The Language We Speak

Did you know, the language we speak are mostly words from Greek or Latin. Here are some good examples of a few words that came from Greek;


Hygiene – 1670 Greek word meaning healthy, live well, also a goddess Hygieia

Trophy – 1510 Greek word, means victorious – trope

Chronology – 1590 Greek word, order by time – Chronologia

Pirate – Greek word, sailor, person who robs while out at sea – Peril

Logo – 1937, Greek word that means characters or symbols that represent words – logogram

Astronaut – 1929, - Astronautique

Photograph – 1839 – Photogene and heliograph

Phobia – 1786, from Phobos means fear same spelling

Tripod – 1600, Tripus (Tri three legs) Three legged objects

Telephone – 1835, was a signal by using sound. French word telephone. Tele means far away. Phone means verbal sounds.

Television – Words from French, but are combined using Latin. Vision, and tele combined together. Vision being able to see.

Hypnotism – 1843 Greek word. Neuro-hypnotism. Make someone sleep.

Drama – 1510 Greek word.

Helicopter – 1861, Greek word from helicoptere. An object that moves vertically up

Climate – late 14th century. Climatis, Slope of the Earth

Toxic – 1660. Toxikon, poison for use on arrows.

Automatic – 1812. Automatos, self acting or moving on its own.

Don't you think it is interesting to know a little bit about the language we speak and how it evolved into the words we use today. E.g. Automatic, was spelt and pronounced automatos, but nowadays we have evolved the word into automatic.