What percentage of English words come from

Greek words?

In a typical 80,000-word English dictionary, about 5% of the words are directly borrowed from Greek. This is about equivalent to the vocabulary of an educated speaker of English (for example, “phenomenon” is a Greek word).

However, around 25% are borrowed indirectly. This is because there were many Greek words borrowed in Latin originally, which then filtered down into English because English borrowed so many words from Latin (for example, “elaiwa” in Greek evolved into the Latin “oliva” – which in turn became “olive” in English).

Greek is often used in coining very specialized technical or scientific words, however, so the percentage of words borrowed from Greek rises much higher when considering highly scientific vocabulary (for example, “oxytetracycline” is a medical term that has several Greek roots).

EXERCISES

[1]

Harold is an atypical student because he started college when he was 16.

A. typical B. not typical C. Normal D. ordinary

[2]

It is easy to understand her on the telephone because of her diction.

A. pleasant way of saying things B. clear, distinct pronunciation C. use of complex words D. use of the dictionary

[3]

The bibliophile owned more than a thousand volumes and was proud of his extensive book collection.

A. book lover B. librarian C. Bookseller D. rare book dealer

[4]The Vietnam Memorial is a black marble monument that is permanently inscribed with the names of all U.S. soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.A. illustrated B. engraved C. paintedD. decorated

[5]Lisa tried to convert other members of her family to vegetarianism, but they refused to give up meat.A. dissuade B. discourage C. turn aside D. turn others to one’s way of thinking

or behaving

[6]The lifeguard quickly pulled the child from the bottom of the swimming pool and revived him with CPR.A. brought back to life or

consciousness B. expelled water from the lungs C. made strong again D. rescued

[7]My father has four sisters, and of all my paternal aunts, I like Aunt Jane best.A. pertaining to the father B. pertaining to the mother C. pertaining to relatives D. pertaining to brothers

[8]The surgeon took a biopsy from the tumor and sent it to the laboratory for analysis.

A. sample of living tissue B. fluid C. x-ray D. report

[9]Although spanking used to be a common way to handle disciplinary problems, most school districts now prohibit corporal punishment.A. pertaining to the body B. pertaining to the military C. pertaining to schools D. pertaining to young children

[10]Collectors who have sophisticated taste in art often have their paintings featured in art magazines.

A. too expensive for the average collector

B. unusual C. knowledgeable and informed D. modern or contemporary