Familiar Greek Words

τοξικόν

• toxikon (poison)
• toxic, toxicology

ὕπέρ

• huper (above, super-)
• hyperactive, hyperbole

αὐτοψία

• autopsia
• from autoptēs ‘eyewitness’, from autos ‘self’ + optos ‘seen’)

διάκονος

• diakonos (servant)
• deacon

ἕλιξ

• helix (spiral ornament)
• helicopter

ναυτικός

• nautikos (sailor, ship)
• aeronautics, astronaut, nautical

γλωσσίς

• glōssis (tongue)
• polyglot

Ἀκαδημία

• Akadēmia
• gymnasium near Athens where Plato and his successors taught, school of philosophy founded by Plato

ψεῦδος

• pseudos (false, a falsity); pseudonym, pseudoscience

αὐστηρός

• austēros (harsh)
• austerity

ἦθος

• ēthos (moral)
• ethics

νάνος

• nanos (dwarf)
• nanometry, nanosecond, nanotechnology

νέκταρ

• nektar (drink of the gods)
• nectar

ἀνταρκτικός

• antarktikos (Antarctic)

σύμβολον

• sumbolon (symbol)
• symbolic, symbolism

δίλημμα

• dilēmma (di- ‘twice’ + lēmma ‘premise’)

πρό

• pro (before)
• prologue

ἄσθμα

• asthma

νέος

• neos (new, young)
• neologism, neophyte

ἄρκτος

• arktos (bear, Ursa Major, pole star)

ἀντίδοτον

• antidoton (antidote)

ἀνά

• ana (again)

σοφία

• sophia (knowledge, wisdom)
• philosophy

θησαυρός

• thēsauros (storehouse, treasure)
• thesaurus, treasure

ἀέριος

• aerios (aerial)

ἀπολογία

• apologia (apology)
• apo, ‘away’ + -logia, denoting a subject of study or interest (e.g. psychology)

ὥρα

• hōra (season, hour)
• horology, horoscope

βιβλίον

• biblion (book)
• bibliography, bibliomania, Bible

νίκη

• nikē (victory)

ζῷον

• zōon (animal)
• zoology

ἀντί

• anti (opposite)

ἔμφασις

• emphasis

ἀμνησία

• amnēsia

ἀνατομία

• anatomia

Ἀσία

• Asia

βακτήριον

• bactērion (staff, cane)

τῆλε

• tēle (afar, far off)
• telegram, telephone, television

ἀήρ

• aēr (air, as in aerodynamics)

τόπος

• topos (place)
• dystopia, topology, utopia

ἀμφίβιος

• amphibios

νεῦρον

• neuron (nerve, sinew)
• neurology

χαρακτήρ

• kharaktēr (character)

θρόνος

• thronos (an elevated seat)
• throne

βλάσφημος

• blasphēmos (evil-speaking)
• blaspheme

κλῖμαξ

• klimax (ladder)
• climax

βάρος

• baros (weight)
• barometer, millibar

κίνημα

• kinēma (movement)
• cinema, cineamatic

βαπτίζω

• baptizō (dip, immerse)
• baptize

σύστημα

• sustēma (system)
• systematic

βορέας

• boreas (north)
• hyperborean, an inhabitant of the extreme north

μέθοδος

• methodos (following after, pursuit, method, system)
• method, methodical, Methodist

θέατρον

• theatron (a place for viewing, especially a theatre)

ἀνάθεμα

• anathema (accursed)

ἀστήρ

• astēr (star)
• asteroid

μακρός

• makros (long)
• macrobiotic, macroeconomics

θέσις

• thesis (placing, a proposition)

χάος

• khaos (vast chasm, void)
• chaos, chaotic, gas (with Dutch g representing Greek kh)

τρόπαιον

• tropaion (monument of an enemy’s defeat)
• trophy

ἀνάλογος

• analogos (proportionate)

ἀναλφάβητος

• analphabētos (uneducated)

ἄλφα

• alpha

Ἄτλας

• Atlas

ἐνέργεια

• energeia (energy)

κρυπτός

• kruptos (hidden)

ἐλαστικός

• elastikos (elastic)

ἀναχρονισμός

• anakhronismos (wrong time reference)
• anachronism

μαθηματικός

• mathēmatikos (fond of learning)
• mathematical, polymath

ἄνθρωπος

• anthrōpos (human being)

ἄνθραξ

• anthrax

στροφή

• strophē (turning)
• catastrophe (from cata-, ‘down’)

δαίμων

• daimōn (deity, genius)
• demon

ἀσθένεια

• astheneia (weakness)
• asthenia

ἵππος

• hippos (horse)
• hippodrome, hippopotamus

γῆρας

• gēras (old age)
• geriatric

θεραπεία

• therapeia (healing)
• therapeutics

διάβολος

• diabolos (accuser, slanderer)
• devil, diabolic

φωνή

• phōnē (voice)
• phoneme, phonetic, phonograph, telephone

φαντασία

• phantasia (imagination)
• fantasy, fantastic, fantasia

γένεσις

• genesis (birth)
• gene, genetic

ἀρθρίτις

• arthritis (inflammation of the joint; arthron = joint)

ἀνάμνησις

• anamnēsis (recollection)

βίος

• bios (life)
• biology

ἔλλειψις

• elleipsis (ellipse, from elleipein, ‘leave out’)
• ellipsis

ἀσπάραγος

• asparagos

ἀναισθησία

• anaisthēsia (anaesthesia)

Ἀφροδίτη

• Aphroditē (literally ‘foam-born’, from aphros ‘foam’)
• aphrodisiac

γάμμα

• gamma
• gamut (from gamma ut)

τροπικός

• tropikos (of the turning of the sun)
• tropical, tropics

τοπικός

• topikos (of or pertaining to τόπος a place)
• topic, topical

μικρός

• mikros (small)
• micron, microscope

ἱστορία

• historia (history)

γυνή

• gunē (woman)
• gynecology, misogynist

δέλτα

• delta

θερμός

• thermos (hot)
• hypothermia, thermal

λόγος

• logos (thought, word)
• pathology (from pathos, ‘suffering, disease’), analogy, geology, catalogue

Ἀμαζών

• Amazōn

φοβία

• phobia (irrational fear, fear)

πρόγραμμα

• programma (proclamation, agenda)
• programmer, program

βάρβαρος

• barbaros (stranger)
• barbarian

ἥλιος

• helios (sun)
• helium, heliotropism

ἄτομος

• atomos (indivisible)
• atomic

αὐθεντικός

• authentikos (original)
• authenticity

μανία

• mania (madness, passion, frenzy)
• manic

κόσμος

• kosmos (order, the universe, ornament)
• cosmetic, cosmology, cosmic, cosmopolitan