One in four English words is Greek…
GREEK LANGUAGE:"IMMORTAL MONUMENT" OF WORLD CULTURE
GREEK LANGUAGE:IT IS A LIVING ORGANIZATION AND AN IMMORTAL MONUMENT OF WORLD CULTURE
One in four English words is Greek!
Research by the author Aristidis Konstantinidis proves the extent of borrowing words from the Greek language.
One hundred and fifty plus, thousands (150.000) Greek words, contains the English language and international scientific terminology.
One in four English words is Greek.
This is the conclusion reached by the unique work of the author from Thessaloniki, Mr. Aristides Constantinidis, that lasted 28 years and was announced a few days ago, in the packed auditorium of the University of Athens, leaving scientists and audiences stunned.
The lexicographical interest, it is like that, which proves that the Greek language, it is the language of science and speech, in the English language.
Until the 1991 as Mr. Konstantinidis pointed out, there were only two papers on the impact of the Greek language on the European vocabulary.
The one for the French language with 1250 Greek roots, and the other for German me 1450 words, a poor thing for the wealth of Greek.
Today, the english language has words from homer, Hesiod, Plato, Aristotle, Herodotus, Hippocrates, Thucydides, the Galeno.
The influence that the Greek language has had on the European vocabulary and especially on English is partially known, but not systematically recorded and documented. The two papers that existed, one for French and one for German, included about 1500 root-words that not only did not give a complete picture of the effect, but on the contrary, they created a misleading image, at the expense of the Greek.
Many foreign scientists know and recognize, the fundamental role, which the Greek has played, in defining the vocabulary of their field, but only in terms of their own industry. They don't have a global picture, of the overall effect, which has been practiced in the other scientific branches as well.
The doubts about the size of the influence of Greek, they come mainly from the Greek area, where in the absence of specific and comprehensive works, the borrowings received by other languages from Greek are downgraded.
It is still a fact that all languages, they borrow and borrow and there is certainly no such thing as a pure language. However, all languages, they have neither borrowed nor lent, the same number of words, not even the same quality of words.
The 1991, in his book Mr. Konstantinidis “the Greek words in the English language”, included 20.600 Greek words. It covers all colloquial words and words from all scientific disciplines, except for botany, chemistry and zoology. If we add to these purely Greek words, those that are half Greek in terms of their first or second compound, then the percentage amounts to 68%.
In animal nomenclature, of all branches, which includes all genera of animals, which have been discovered so far 1975, Greek participation, amounts to 181.102 purely Greek words.
If we add the half Greek words, then the 74,48% are Greek words.
Despite this amazing turnout, Greek inactivity, has allowed it to become established internationally, the point of view, that in zoology, supposedly Latin terminology prevails.
All these words, that have been recorded, in the research of Mr. Konstantinidis, are words that the English and the Americans, in their most valid dictionaries, recognize and admit, that they are of Greek origin.
So the research, it has not been based on personal interpretations of etymology. In addition, many dictionaries other than the Oxford one unfortunately stop at the Latin root and do not mention it for various reasons, if the specific Latin root came from Greek, e.g. the word Electric, electricity, is said to be derived from the Latin electrum, however, there is no mention that this came from the Greek electron, the amber.
The Oxford Dictionary, includes 10.500 Greek words, corresponding to 21,6% of this dictionary. Ancient Greek words, which was a loan from Persian, such as the word chore or Hebrew, like the word satan, have not been included in the work.
It is worth noting, that English, based on Webster's dictionary, has been borrowed 57 words from the Turkish language and 34 words from all Slavic languages. The Greek, has given 41.614 words.
The question that arises, is how this effect was caused;
Historically, followed a few main stages. First, through Latin.
It is known that from 1800 until the 500 e.g., the Greeks colonized southern Italy, also the 146 B.C. the Romans occupy Greece.
At this stage, the Romans accept the influence of the Greek culture and of course also the language.
Duran in world history, reckons that at the time of August, had been incorporated into the Latin language, about 10.000 words.
The 55 B.C. the Romans conquer England, which they kept in their possession until the 410 A.D. During this period of Romanization, of the Celts, words that had passed into Latin now pass into English unconsciously. Words like anemia, aorta, malignant, emphasis, riddle etc.
Then a lot changes with the teaching of Christianity. The 597 Saint Augustine, he leaves Rome and goes to England to convert others to Christianity. But the gospel is written in Greek. Words contained in it that do not exist in English, are necessarily adopted from Greek. Words like, witness, baptism, operation, litany etc.
The third stage is the conquest of England by the Normans, the 1066 which lasted until 1363. Words that passed from Latin to the French language, they are now switching from French to English.
The fourth stage, begins after the fall of Constantinople, when Greek scholars spread through Italy throughout Europe and reached England. They teach the Greek letters and because there are no corresponding words in English, they are forced to adopt Greek words. A new cycle of borrowing begins to culminate with the development of the sciences in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The issue of Greek is not just the quantity of words that exist in English, but a matter of quality.
The basic concepts, thinking and expression in English, so also in the other European languages they are words that have been taken literally from Greek. Words like analysis, composition, problem, method, theory, music, orchestra, melody, rhythm, drama, comedy-tragedy.
Secondly, the basic concepts of scientific terminology are also Greek. The influence of Greek extends to 190 Christian and non-Christian male and female names such as Alexander, Andrew, Christopher, Peace, Margarita etc.
This number has been increasing in recent decades, mainly in the USA, due to the immigration of South Americans who use too many Greek names, like Sophocles, Aristides, Socrates etc.
also, are left in translation 62 proverbial expressions and quotes, that enrich the expression and beautify the species, with exactly the same conceptual content as for three thousand years or so, we use too.
They have also been adopted over 300 words of our history and mythology, imparting the characteristics of the hero, to other people.
The word Mentor is an advisor and guide and comes from the friend of Odysseus, to whom he had entrusted the education of the son of Telemachus, when he had left for Troy.
Still, the word Nestor means wise and prudent and comes from the elder who distinguished himself in Troy, for his prudence.
Both English, as well as international terminology, observe and respect the tradition and rules of the Greek language.
They largely retain the historical spelling, retain complex consonants or symphonic clusters despite the fact, that they do not pronounce them by refusing to follow the phonetic spelling.
Ψ is transferred to PS, they keep the Greek plurals even though for all foreigners it is something extremely difficult.
The word hepatitis, retains the Greek plural, hepatitis, phenomenon-phenomena, criterion-criteria, phalanx-phalanxes.
Additional, they maintain the rules of grammar, as to the creation of compound words.
In the wild words of Greek, add the English H.
If you think this is a few words, it is emphasized that only in medicine, there are 23.000 wild words, and in zoology, a also large industry exists 11.000 Greek rhyming words.
The departure from the etymology of words, it will not only lead to the distortion of our language and the reduction of our linguistic ability. The next generations, they will not be able to recognize words in their language, which borrowed other languages and unfortunately it will be degrading, not even knowing how to spell their own country.
They will write Greece in Latin characters without the U. Some do not understand that the neglect of our cultural heritage today, tomorrow it will mean questioning our national identity, which will not be possible to deal with demonstrations and rallies.
Those who plan to replace the Greek alphabet with the Latin one, they have not realized that this will mean a return to many rules of ancient Greek, therefore also of forestry.
But why did the world ruler England, with so many conquests, choose Greece for her loans;
The first reason is the wealth of our verbs that allows you to choose between many synonyms to express yourself with proficiency and conceptual precision.
It is no coincidence what Americans say when they are faced with a literal problem “the Greeks have the word for it”.
Second item, it is the plasticity of words from which many derivatives can come.
The 394 medical terminology entries, they create 17.000 derivatives.
Lavoisier, use Greek, to name chemical elements, such as chlorine.
Third element, it's the magic of history, and its etymology. Often behind a word, a whole story is hidden. As in the word laconic, all the simplicity of Spartan life is hidden.
Greek is characterized as the language of the sciences, since words that exist in English, they are also not used when it comes to scientific terms, B.C. in Greek the desert, English desert, but they say erimology.
There is, so to speak, a separation of vernacular and logical language, with the only difference, that the position of logic, occupies a large extent, the Greek language, either because they want to lend prestige to the subject of the industry's study, either because there is a tradition of adopting Greek words, for centuries.
All this, they are not a distant past, but today's living reality.
The scientific language is English and few states like France, Sweden and Italy, they try to resist.
Most countries, they use the same English terms.
So the Greek, with an English carrier, has penetrated many Latin-derived languages.
The Turkish language, borrows all its scientific terminology from English, this shows the enormous importance these points have for Greece on a political and cultural level.
Greece may be a small country and has fallen behind in many areas, but its language has followed its own dynamic course, has penetrated many languages.
For us Greeks, language is more than elements of cultural heritage, it is the unifying element along with orthodoxy that kept Hellenism together and helped it overcome national vicissitudes.
To be proud of our priceless treasure and let our children understand this too.
Source: www.apodimos.com
Next is the word "monument"
by Xenophon Zolotas .
A SPREAD OF OPPOSITIONS :
stylograph = stylographe in French, which was shortened to stylo and
thus returned to Greece.
-Καθώς και το style->στύλος->μορφή->άγαλμα
Another case of anti-borrowing words, of the dozens they have
done
between the two countries.
– paper = paper.... but it comes from the ancient Greek word
"papyrus" like the French papier
– message = the medium (something that mediates during communication and
reconciliation between two people)………
messenger = the middleman
It used to be normally referred to as "message text" (that is, intermediate text)
but the word text is now omitted.
– the French word profile (profile) comes from the prefix pre- and the
word friend, i.e. “mine, friendly to me” and free
translation would mean “preface to me, that is, before you met me
privately"
– Almost all Greek prepositions (in-, ex-, from-, on-, pre-,
despite-, after-, homo-) they have passed intact to most foreign countries
languages,
forming thousands of words
B.C. en in French, in in English = en (Greek)
pro, apo et al.
– the English "is" is an abbreviation of "isthimi", as well as the
german "ist"
– night... origin from "night"
– church (French) = church
but even the – seemingly unrelated – English church comes from
Greek started from Ancient Greek as Kryakon (his house
Sir) became Old English "cirice", in Medieval English
"chirche" and in New English "church"
– come (French) = I go, go (see. also "vamos")
– listen (French) = I listen
ecoutez = listen and it's pronounced almost the same…
– pain -> πόνος
– super = favor
(words where with the polytonic system the first vowel took dasea,
have been translated into foreign languages with -s-, -h- or -w- in the beginning… e.g.
ύδωρ -> water)
The same with sub
– The pronoun "me" passed as it is like "me" in English and in
French
– heart comes from the ancient kear (heart),
where the English core has also come from(core), the french
coeur, the
Spanish corazon, the Italian cuore etc.
– the Greek "esti (he/she)” we see it as “est (he/she)” at
French
– stairs (French) = ladder
or scale in English
– We consider the script a foreign word
But it came from the scene (Greek: scene) -> scenario -> σενάριο
– exist (English) ή exist (French) = excellent
– Honey (French) = honey
– the Greek and French polytonic system with acutes, heavy,
scattered etc. they have very similar rules and they are not few
those who believe it was borrowed from Ancient Greek (maybe
that is where the French interest in them comes from?)
– crisis/critical = crisis/critical/critical
– sketch = design
– all = everything
– anchor = anchor
– the word turbo(Latin) comes from the noise (turbulent and
very fast rotation)
These and most everything else.(continues…)
See how Xenophon Zolotas spoke English using Greek
words.
As relevant as ever...
Kyrie,
It is Zeus anathema on our epoch and the heresy of our economic method
and policies that we should agonize the Skylla of nomismatic plethora
and the Charybdis of economic anaemia.
It is not my idiosyncrasy to be ironic or sarcastic but my diagnosis
would be that politicians are rather cryptoplethorists.
Although they emphatically stigmatize nomismatic plethora, they
energize it though their tactics and practices.
Our policies should be based more on economic and less on political
criteria. Our gnomon has to be a metron between economic strategic and
philanthropic scopes.
In an epoch characterized by monopolies, oligopolies, monopolistic
antagonism and polymorphous inelasticity, our policies have to be more
orthological, but this should not be metamorphosed into plethorphobia ,
which is endemic among academic economists.
Nomismatic symmetry should not antagonize economic acme. A greater
harmonization between the practices of the economic and nomismatic
archons is basic.
Parallel to this we have to synchronize and harmonize more and more our
economic and nomismatic policies pan ethnically. These scopes are more
practicable now, when the prognostics of the political and economic
barometer are halcyonic.
The history of our didimus organization on this sphere has been
didactic and their Gnostic practices will always be a tonic to the
polyonymous and idiomorphous ethnical economies
Economic Conference (2 October 1959)
Source: http://eviotis.net/ |
