Roots of English Words in Greek Mythology

昵称15478358 2014-01-12

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Greece

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. It borders the countries of Turkey, Albania, Republic of Macedonia, and Bulgaria. It is also bordered by the Ionian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea. Greece is made up of around 1400 islands of which 227 are inhabited. Most of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak. Ancient Greece is thought to be the birthplace of Western civilization, and as such, has given us many things, like philosophy, democracy, the Olympic Games, mathematical and scientific principles, and drama (especially tragedy and comedy).

Greek Mythology

Ancient people were curious about life, the world, and how and why things happen. They wanted to know how we got here, what those points of light in the sky are, why there are seasons, and what is our purpose. Mythology started as a way to explain all these things and to guide the behavior of people.

Greek mythology is a mixture of old religious beliefs and rituals, taken from various cultures. Gradually, people came to believe that there were powerful beings that controlled the stars, seasons, weather, and plant and animal life.

These gods ruled from Mount Olympus and many temples were built to them. The people felt that if the gods were happy, they would enjoy good health, crops would be plentiful, and life would be good. If the gods were displeased, then they would send famine, drought, earthquakes (from Poseidon), storms, and lightning (from Zeus).

Roots of English Words in Greek Mythology

The names of the gods live on through their stories and language. Many English words have Greek roots and a lot of them come straight from the names of certain gods.

Here are some roots of English words in 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).

Atlas (condemned to carry the heavens upon his shoulders) > atlas (book of maps)
Ceres (goddess of agriculture) > cereal (food made from grains)
Clotho (the Fate who spun the thread of life) > cloth (material made by weaving)
Cronos (keeper of time) > chronology (events in order of time)
Er?s (god of love and sexual desire) > erotic (sexual in nature)
Fortuna (goddess of luck) > fortune (chance or luck)
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)
Jove (another name for Jupiter) > jovial (jolly, merry)
Khaos (the nothingness from which all sprang) > chaos (confusion, disorder)
Mars (god of war) > martial (relating to or about war)
Mercury (messenger to the gods) > mercurial (fast or changing)
Muses (goddesses of music) > musical (of or like music)
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)
Nymphe (beautiful maidens, lesser deities who cared for plants and animals) > nymph (beautiful woman)
keanos (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)
Vulcan (god of fire) > volcano (opening in the earth through which lava erupts)
Zephyrus (god of the west wind) > zephyr (gentle west wind)

Ancient Greek Words

Many English words are derived from ancient Greek words. Here is a short list of some of them. The Greek word is listed first; the English root word is second, followed by the definition:

Angeion > angio - vessel
Bios > bio - life
Deka > deka - ten
Energeia > energeia - energy
Gigas > gigant - huge, enormous
Glossis > gloss - tongue
Hippos > hipp(o) - horse
Kūdos > kūd - glory, fame
Logos > logo - thought, word
Metro > metr - to measure
Neuron > neur(o) - nerve, sinew
Petra > petra - rock
Phōnē > phōnē - voice
Pseudo > pseud(o) - false
Thermos > therm - hot
Toxicon > toxic - poison
Zōnē > zōn - belt

We may not always notice these root words and their definitions because we are so used to them being a normal part of our life. Many words that we use stem from a Greek nature and are very common in our language.

Common Greek Root Words used in English Today

Here are common Greek root words (and their definitions) we use in English.

Arch – chief
Auto – referring to the self
Biblio – anything pertaining to a book
Bios – life or living things in general
Cosmos – order or world
Cracy – any type of government entity
Demos - pertaining people
Derma - referring to the skin
Ethnos – race or nation
Gastro – pertaining to the stomach
Geo – pertaining to the earth
Hydro – pertaining to water
Hypno – pertaining to sleep
Isos – equal, alike or identical
Kilo - thousand
Lithos – referring to stone
Logos – word or study
Mania – pertaining to madness
Mega – large or powerful
Monos – pertaining to one
Neuron – pertaining to the nerve
Nomos – law or science
Octo - eight
Pan – pertaining to all or every
Phobia – fear or dread of something
Phone – referring to sound or speaking
Psycho – pertaining to the soul or the mind
Scopos – to spy, watch or see
Static –causing to stand
Tele – referring to something far off
Therapy – pertaining to curing
Thermo – pertaining to heat
Thesis – a position or opinion
Zoon – pertaining to animals

The Greek Alphabet

If you have ever joined a fraternity or sorority, you may have been required to learn the Greek alphabet. Here are the names of the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet and their English equivalent. If pronunciation is needed, it is in parenthesis: