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Words from Ancient Greece

© Copyright 2003, Jim Loy

Quite a few English words come from ancient Greece. Here are some of the most common:

• academy (from place where Plato taught) place of learning
• acme = point of perfection
• adonis (from Adonis in mythology) = handsome young man
• aegis (from shield of Zeus) protection, patronage
• aesthetic (from aesthesis = feeling, perception) = pertaining to a sense of what is beautiful
• amazon (from Amazons, a race of warrior women) = female soldier, manlike woman
• apocalypse (from apocalypsis = revelation) = prophecy (of destruction)
• apology (from apologia = speech in self defense) = expression of regret
• aurora (from Aurora, goddess of dawn) = Northern (and Southern) Lights
• Cassandra = Trojan priestess who made prophecies but was never believed.
• catharsis = a cleansing from guilt
• chaos = state of confusion, opposite of cosmos
• charisma = divine power, ability to inspire
• chimerical (from the monster Chimera) = unbelievable
• colossal = (from colossus, any huge statue) huge
• cosmos = world or universe
• daemon = spirit being
• delphic (from the oracle at Delphi) = ambiguous, enigmatic
• draconian (from the law giver Draco) = harsh, cruel
• echo (from Echo, who disappeared, leaving only her voice) = reflected sound
• epicurean (from philosopher Epicurus) = person who prefers sensual pleasures
• eureka = real, true, I have found it
• Gordian knot (Gordius tied the knot, Alexander cut it) = difficult puzzle, shortcut solution to such a puzzle
• halcyon (from kingfisher) calm, peaceful
• herculean (from Hercules, superhero) = very strong
• hubris = pride leading to disaster
• iota (from ninth letter) something small
• kudos = glory, fame
• laconic (Laconia = Sparta) = brief, of few words
• logos = word
• marathon (from battle of Marathon) = long race
• martial (from Mars, god of war) = military
• mentor (from wise Mentor in the Odyssey) = advisor
• muse (from nine Muses, goddesses of nine arts) = inspiration
• narcissism (from Narcissus who fell in love with his reflection) = self love
• nemesis (from Nemesis, god of vengeance) = retribution
• odyssey (from Homer's poem, the Odyssey) = long journey
• omega (from last letter) last of anything
• papyrus = reed of which Egyptian paper was made (gave us the word "paper")
• platonic (from Plato, student of Socrates) = concerning Plato, spiritual love without sexual implications
• siren (from sea nymphs who lured sailors to their destruction) = seductive woman
• Socratic (from Socrates) = pretended ignorance to expose ignorance of others, Socratic irony
• Spartan (from Sparta) = austere
• stasis = stoppage of flow
• stoic (from Stoic philosophers) = with self control
• Stygian (from the river Styx) = gloomy
• tantalus (from Tantalus, condemned to stand in water, but never be able to reach it to drink) = something that cannot be attained
• thespian (from Thespis, originator of drama) = actor
• titan (from 12 gods, the Titans) = huge and powerful person
• typhoon (from the monster Typhon) = hurricane

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