Did you know that over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots? Here are some English words originating from Ancient Greece!
English words coming from Greek
Hundreds of thousands of English words have their origins in the Greek language. The Ancient Greek words have been passed down through history, often entering English through Latin or other languages.
Until after the European Enlightenment, which began in the 17th century AD, educated Europeans communicated in Greek and Latin. Those two otherwise “dead” languages were used in old manuscripts and books. The intellectuals and elite of the times had to speak them fluently.
As a result, many words in English carry with them the influence of ancient Greek (and Latin) culture, science, philosophy, and arts.
You probably know that words like “democracy” and “philosophy” have Greek origins. But would you ever guess that common English words like “cinema”, “grammar”, “angel”, “bomb” and “idol” also have their roots in Greek?
If you are curious to discover more common English words with Greek origins, read on!
English words with Greek roots: Arts
Many English words used in the Arts have a Greek root. Have a look at the following:
- cinematography / cinema
- comedy
- drama > literally means “an act”
- megaphone > the prefix “mega” means “big”
- microphone > the prefix “micro” means “small”
- mime
- music / museum > both are related to the Nine Muses, in Greek mythology, and “museum” means “the temple of the muses”
- orchestra
- photograph / photo / photography /photogenic > the Greek word “phos“, from where “photo” derives, means “light”
- poet
- protagonist
- theater / theatre / amphitheater > Here’s my guide on Ancient Greek Theaters
- tragedy
Greek-inspired words in English: Medical Sciences
Thousands of English words related to the Medical Sciences trace back to Greek. Consider the following examples:
- allergy
- analysis
- anatomy
- anemia / anaemia
- anesthesia / anesthetic
- anorexia > the word “orexi” means “appetite”, so “anorexia” means “without appetite”
- antiseptic
- arrhythmia
- arthritis
- cardiac / cardiologist
- chromosome
- chronic > the word “chronos” means “a period of time”
- clinic
- cryotherapy
- dialysis
- dyslexia
- edema
- endocrinologist
- epidemiology
- epilepsy
- gastroenterology / gastritis
- gynecologist
- homeopathy
- hormone
- hypnotherapy
- hypoxia
- hysteria
- microbiology / microbe
- migraine
- myopia
- neurology / neuron
- oncology / oncologist
- organ / organism
- orthodontics
- orthopedic
- pathologist
- phobia, and other words ending in “-phobia”, such as “acrophobia, “agoraphobia” or “arachnophobia”
- psyche / psychology / psychotherapy / psychiatry
- rheumatism / rheumatoid
- schizophrenia > literally meaning “to split the mind”
- stethoscope
- therapy
- toxin
In a way, using words of Greek origin in the Medical Sciences makes sense. After all, the Ancient Greeks had Asklepios / Asclepius, the God of Medicine. He was worshiped in many areas of Greece, such as Ancient Epidaurus.
Also, the earliest written sources of Western medicine are the Hippocratic writings, which date back to the 5th and 4th centuries BC. These writings encompassed all facets of medicine during that era, and included a wealth of medical terminology.
Greek-Origin Words in English: Other Sciences and Professions
Apart from Medical Sciences, many other sciences such as Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry use words derived from Greek. For example, have a look at these:
- academic / academy
- anthrax
- architect
- astronomy
- astrology
- athlete > derives from the word “athlos“, which literally means “a deed”
- cosmic
- dialect
- diameter
- dinosaur > literally means a “terrible lizard”
- dogma
- ecology > the pre-fix “eco” comes from the Greek word “oikos“, which means “house / home / residence”
- economics / economy
- electricity
- hydrogen
- galaxy > derives from the Greek word for Milk, “gala“, hence the Milky Way
- geography
- grammar
- gymnast / gymnastics > the Olympic Games started in Ancient Greece, more specifically in Ancient Olympia
- microscope > the prefix “micro” means “small”
- orthodox
- oxygen
- phenomenon
- philosophy > here is an article on Greek philosophers
- photosynthesis
- phosphorus
- physics > literally means “the science of nature”
- planet > a word that signifies that something “wanders”
- stalactite / stalagmite
- technology
- telescope > the prefix “tele” means “far”
Various
There’s thousands more words in English with Greek origin. Here are a few more everyday words:
- acrobat
- anarchist
- androgynous
- android
- angel
- apathy
- atheism
- bible
- biography
- bomb > the ancient Greek “bombos” describes a buzzing sound
- catholic
- cemetery > literally means “the dormitory”
- center / centre
- cynicism
- democracy > literally means “power to the people”
- demographic
- dialogue
- eccentric
- emphasis
- encyclopedia
- epiphany
- erotic
- ethic
- exotic
- fantasy
- geopolitics
- harmony
- hedonist / hedonism
- holistic
- horoscope
- idea / ideology
- idiot > the Ancient Greek word “idiοtιs” originally indicated a “private citizen who does not have a public role”
- idol
- idyllic
- mania, and many words ending in “-mania”, such as “kleptomania”, “megalomania” and “pyromania”
- melancholy > which comes from the words “black” and “bile” in Greek, and literally means “pertaining to black bile”
- monad
- monarch
- monastery
- monk
- monogamy
- mouse
- mystery
- mythology
- nausea
- nautical
- nomad > the one who wanders in order to graze
- orgasm
- orphan
- oyster
- phantom
- panic
- paradox
- paragraph
- pathetic
- phase
- petrol / petroleum > literally means “the oil from the stone”
- photocopy
- plastic > something that is shaped, moulded
- police
- politics
- polygamy
- pornography
- pseudonym
- sarcasm
- sperm > literally means “seed”
- strategy
- symbolism
- telegraph / telephone > the prefix “tele” means “far”
- xenophobia > literally means “fear of the xenos“, best translated as “foreigner / alien”
English words with Greek origin
As you see, the list is already very long, and there are many more thousands of English words coming from the Greek language. Many of them are specialized, technical, or just not commonly used in everyday language.
A few examples are “ephemeral”, “logarithm”, “plutocracy”, “antispasmodic” or “anastylosis”. Not to mention “lipopolysaccharide” or “xerophthalmia” – definitely not your everyday words 🙂
If you are curious for more, have a look at this article. It’s proof that you speak Greek – you just don’t know it!
More guides on the Greek language
If you’ve enjoyed this article, here are three more guides to have a look at:
- The Greek alphabet
- Basic Greek words and phrases
- Greek swear words (and their translation in English)
Hi! I’m Vanessa from Athens. Did you know that so many English words have their roots in Greek? Feel free to leave a comment below! Follow me on my social media:
- Facebook page and very active Facebook group
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