (confusion, disorder)
Muses (goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science and the arts) > musical (of or like music), museum
Narcissus (a very vain god who fell in love with his own reflection) > narcissism (extreme love of self)
Nectar (drink of the gods) > nectar, nectarine (fruit juice or sweet plant secretion)
Nymph (beautiful maidens, lesser deities who cared for plants and animals) > nymph (beautiful woman)
Ôkeanos (God of the river Oceanus, the source of all the Earth’s fresh-water) > ocean (large body of water)
Typhon (father of all monsters) > typhoon (huge rotating tropical storm)
Zephyrus (god of the west wind) > zephyr (gentle west wind)
- English words which describe a concept found and founded in ancient Greece and strongly influenced thought and knowledge of the entire world.
Here is an indicative selection
theory (θεωρία)>theomai (θεώμαι)= to look
empirical (εμπειρική)>peiromai (πειρώμαι)= try, attempt
practical (πρακτική)>prato (πράττω)= to act
system (σύστημα)>syn+istimi (συν+ιστημι) = to set up together
method (μέθoδoς)>meta+odos (μετά+οδός)= the street after, that is a path leading to the solution.
logic (λoγική)>logos (λόγος)= to say, to measure
criteria (κριτήρια)>crino (κρίνω)= to judge
category (κατηγoρία)> kata+agorevo(κατά+αγορεύω)= to tell, judge according to
ideas (ιδέες)>Fid- (Fιδ-, stem of verb οιδα)= to know
programme (πρόγραμμα)>pro+grafo (προ+γράφω)= to write in advance
problems (πρoβλήματα)>pro+valo(προ+βάλλω)= to put in front (in order to find a solution or an answer)
symptoms (συμπτώματα)>syn+pipto (συν+πίπτω)= to fall together (I fall from the usual)
therapy (θεραπεία)>therapon (θεράπων)= the person who was the priest of a God and took care of the ill person through praying but also applying other methods that, it was believed, they were transmitted to him by God
enthousiasm (ενθουσιασμός)>en+theos (εν+θεός)= the situation of havin the spirit of God (theos) into (en) yourself. During the fests the ancient people organized for God Dionysus they came to a situation of singing songs for the God
symmetry (συμμετρία)>syn+metro (συν+μέτρο)= fit to measure or to standard
democracy (δημoκρατία)>dimos+kratos (δήμος+κράτος)= dimos(=people)+kratos(=authority), power, so democracy is the system of government in which people have the authority
politics (πολιτική)>polis (πόλις)= city and also state
poetry (πoίηση)>pio (ποιώ)= to create
theatre (θέατρo)>theomai(θεώμαι)= to see
philosophy(φιλοσοφία)>philos+sofia (φίλος+σοφία)= friend of wisdom
economy (oικoνoμία)>oikos+nemo (οίκος+νέμω)= house+manage, command, apparently the household management is replaced nowadays by the enterprise management
physics (φυσική)>physis (φύσις)= nature
biology (βιολογία)>bios+logos (βίος+λόγος)= life+talk, the discussion about life
music (μoυσική)>muses (μούσες)= t he Muses were the Greek goddesses of inspiration in literature, science and the arts. This meaning is kept at the word ‘’museum’’ , but the meaning was limited in only one art for the word ‘’music’’.
athletics (αθλητισμός)> athlos (άθλος)= achievement
analysis (ανάλυση)> ana+lysis (ανά+λύσις)= to give a wide solution
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