Ancient Greek words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

It is from Ancient Greek ἐκζέω (ekzéō, “to boil over, break out”) + -μα (-ma), literally “something that boils out”. The verb is ζέω (zéō, “to boil, seethe”) with the prefix ἐκ- (ek-, “out”). Beekes…

It is a deverbal noun from Ancient Greek ἐπέχω (epékhō, “to hold back, stop”), built on the o-grade stem ⟨-οχ-⟩ with the suffix -ή (-ḗ). The same pattern gives ἀποχή (apokhḗ) beside ἀπέχω (apékhō)…

It is an expressive cry. It is traditionally compared with Latin vae, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai) and other cries of woe that point to Proto-Indo-European *wáy, but it cannot be derived from that by the…

borrowed from Aramaic פַּסְחָא (pasḥā), the emphatic form of the Aramaic word, which corresponds to Biblical Hebrew פֶּסַח (pésaḥ), the Passover. It is an indeclinable neuter. In Christian Greek the…

It is formed from Ancient Greek πύξος (púxos, “box tree, boxwood”) + -ίς (-ís), a box made of boxwood being its first sense. Beekes lists it among the derivatives of the tree's name, beside πυξίον…

It is formed from Ancient Greek τρι- (tri-, “three”) + λόγος (lógos, “speech, story”). Babiniotis analyses the second part as the suffix -λογία (-logía), from λέγω (légō), and gives “three…

Beekes and Frisk explain it from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) + μέθυ (méthu, “wine”), the privative prefix, or with the verb μεθύω (methúō, “to be drunk”): “not drunken”. The stone was named after its…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalúptō, “to uncover, reveal”) + -σις (-sis), the suffix of action nouns. The verb is formed from ἀπο- (apo-, “off, away”) and καλύπτω (kalúptō, “to…

It is a noun from Ancient Greek διασπείρω (diaspeírō, “to scatter, to sow abroad”), with the suffix -η (-ē) of verbal nouns. The verb is formed with διά (diá, “through, about”) from σπείρω (speírō…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐκλέγω (eklégō) + -τικός (-tikós), the verb meaning “to pick out”. The verb is from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) and λέγω (légō, “to choose, to count”). Etymonline gives the…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἕξις (héxis, “state, condition, habit”) + -ικός (-ikós), and so belongs to the family of ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, hold”). Frisk and Beekes note its use as the name of a…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἔρημος (érēmos, “desolate; desert”) + -ίτης (-ítēs).

It is formed from Ancient Greek εὐ- (eu-, “good”) + θάνατος (thánatos, “death”) + -ία (-íā). Bailly and Babiniotis derive it from the adjective εὐθάνατος (euthánatos, “dying easily”), and the CGL…

It is formed from Ancient Greek τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”) + -μα (-ma), a noun for “that which is put down”, built on the short stem θε- of the verb. Wiktionary also allows that it may…

It is formed from Ancient Greek Ἰουδά (Ioudá) + -ιος (-ios), from the name of Judah, from Biblical Hebrew יְהוּדָה (Yəhūḏā, “Judah”). The New Testament lexicons derive it from Ἰουδαία (Ioudaía…

Chantraine, following Frisk, suggests that it may be from Ancient Greek κάρα (kára, “head”), formed like κεφαλωτόν (kephalōtón, “onion”) from κεφαλή (kephalḗ, “head”). Wiktionary instead connects it…

1. The hawk is of unknown origin. Frisk and the Πάπυρος dictionary suggest it may be onomatopoeic, comparing κρέξ (kréx, “corncrake”). Wiktionary instead derives it from Indo-European…

It is formed from Ancient Greek λαός (lāós, “people”) + -ικός (-ikós), so “of the people”.

The biblical word is borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מָן (mān, “manna”). The Septuagint has the bare μάν (mán) in Exodus and μάννα elsewhere, a form that matches Aramaic מַנָּא (mannā). BDAG explains…

It is formed from Ancient Greek περίοδος (períodos, “a going round, a cycle; a period of speech”) + -ικός (-ikós), the adjectival suffix.

It is a Semitic loanword, borrowed from Biblical Hebrew שַׁבָּת (šabbāṯ, “Sabbath”), or from Aramaic שַׁבְּתָא (šabbəṯā). The Septuagint's plural may render the Aramaic form.

Beekes thinks it was originally a technical term, perhaps a piece of wood hanging on ropes, used both as the trigger of a trap and as an acrobat's bar: its derivative σκανδαλιστής (skandalistḗs)…

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *sterbʰ- (“to become stiff”). It is usually connected with στερεός (stereós, “hard, firm”), as in the Homeric phrase for stiff ox-hides; its suffix is that…