English words from Pre-Greek
5 English words with Pre-Greek in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
comma
It is borrowed from Latin comma (“a short phrase or clause”), perhaps through Middle French comma, from Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma, “a piece cut off; a short clause; a stamp, coinage”), from κόπτω…
discus
It is borrowed from Latin discus (“discus, disk”), which is from Ancient Greek δίσκος (dískos, “disk, quoit, platter”). The Greek word is traditionally related to δικεῖν (dikeîn, “to throw”), which…
latex
It is borrowed from Latin latex (“water, running water, liquid, juice”), which was already used in post-classical Latin of a body fluid by van Helmont in 1648, and of plant juice in 1823. The Latin…
narcissus
It is borrowed from Latin narcissus, from Ancient Greek νάρκισσος (nárkissos), of unknown origin and probably a loanword. Beekes takes the suffix as a clear sign of a word that is Pre-Greek, and…
thorax
It is inherited from Middle English thorax, also thorace and thoracis, borrowed from Latin thōrāx (“breastplate; chest”), from Ancient Greek θώραξ (thṓrāx, “breastplate, cuirass; chest”). The MED…