English words from Greek
20 English words with Greek in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
cynic
It is borrowed from Latin cynicus (perhaps partly via Middle French cynique), from Ancient Greek κυνικός (kunikós, “dog-like, currish”), from Ancient Greek κύων (kúōn, “dog”), from…
disaster
It is borrowed from Middle French desastre, from Italian disastro (“ill-starred”), from pejorative dis- + astro “star”, from Latin astrum (“star”), from Ancient Greek ἄστρον (ástron, “star”)…
eccentric
From Middle English eccentrik (“orbit not centred on the earth”), borrowed from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “out of the centre”), from ek “out of” + kéntron…
enthusiasm
It is borrowed from Late Latin enthūsiasmus (also via Middle French enthousiasme), from Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós, “divine inspiration”), from Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιάζω (enthousiázō…
gymnasium
First recorded in 1598, borrowed from Latin gymnasium (“exercise ground, school”), from Ancient Greek γυμνάσιον (gumnásion), from Ancient Greek γυμνάζω (gumnázō, “to train naked”), from Ancient…
hectic
From Middle English etik, borrowed from Old French etique (“consumptive”), from Late Latin hecticus, from Ancient Greek ἑκτικός (hektikós, “habitual; consumptive”), from Ancient Greek ἕξις (héxis…
hypocrite
From Middle English ypocrite, borrowed from Old French ypocrite, from Ecclesiastical Latin hypocrita, from Ancient Greek ὑποκριτής (hupokritḗs, “stage actor; pretender, dissembler”), from…
idiot
From Middle English idiote (“ignorant person”), borrowed from Old French idiote (“uneducated or ignorant person”), from Latin idiōta (“ordinary person, layman”), from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs…
lethargy
From Middle English litargie, borrowed from Medieval Latin litargia, from Late Latin lēthargia, from Ancient Greek ληθαργία (lēthargía, “forgetfulness”), from Ancient Greek λήθαργος (lḗthargos…
meander
It is borrowed from Latin maeander (“a winding course”), from Ancient Greek μαίανδρος (maíandros), from Maíandros, the name of a river in Asia Minor (now the Menderes) noted for its winding course.…
melancholy
From Middle English malencolie, borrowed from Old French melancolie (“black bile; ill disposition”), from Late Latin melancholia, from Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía, “condition of having…
nausea
It is borrowed from Latin nausea (“seasickness”), from Ancient Greek ναυσία (nausía, “seasickness”), literally “ship-sickness”, from naûs “ship”, from Proto-Indo-European *nau- (“boat”).
nemesis
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek νέμεσις (némesis, “righteous indignation; retribution”), literally “distribution” (of what is due), from némein “to distribute, give what is due”, from…
nostalgia
Recorded in English in 1726, borrowed from New Latin nostalgia, coined in 1688 by Johannes Hofer in a dissertation at the University of Basel as a rendering of German Heimweh (“homesickness”). It is…
ostracize
First recorded in 1649, borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízein, “to banish by voting with potsherds”), from Ancient Greek ὄστρακον (óstrakon, “shell, potsherd”), because those proposed…
panic
It is borrowed from Middle French panique, from Ancient Greek πανικός (panikós, “of Pan”), from Ancient Greek Πάν (Pán), god of woods and fields. Sounds heard by night on mountains and in valleys…
sarcasm
It is borrowed from Late Latin sarcasmus, from Ancient Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmós, “a sneer”), from Ancient Greek σαρκάζω (sarkázō, “to tear flesh, gnash the teeth, speak bitterly”), from Ancient…
sycophant
It is borrowed from Latin sȳcophanta (“informer, slanderer”), from Ancient Greek συκοφάντης (sūkophántēs, “false accuser, slanderer”), literally “fig-shower”, from Ancient Greek σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”)…
tantalize
First recorded in 1597, from English Tantalus + -ize, after the mythical king Tantalus (from Latin Tantalus, from Ancient Greek Τάνταλος (Tántalos)), who was punished in the underworld by standing…
tragedy
From Middle English tragedie, borrowed from Old French tragedie, from Latin tragoedia, from Ancient Greek τραγῳδία (tragōidía), apparently “goat song”, from trágos “goat” + ōidḗ “song”. According to…