Ancient Greek words first recorded in the 5th century BC

It is from Ancient Greek γόνυ (gónu, “knee”), as a bend or joint; the connection is generally accepted. The long ω is a difficulty, because the paradigm of *ǵónu had no lengthened grade. Beekes…

It is borrowed from Phoenician 𐤃 (d), the Phoenician letter whose name the Greeks took over with it. Beekes, Frisk and Chantraine all derive the name from Semitic and compare Biblical Hebrew דָּלֶת…

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelbʰ- (“womb”), perhaps as a u-stem *gʷelbʰ-u-. The labiovelar became /d/ before /e/, and van Beek notes that this palatalization took place before the…

It is a compound from Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “people”) + ἀγωγός (agōgós, “leading, leader”), from ἄγω (ágō, “to lead”): “leader of the people”. Hesychius explains it from “leading and managing…

It is a compound from Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “the common people, the assembly of the people”) + -κρατία (-kratía, “power, rule”), the second part being from κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”)…

It is formed from Ancient Greek δημότης (dēmótēs, “commoner, fellow citizen”) + -ικός (-ikós). The base δημότης (dēmótēs) is itself derived from δῆμος (dêmos, “district, people”).

It is formed from Ancient Greek διά (diá, “across, through”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”). Other compounds of the verb formed in the same way are ἐπιβάλλω (epibállō), μεταβάλλω (metabállō) and…

It is formed from Ancient Greek διαγιγνώσκω (diagignṓskō, “to distinguish, discern”) + -σις (-sis), the verb being διά- (diá-, “apart”) and γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to know”). Beekes lists γνῶσις…

It is a noun from Ancient Greek διατίθημι (diatíthēmi, “to arrange, dispose of”). It can also be analysed as δια- (dia-) and -θήκη (-thḗkē), but BDAG says its meaning must be explained from the…

It is a noun from Ancient Greek διαλέγομαι (dialégomai, “to converse, discuss”), formed with the verbal suffix -τος (-tos).

It is from Ancient Greek διαλύω (dialū́ō, “to loose apart, dissolve”) with the suffix -σις (-sis). The verb is λύω (lū́ō, “to loosen”) with διά (diá, “apart”).

It is formed from Ancient Greek δια- (dia-, “apart, asunder”) + λύω (lúō, “to loosen”). The verb λύω (lúō) goes back to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *lh₁u- (“to cut off, release”), and…

It is formed from Ancient Greek διατρίβω (diatríbō, “to rub away; to spend time”) + -ή (-ḗ). The verb is formed from διά (diá, “through”) and τρίβω (tríbō, “to rub”).

A compound: from Ancient Greek δι- (di-, “two-, double”) + φυή (phuḗ, “growth, nature”) + -ής (-ḗs), with the adjective ending -ής: “of double nature”. The first element is the combining form of δίς…

It belongs to the class of nouns in -ων (-ōn) that characterise a person by a trait, often as a nickname, but the base is unknown and there is no satisfactory etymology. Solmsen connected it with…

It is from Ancient Greek εἰ (ei), originally a demonstrative stem, and an adverbial element -τα (-ta) or -τεν (-ten), also seen in ἔπειτα (épeita). Beekes and Frisk find no direct parallel outside…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἔκκλητος (ékklētos, “called out, summoned”) + -ία (-íā), a collective abstract noun built on the verbal adjective of ἐκκαλέω (ekkaléō, “to call out, summon”), which…

It is from Ancient Greek ἐξίστημι (exístēmi, “to displace, (intransitive) to be out of one's mind”), formed from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand, set”). Ἵστημι is from…

The traditional explanation, set out in full by Strömberg and accepted as probable by Frisk, takes it as “eaten by fawns”, a compound of ἐλλός (ellós, “fawn”) and the stem of βιβρώσκω (bibrṓskō, “to…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐλλείπω (elleípō, “to fall short, omit”) + -σις (-sis). The verb is formed from ἐν (en, “in”) and λείπω (leípō, “to leave”), from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἔμπορος (émporos, “merchant, traveller”) + -ιον (-ion).

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-, “in”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, make visible”). Beekes counts it among the many prefixed compounds of φαίνω (phaínō), and lists ἐμφανής (emphanḗs)…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”) + -ος (-os), “at work”, like συνεργός (sunergós) and εὐεργός (euergós).

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιάζω (enthousiázō, “to be inspired, possessed by a god”) + -μός (-mós). The verb comes from ἔνθεος (éntheos, “having a god within”), formed from ἐν (en, “in”)…

It is from Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιάζω (enthousiázō, “to be possessed by a god”). That verb is formed from ἔνθους (énthous), a contracted form of ἔνθεος (éntheos, “possessed by a god”), with the verb…

It is from Ancient Greek ἔντομος (éntomos, “cut in pieces”), the neuter used as a noun with ζῷον (zōîon, “animal”) understood. The adjective is formed from ἐν (en, “in”) and the stem of τέμνω…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐπιδημέω (epidēméō, “to be at home, to stay in a place”) + -ία (-íā). The verb belongs with ἐπίδημος (epídēmos, “living at home”), which is ἐπί (epí) with δῆμος…

It is a compound from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”). Beekes traces λαμβάνω (lambánō) to Proto-Indo-European *sleh₂gʷ- (“to take, grasp”).

It is a noun from Ancient Greek ἐπιστέλλω (epistéllō, “to send a message, to send word”), with the o-grade of the verb's root, as in ἀποστολή (apostolḗ) beside ἀποστέλλω (apostéllō). The verb is…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐπιφανής (epiphanḗs, “in view, manifest”) + -ια (-ia). The adjective is from ἐπιφαίνω (epiphaínō, “to come into view”), formed from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) and φαίνω…

A neuter s-stem noun beside the verb ἐρεύθω (ereúthō, “to make red”), from the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”). The verb itself matches Old Norse rjóða “to make bloody” and…

It is a noun from Ancient Greek ἕρπω (hérpō, “to creep, crawl”), literally “the creeping one”, after the way the eruption spreads over the skin. The verb comes from Proto-Indo-European *serp- (“to…

It is a compound from Ancient Greek εὖ (eû, “well”) + ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”), “bringing good news”. Wiktionary takes the second part from the verb ἀγγέλλω (angéllō, “to announce”). Beekes…

1. The adjective “bereft” is of unclear origin. It has been compared with adjectives meaning “lacking, empty”: Sanskrit ऊन (ūná-, “deficient”), Avestan ūna- and Latin vānus (“empty”). The NIL lists…

Beekes takes it as inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰi- (“snake”). If, as Beekes and Frisk hold, the name of the hedgehog ἐχῖνος (ekhînos) is derived from it, ἔχις must have had a palatal…

It is an adjective in ⟨-ρός⟩ built on a u-stem of the root of ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, hold”), from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to hold; to overpower”). A Sanskrit adjective meaning “victorious…

Beekes and Chantraine derive it from a noun, as ἅλμη (hálmē, “brine”) comes from ἅλς (háls, “salt”): the Indo-European word for “broth”, seen in Latin iūs (“broth, soup”). Greek would then continue…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἡγεμών (hēgemṓn, “leader, guide”) + -ία (-íā). The noun ἡγεμών (hēgemṓn) is formed from ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai, “to lead”) with the suffix -μων (-mōn). Beekes takes the…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἧπαρ (hêpar, “liver”) + -ῖτις (-îtis), on the stem ⟨ἡπατ-⟩. Feminines in -ῖτις (-îtis), belonging to the masculine -ίτης (-ítēs), are still used in medical…

It is the feminine of the word for “hero”, formed as from Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “hero”) + -ίνη (-ī́nē). Attic contracted it to ἡρῴνη (hērṓinē). Latin heroina (also heroine) was borrowed from…

It is borrowed from Phoenician 𐤇 (ḥ), the Semitic name of the eighth letter of the alphabet. Rosół compares Biblical Hebrew חֵית (ḥêṯ), written ηθ (ēth) in Greek transcription, and Beekes and Frisk…

It is formed from Ancient Greek θεάομαι (theáomai, “to look at, behold”) + -τρον (-tron), with the suffix of place and instrument, literally “a place for seeing”. The verb belongs with θέα (théā…

1. The adjective “divine” is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *tʰḗhyos, formed from θεός (theós, “god”) with the adjectival suffix -ιος (-ios), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s-yo-. Beekes lists it…

It is formed from Ancient Greek θεολόγος (theológos, “one who speaks about the gods”) + -ία (-ía). The θεολόγος (theológos) is one who discourses about the gods, from θεός (theós, “god”) and the…

It is formed from Ancient Greek θεραπεύω (therapeúō, “to serve; to treat”) + -ία (-ía). The verb comes from θεράπων (therápōn, “attendant”), a word Beekes considers Pre-Greek.

It is from Ancient Greek θερμός (thermós, “warm, hot”). Babiniotis explains it as the feminine θερμή (thermḗ) of the adjective, used as a noun with the accent drawn back. NIL reconstructs the noun…

It is borrowed from Phoenician 𐤈 (ṭēt), the Semitic name of the letter, which Beekes and Frisk compare with the Hebrew name of the same letter. Rosół, who counts it among the early Semitic…

Beekes considers it Pre-Greek, or more precisely Anatolian, because it is a term of the cult of Dionysus and therefore suspected of foreign origin, and because of its sequence -ια- and its suffix…

It is formed like διθύραμβος (dīthúrambos) and ἴαμβος (íambos) and, like them, is probably Pre-Greek: Beekes points to the sequence ⟨ια⟩ and the suffix -αμβος (-ambos). Scarborough's database rates…

The traditional explanation, given by Frisk and Chantraine after Strömberg, makes it a derivative in -μος (-mos) from Ancient Greek θύω (thúō, “to smoke, to give off a smell”), the plant being named…

It is probably borrowed from Hieroglyphic Luwian tuwarsa- (“vine”) or a related Anatolian word: Beekes, Chantraine and Frisk, after Laroche, compare that Hieroglyphic Luwian word for the vine or…

It is an Oriental loanword, probably borrowed from Akkadian yašpû (“jasper”) or a related Semitic form, the name of a stone; compare Biblical Hebrew יָשְׁפֵה (yāšpeh, “jasper”). Rosół counts it…

It is from Ancient Greek ἰατρός (iātrós, “physician”) + -ικός (-ikós): "of or for a physician".

It is from Ancient Greek ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own, private”) + -ώτης (-ṓtēs), with the suffix of δεσμώτης (desmṓtēs, “prisoner”) and θιασώτης (thiasṓtēs, “member of a thiasos”). An Argive word for…

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἱλα- (hila-) + -ρός (-rós), from the stem of ἱλάσκομαι (hīláskomai, “to appease”) and ἵλαος (hī́laos, “gracious”). Beekes traces this family to Proto-Indo-European…

It is formed from Ancient Greek Ἰνδία (Indíā) + -ικός (-ikós). Köbler relates it directly to Ἰνδός (Indós, “Indus; an Indian”), the base of Ἰνδία. Ἰνδός is from Old Persian hiⁿdūš, the Old Persian…

LSJ derives it from Ancient Greek *ϝιξός (*wixós), and it is identical with Latin viscum (“mistletoe, birdlime”). It has been compared with the Germanic and Slavic names of the sour cherry, which…

The origin is uncertain. The adjective belongs with ἰσχαλέος (iskhaléos, “dry, barren”) and ἰσχάς (iskhás, “dried fig”), and this pair has the same alternation of suffixes as σμερδνός (smerdnós) …

Its origin is uncertain. Wiktionary takes it as an early borrowing, borrowed from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú, “land of young cattle”) or a form of a related Italic language, whose initial /w/ was lost…

It is from Ancient Greek Ἰταλία (Italía, “Italy”) + -ικός (-ikós).