IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF GREEK WORDS IN ENGLISH

GREEK ETYMOLOGY IN ENGLISH

robmccaul@hotmail.com

English is a living language …and it is growing all the

time. One way that new languages grow is when words are borrowed from other tongues.

New words are also created when words or word elements, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes, are combined in new ways.

Many English words and word elements can be traced back to Latin and Greek. Often you can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word if you know the meaning of the roots.

A word root is a part of a word.

It contains the core meaning of the word, but it cannot stand alone.

A prefix is a word part that is placed at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. E.g. An- .

A suffix is a word part that is placed at the end of a word to change its meaning. E.g. –ism Socialism

Pedagogue (n)

Peda- Children

Gogue-LeaderDemograph (n)

Demos-PeopleDemagogue (n)

People-LeaderDisapproving a person, especiallyA political leader, who wins supportBy exciting people’s emotions ratherThan by having good ideas.

English is descended from Anglo-Saxon

1066 In 1066 England

was conquered by William, duke of Normandy, which is in northern France.

For several hundred years after the Norman invasion, French was the language of court and polite society in England. It was during this period that many French words were borrowed into English.

A Sponge Language

Many Latin words came into English directly, though, too. The Church

brought religious vocabulary as well as Christianity to England beginning in the 6th century.

Scholarly Borrowings

From the Middle Ages onward many scientific, scholarly, and legal terms were borrowed from Latin and Greek by people such as Isaac Newton.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, dictionary writers and grammarians generally felt that English was an imperfect language whereas Latin was perfect.

In order to improve the language, they deliberately made up a lot of English words from Latin and Greek words. For example, fraternity, from Latin fraternitas, was thought to be better than the native English word brotherhood.

A Mongrel Tongue Linguists estimate

that some 60% of common everyday vocabulary in English today comes from French.

Thus many Latin/Greek words came into English indirectly through French.

“Are oysters really an aphrodisiac?”

From the Greek goddess of love

and beauty Aphrodite

(Άφροδίτη)

something, usually a drug or food, which is believed to cause sexual desire in people

A is for...Aphrodisiac (n/ adj.) /ˌæf.rəˈdɪz.i.æk/

Defn: the part of the Earth’s environment where life exists.“The biosphere is a thin blue shell in which all life on planet Earth exists.”

derived from βίος -bíos- life

B is for...

Biosphere n /

ˈbaɪ.ɒs.fIər/

C is for...

/əˈnæk.rə.nɪ.zəm/Defn: a person, thing or idea which

exists out of its time in history, especially one which happened or existed later than the period being

shown, discussed, etc.Noun: “For some people, marriage is an anachronism

from the days when women needed to be protected.”

Adj: anachronistic /əˌnæk.rəˈnɪs.tɪk/

“He described the law as anachronistic (= more suitable for an earlier time) and ridiculous.”

Adv: anachronistically /əˌnæk.rəˈnɪs.tɪ.kli/

Related words: Chronology, Synchronize and Chronometer

Χρόνος = Chronos = Time

AnaChronism (n)

D is for...

/dɪˈmɒk.rə.si/the belief in freedom and equality

between people, or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by

elected representatives or directly by the people themselves

“The government has promised to uphold the principles of

democracy.”

“The early 1990s saw the spread of democracy in Eastern Europe.”

a country in which power is held by elected representatives

“Few of the Western democracies still have a royal family.”Κράτος=Kratos=power, strength

see Pantocrator

Δῆμος=DEMOS=PEOPLE See Demographic, demonstration

Democracy (n)

E is for...

/ˈjuː.fəˌmɪ.z(ə)m/

N, a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word

'Senior citizen' is a euphemism for 'old person'.

The article made so much use of euphemism that often its meaning was unclear.

euphemistic adj. /ˌjuː.fəˈmɪs.tɪk/

Euphemistically adv. /ˌjuː.fəˈmɪs.tɪ.kli/

εὖ (eu, “well”) + φήμη (phēmē, “a voice,

a prophetic voice, rumor, talk”) + φάναι (phanai, “to speak, say”) See also Eulogy, Euphoria

Euphemism (n)

F is for...

/fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/something that exists and can be

seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something which is

unusual or interesting Gravity is a natural phenomenon.

Do you believe in the paranormal and other psychic phenomena?

There's evidence to suggest that child abuse is not just a recent phenomenon.

someone or something extremely successful,

often because of special qualities or abilities

The Beatles were a phenomenon - nobody had heard anything like

them before.Φαινόμενoν=Phenomenon=something seen or heard

Phenomenon (Pl. na)

G is for...

/ˈpɒl.ɪ.glɒt/Adj. speaking or using several

different languages

“She was reading a polyglot bible, with the text in

English, Latin and Greek.”

Adj. containing people from many different and distant

places

New York is an exciting polyglot city.

Noun- Speaker of several languages

“My tutor's something of a polyglot - she speaks seven

languages.”

Γλωττίς=Glottis=Tounge

Πολύς=Polus=Many

polyGlot (n)

H is for...

/ˌdiː.haɪˈdreɪt/ to (cause to) lose water Air travel dehydrates the body. You'll dehydrate (= lose water

from your body) very quickly in this heat, if you don't drink lots of water. Also...

/ˈhaɪ.drɪ.dʒən/the lightest gas, with no colour,

taste or smell, that combines with oxygen to form water

ὕδωρ=Hydor=Water

deHydrate (v)

I is for...

/ˌɪd.i.əˈsɪŋ.krə.si/ n a strange or unusual habit, way

of behaving or feature that someone or something has

She often cracks her knuckles when she's speaking - it's one of her little idiosyncrasies.

“One of the idiosyncrasies of this printer is that you can't stop it once it has started to print.”

Idiosyncratic adj. /ˌɪd.i.ə.sɪŋˈkræt.ɪk/

“The film, 3 hours long, is directed in his usual idiosyncratic style.”

From ἴδιος (“peculiar”) + σύν (“with”) + κρᾶσις (“mixture”)

Idiosyncrasy (n)

J is for Julius CaesarA well known Philhellenist (Lover of Greek Culture)

DID YOU KNOW? The month of July is named after Julius Caesar.

It used to be called Quintilis

He had an eponymously titled play written about him by the famous bard William Shakespeare

He reformed the calendar and it stood for over 1600 years, some countries, such as Russia, used it well into the 20th Century.

He was assassinated by a group of senators because they considered him to be a tyrant

He conquered Gaul (present day France and Belgium) for Rome

He was the first to print his own bust on Roman minted coins

Famously said “ἀνεῤῥίφθω κύβος!” (Aneriftho Kubros- the die is cast) as he “crossed the Rubicon” river and declared war on the Roman Republic. This phrase has now entered the language meaning -to do something that inevitably commits one to following a certain course of action.

E.g. “Jane crossed the Rubicon by signing the contract. Find another job before you cross the Rubicon and resign from this one.”

•Caesar was the first ever Roman to be officially deified.

•His name would become a title in itself. It was greatly promulgated in the bible by the famous verse "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's". The title became the German Kaiser and Slavic Tsar/Czar.

Greek had no native words with J so...

K is for...

/ˌsaɪ.kəʊ.kɪˈniː.sɪs/changing the state or position of a

physical object, using only the power of the mind

psychokinetic adj. /ˌsaɪ.kəʊ.kɪˈnet.ɪk/

Also Pop Psychology n theories and advice about people's

behaviour that are easily understood and intended to help people improve their lives

“Why is it women that buy the majority of pop psychology, self-help manuals?”

Kinetic energy n /kɪˈnet.ɪk/

involving or producing movement

ψυχή=Psyche=Mind

PsychoKinesis

L is for Logy as in...

/ˌænt .θrəˈpɒl.ə.dʒi/ the study of the human race, its culture and

society and its physical development

anthropological adj. /ˌænt .θrə.pəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/

anthropological research/fieldwork

the Anthropological Library/Department

anthropologically adv. /ˌænt .θrə.pəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kli/

Also anthropomorphism n/ˌænt .θrə.pəʊ ˈmɔː.fɪ.zəm/

the showing or treating of animals, gods and objects as if they are human in appearance, character or behaviour

“The books 'Alice in Wonderland', 'Peter Rabbit' and 'Winnie-the-Pooh' are classic examples of anthropomorphism.”

ἄνθρωπος=Anthropos=Human Being

AnthropoLogy

M is for…

/nɪˈmɒn.ɪk/n,adj.something such as a very short poem or a

special word used to help a person remember something

“The musical notes on the lines go EGBDF - use the mnemonic 'every good boy deserves

fun'.”

“Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain

For remembering the order of the colours of the rainbow,- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue,

Indigo and Violet.

“Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have thirty-one, Save February, with twenty-eight days

clear, And twenty-nine each leap year.” for remembering the lengths of the months.

See also Amnesia, Amnesty

μνημονικός =mnēmonikós =of memory

Mνημοσύνη=Mnemosyne /nɪˈmɒsəni/=the Greek titaness and mother of the nine muses

Mnemonic

N is for…/ˌnæn.əʊ. tek

ˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ an area of science which deals with

developing and producing extremely small tools and machines by controlling the arrangement of separate atoms

Νάνος=Nano=Dwarf

Techology: 1610s, "discourse or treatise on an art or the arts," from Gk. tekhnologia "systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique," originally referring to grammar, from tekhno- + -logia . The meaning "science of the mechanical and industrial arts" is first recorded 1859. High technology attested from 1964; short form high-tech is from 1972.

Techno: from Gk. tekhno-, combining form of tekhne "art, skill, craft, method, system," probably from PIE base *tek- "shape, make" (cf. Skt. taksan "carpenter," L. texere "to weave;" .

Nanotechnology

O is for...

/ˌpæn.ərˈɑː.mə/a view of a wide area From the

hotel roof you can enjoy a panorama of the whole city.

“From the hotel roof you can enjoy a panorama of the whole city.”

a view, description or study of events or activities The investigation revealed a panorama of corruption and illegal dealings.

“The investigation revealed a panorama of corruption and illegal dealings.”

Panoramic adj. /ˌpæn.ərˈæm.ɪk/

“a wonderful panoramic view of the countryside”

πᾶν=pan=all + ὅραμα=orama=sightSee also-Panacea=cure-all, -Pandemic of all the people,-Pantheon=all the gods, -Pantomime=all actors, imitators, -Panathenaikos=all of the Athenians: a Greek football club-Pandemonium=All the demons

PanOrama (n)

P is for...

/ˈpɒl.ɪ.tɪks/ the activities of the government, members of

law-making organizations or people who try to influence the way a country is governed

“Joe is very active in left-wing politics.”

the job of holding a position of power in the government

“The group is campaigning to get more women into politics.”

“He is planning to retire from politics next year.”

the study of the ways in which a country is governed

“She read politics at Leicester University.”

sb's politics

someone's opinions about how a country should be governed

“Her politics have become more liberal over the past few years.”

the relationships within a group or organization which allow particular people to have power over others

“I don't like to get involved in office politics.”

Politician n. /ˌpɒl.ɪˈtɪʃ.ən/a member of a government or law-making organization “a distinguished/disgraced politician”Political adj. Politically adv.

Politically Correct adj.•describes someone who believes that language and actions which could be offensive to others, especially those relating to sex and race, should be avoided“Some people think that 'fireman' is a sexist term, and prefer the politically correct term 'firefighter'.”

•describes a word or expression that is used instead of another one to avoid being offensivePolitical Correctness n“We can't even use the word 'chairman'! It's just political correctness gone mad!”

Πολιτικος=politikós=citizen

See also Metropolis,Cosmopolitan, Police, Polite, Megapolis

Politics

Q is for…

“What is the name of the famous Greek philosopher who stated that “Man is by nature a political animal?”

Ἀριστοτέλης (Aristotle)

And which other well-known ancient Greek said that “Man is the measure of all things.”

Πρωταγόρας (Protagoras)

Quotations

R is for...

/ˈret.ər.ɪk/n speech or writing which is intended

to be effective and influence people

“How far the president will be able to translate his campaign rhetoric into action remains to be seen.”

“I was swayed by her rhetoric into donating all my savings to the charity.”

specialized the study of the ways of using language effectively

disapproving clever language which sounds good but is not sincere or has no real meaning

“In reply to the question, he just produced a lot of empty (= meaningless) rhetoric.”

Rhetorical Question n

a question that is asked in order to make a statement and which does not expect an answer

“"Why do these things always happen to me?" is a rhetorical question.”

ῥητορικός =rhētorikós=oratorical, of speaking

Rhetoric

S is for.../ˈsɑː.kæz.əm/ the use of remarks which clearly mean

the opposite of what they say, and which are made in order to hurt someone's feelings or to criticize something in a humorous way

“"You have been working hard, " he said with heavy sarcasm, as he looked at the empty page.”

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit/humour.

saying, said to mean that sarcasm is very unkind

sarcastic adj. /sɑːˈkæs.tɪk/ (sarky inf. UK)

using sarcasm a sarcastic comment/remark

“Are you being sarcastic?

sarcastically adv. /sɑːˈkæs.tɪ.kli/

“Thanks so much for your help, " Tim said sarcastically.”

Σάρξ=Sarx=Flesh

Κάζω=Kazo=Tear

Sarcasm (n)

T is for...

/ˈæt.rə.fi/ (of a part of the body) to be reduced

in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker

“After several months in a hospital bed, my leg muscles had atrophied.”

“In the 1980s, their political power gradually atrophied (= became weaker).”

Atrophy n /ˈæt.rə.fi/ (n)

(of a part of the body) to be reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker After several months in a hospital bed, my leg muscles had atrophied.

“In the 1980s, their political power gradually atrophied (= became weaker).”

Τἣλε=tele=far offTelevision, telescope=see far off; telephone hear far off; Telethon,

Telepathy feel, perceive far off πάθος=pathos=feeling(one of Aristotles’ modes of persuasion) See also Pathetic, sympathetic, apathetic, pathology...

Atrophy (v)

Unanimous decision

/juːˈnæn.ɪ.məs/ n If a group of people are unanimous,

they all agree about one particular matter or vote the same way, and if a decision or judgment is unanimous, it is formed or supported by everyone in a group The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty after a short deliberation.

After a lengthy discussion we reached a unanimous decision on the proposal.

The new format has unanimous support and could be introduced next season.

unanimously adv. /juːˈnæn.ɪ.mə.sli/

All four proposals to the committee were unanimously approved.

There aren’t many Greek words that begin with U,V or W in English so let’s use Latin, the noble language of the Romans, for this one..

Unanimous: 1610s, from Latin unanimus "of one mind," from unus "one" + animus "mind“.

See also: Magnanimous n 1580s, from Latin magnanimus "highminded," lit. "great-souled). Related: Magnanimously.

Animus: 1820, "temper" (usually in a hostile sense), from L. animus "soul, mind, courage, desire," related to anima "living being, soul, mind, disposition, passion, courage, anger, spirit, feeling,"

U is for…

V is for...

/ˌdev.əlzˈæd.və.kət/N, someone who pretends, in an argument or

discussion, to be against an idea or plan which a lot of people support, in order to make people discuss and consider it in more detail

“I don't really believe all that - I was just playing devil's advocate.”

Advocate v, /ˈæd.və.keɪt/

to publicly support or suggest an idea, development or way of doing something [+ -ing verb] She advocates taking a more long-term view.

“He advocates the return of capital punishment.”

Advocate n

a lawyer who defends someone in a court of law

Advocate (supporter) n

someone who publicly supports something

“He's a strong advocate of state ownership of the railways.”

mid-14c., "one whose profession is to plead cases in a court of justice," a technical term from Roman law, from O.Fr. avocat, from L. advocatus "one called to aid," originally pp. of advocare "to call" (as witness or advisor) from ad- "to" + vocare "to call," related to vocem. The verb is first attested 1640s.

See also vocation, evoke, revoke, provoke, provocative, vocal, voice, vociferous,

Devil’s AdVocate (n)

W is for...

/ˈdʌbəljuː/ "Double U" is the only English letter name with more

than one syllable, except for the occasionally used, though somewhat archaic, "œ”(its name is pronounced similar to "ethel"), and the archaic pronunciation of Z

izzard. This gives the nine-syllable initialism www the irony of

being an abbreviation that takes three times as many syllables to say as the unabbreviated form.

Some speakers therefore shorten the name "double u" into "dub" only; for example, University of Washington,

University of Wyoming and University of Western Australia are all known colloquially as "U Dub", and the automobile company Volkswagen, abbreviated VW, is

sometimes pronounced "V-Dub". The fact that many website URLs still require a "www."

prefix has likewise given rise to a shortened version of the original, three-syllable pronunciation.

It is also the only English letter whose name is not pronounced with any of the sounds that the letter typically makes. Many others, however, prefer to

pronounce the w as dub-u, reducing it to two syllables. For example, www would be six syllables rather than

nine, being pronounced dub-u dub-u dub-u. The common method of pronouncing dub-u would almost be

unmistakably double-u.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,Seem here no painful inch to gain,Far back, through creeks and inlets making,Comes silent, flooding in, the main.And not by eastern windows only, .When daylight comes, comes in the light;In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly! .But westward, look, the land is bright!

Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-1861)Say not the Struggle Naught AvailethQuoted memorably by Sir Winston ChurchillIn his radio address to the nation of April 27th, 1941.

W & WinstonAn Orator of the Classical Greek

tradition

X is for...

φόβος/φοβία =Phobia=fear

/ˌzen.əˈfəʊ.bi.ə/extreme dislike or fear of foreigners, their customs, their religions, etc.Xenophobic adj. /ˌzen.əˈfəʊ.bɪk/“a xenophobic mistrust of everything that isn't British”See also ...•Cyberphobia- Fear of computers or working on a computer. •Demophobia- Fear of crowds. •Francophobia - Fear of France or French culture.•Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia- Fear of responsibility.•Microphobia- Fear of small things.•Nosocomephobia- Fear of hospitals.•Nyctophobia- Fear of the dark or of night.•Soceraphobia- Fear of parents-in-law.•Staurophobia- Fear of crosses or the crucifix.

•In some cases a word ending in -phobia may have an antonym with the suffix –phile/ia- i.e. Hibernophile/philia and Hibernophobia/phobe fear of the Irish!!!

Xenophobia (n)

Y is for... /ˌhaɪ.pəʊ ˈkɒn.dri.ə/

a state in which a person continuously worries about their health

“ Without having any reason to do so I thought the doctor was going to accuse me of hypochondria.”

hypochondriac n, adj. /ˌhaɪ.pəʊ ˈkɒn.dri.æk/

“She's a terrible hypochondriac - she's always at the doctor's.”

ὕπο=hupo=under

1839, "illness without a specific cause," earlier (1668) "depression or melancholy without real cause," earlier still (1373) ypocandria "upper abdomen," from L.L. hypochondria "the abdomen," from Gk. hypokhondria (neut. pl.), from hypo- "under" + khondros "cartilage" (of the breastbone). Reflecting ancient belief that the viscera of the hypochondria were the seat of melancholy.

Hypochondria (n)

Zealot (n)

Ζηλωτής=zelotes=emulator

/ˈzel.ət/•a person who has very strong opinions about something, and tries to make other people have them too a “ religious zealot”

Zealous adj. /ˈzel.əs/

•enthusiastic and eager “a zealous supporter of the government's policies”

zealously adverb/ˈzel.ə.sli/ zealousness noun /ˈzel.ə.snəs/

zeal n /ziːl/ great enthusiasm or eagerness “reforming/missionary/religious zeal”“a real zeal for money-making”

“missionary zeal” n extreme enthusiasm

Z is for...

1. Which of these is a frivolous lover?

a) a mysogynistb) a philandrist

c) a philandererd) a philogynist

ANSWER C A misogynist "hates" women. A philogynist loves them. A philandrist, or lover of men,- meaning males - is the opposite of a misandrist.Originally a philanderer was somebody with whom marriage was impossible. Later it became a more general term: somebody who has many love-affairs. Probably after a character in the theatre or in poetry: Philander.

2. What part of the human anatomy does the word "pollex" refer to?

a) thumb

b) nasal passage

c) big toe

d) elbowANSWER A Hallux is the big toe.Castor and Pollux are an altogether different "pair".

3. What deficiency is meant by "anopsia"?

a) inability to seeb) inability to smellc) inability to heard) inability to sing

ANSWERN A An-opsia : literally, absence of sight.

4. When will things happen, if they have been relegated to the Greek calends?a) halfway next week

b) halfway next yearc) halfway next monthd) never

Answer D The Ides of a month should not be confused with the "calendas" as in the Latin expression: ad calendas Graecas. The Ides of March were "halfway" March: 15th. Same applies to May, July, and October.For the other months the Ides were on the thirteenth day of the month.

5. What does it mean when something is called: ecdemic?

a) it is not on the level of university

b) it is of foreign originc) it causes allergiesd) it is of local originANSWER B The opposite of ecdemic would be endemic. Of local origin.Demos as in "democracy" refers to the "local people".

6. Who can be called a "philomath"?

a) a collector of post-stamps

b) somebody who loves mathematical puzzles

c) a linguist who combines philologic methods with mathematical modelsd) A lover of learner in generalANSWER D Manthanein has the meaning of "learning things".Philein means: to love; to like.

7.What is meant by an odeum?

a) something that causes strong dislike

b) poem expressing hatred

c) an anthology of songsd) A theatrical building

ANSWER D Odeums were also used for "singing". Compare with the word "ode" for a song or poem.Compare the Parisian "Odeon" where most of the great French "chansonniers" performed.

8. Which of these is the correct term for a sentence that makes use of all the letters of the alphabet?a) a pangloss

b) a pandectc) a panegyricd) a panagramANSWER D The "Pandecta" were the books covering all cases of law.A panegyric is originally a speech made for a large audience. The word is related to Latin grex for flock. A speech for the whole flock.Pangloss is a character in Rabelais. In Voltaire's "Candide" it refers to an incurable optimist.

9. What is a hapax legomenon?

a) a reading impediment

b) a story full of unhappy eventsc) a happy reading experience

d) A word that occurs onlyonce in a textANSWER D A hapax legomenon in an antique text is usually a crux

for philologists as the meaning cannot be deduced from comparisons with other occurrences of the word in other contexts.

10. "Lido" for beach derives from Latin ludere to play and refers to a beach with a casino.a) Trueb) FalseANSWER B FALSE Lido is not a Latin or Greek word at all. There is no link with either 'ludo' or 'libido'. It just happened to be the name of a beach near Venice. Because the beach of Venice was so famous, 'lido' became a term for similar beaches with lots of entertainment.