List of 29 Words That Came From Ancient Greece


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Need some English words that came from Ancient Greece? Try this useful list of such terms. Here you'll find a range of words that entered English from your chosen origin.
Word Origin
atlas From the Titan named Atlas who carried the heavens upon his shoulders.
chaos From Khaos, the Greek name for the void state before the creation of the world.
charity From Charis, one of the three Graces.
chronology Originates from Chronos, god of time.
cloth From Clotho, one of the Three Fates, who spun the thread of life.
echo From the nymph Echo.
electron Derived from the Greek word for "amber."
erotic From the god Erôs of love and desire.
Europe From Europa, a princess with whom Zeus fell in love.
fury From the Furies, goddesses of vengeance.
genesis From the Greek word gignesthai (to be born).
geology From the Greek words for "earth" and "speaking."
halcyon From the name of a legendary bird who nested on the ocean.
heliotrope From the Titan Hêlios, who controlled the motion of the Sun.
hermaphrodite From the god Hermaphroditos, whose body was combined with that of a female nymph.
hypnosis From Hypnos, Greek god of sleep.
iridescent From Iris, goddess of the rainbow.
laconic From Laconia, a city of the Spartans, who were famed for their deadpan wit.
lethargy From Lethe, the river of the underworld.
lycanthrope From Lycaon, a man who was punished for cannibalism by being turned into a wolf.
mentor From Mentor, the tutor of Odysseus's son.
morphine From Morpheus, god of dreams.
music From the Muses, goddesses of art and science.
narcissism From Narcissus, a man who fell in love with his own reflection.
nectar Named after the favored drink of the Greek gods.
philosophy From the Greek word philosophia (love of wisdom).
photograph From the Greek words for "light" and "record."
strategy From the Greek word strategia (command).
telescope From the Greek words for "distant" and "target."



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