This is a list of Greek words with derivatives in English (and other modern languages).

Contents
Transliteration Greek Words with Modern Derivatives Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω See also External links

Transliteration

There are considerable differences between the various transliterations used to represent the Greek alphabet in English. The table in the sidebar shows:

• the "traditional" transliteration, in other words that used in Latin, representing classical Greek: this is the form in which most Greek words have made their way into English
• a "classical" transliteration, commonly used to represent more accurately the pronunciation of Ancient Greek
• the "modern" transliteration often used for Modern Greek

Greek had no letter h: a rough breathing over an initial vowel or diphthong – – indicates that the word was pronounced with an initial h, and a smooth breathing – ἀ ἐ ἠ ἰ ὀ ὐ ὠ – indicates the absence of an h, but this has since disappeared in speech, and Modern Greek omits the breathings. An initial upsilon (υ) always had the rough breathing – ὑ – hence hy is very common at the start of words derived from Greek, but no (or very few) such words start with y.

The letter rho (ρ) at the start of a word always had the rough breathing – ῥ – and is transliterated rh. If a rho occurred doubled within a word, the first ρ always had the smooth breathing and the second the rough breathing – ῤῥ – leading to the transiliteration rrh.

For a fuller discussion of these matters, see Greek alphabet.

Note: the distinction between the rough and smooth breathings as shown above may not be very clear on certain browsers.

Greek Words with Modern Derivatives

The Citation form shown is the form most commonly shown in dictionaries, but this form is often unrepresentative of the word as used to form a compound word, hence the Root form is also shown.

The "classical" transliteration as described above is used for both the Citation form and the Root form.

The Greek words are shown in polytonic orthography, in other words showing the breathings and the fuller range of accents, as used in Ancient Greek.

Α

(h)a

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ἅλς	hals	ἁλ-	hal-	salt	halogen
ἀνήρ	anēr	ἀνδρ-	andr-	man (male human)	androgen
ἄνθος	anthos	ἀνθο-	antho-	flower	anthology
ἄνθρωπος	anthrōpos	ἀνθρωπο-	anthrōpo-	human being	anthropomorphism
ἀράχνη	arakhnē	ἀραχνη	arakhnē-	spider	arachnid
ἄριστος	aristos	ἀριστο-	arist-	best	aristocracy
ἀρχαῖος	arkhaios	ἀρχαιο-	arkhaio-	ancient	archaeology
ἀστήρ	astēr	ἀστερ-	aster-	star	asteroid
ἄστρον	astron	ἀστρο-	astro-	constellation	astrology
αὐτός	autos	αὐτο-	auto-	self (reflexive pronoun)	autonomy

Β

b

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
βάρβαρος	barbaros	βαρβαρο-	barbaro-	stranger, non-Greek	barbarian
βαρύς	barus	βαρυ-	baru-	heavy	baritone
βίος	bios	βιο-	bio-	life	biology
βραχύς	brachus	βραχυ-	brachu-	short	brachycephalic

Γ

g

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
γαῖα, γῆ	gaia, gē	γεα-	gea-	earth	geology, Gaia
γάμος	gamos	γαμ-	gam-	marriage	polygamy
γράφειν	graphein	γραφ-	graph-	to write	graphics, geography
γυνή	gunē	γυναικ-	gunaik-	woman	polygyny, gynecology

Δ

d

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
δῆμος	dēmos	δημο-	dēmo-	district, its inhabitants, commoners	democracy
δόξα	doxa	δοξ-	dox-	opinion	orthodox

Ε

(h)e

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ἑπτά	hepta	ἑπτα-	hepta-	seven	heptarchy
εὖ	eu	εύ-	eu-	well	eulogy

Ζ

z

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ζῶον	zōon	ζωο-	zōo-	animal	zoology

Η

(h)ē

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ἡγεμῶν	hēgemōn	ἡγεμον-	hēgemon-	leader	hegemony
ἠώς	ēōs	ἠο-	ēo-	dawn	eocene

Θ

th

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
θεός	theos	θε-	the-	a god	theology
θερμός	thermos	θερμ-	therm-	hot	isotherm

Ι

(h)i

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ἰατρός	iatros	ἰατρο-	iatro-	doctor	psychiatrist
ἴδιος	idios	ἰδι-	idi-	one’s own, private	idiolect
ἱερός	hieros	ἱερο-	hiero-	sacred	hierarchy
ἰχθύς	ikhthus	ἰχθυ-	ikhthu-	fish	ichthyology, Ikhthus

Κ

k, c

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
κακός	kakos	κακο-	kako-	bad	cacophony
κόσμος	kosmos	κοσμ-	kosm-	order, the universe	cosmography, cosmetic
κρατος	kratos	κρατ-	krat-	power, rule	autocrat

Λ

l

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
λίθος	lithos	λιθο-	litho-	stone	lithography
λόγος	logos	λογο-	logo-	thought, word	theology

Μ

m

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
μακρός	makros	μακρο-	makro-	large	macron, macrobiotic
μέλας	melas	μελαν-	melan-	pigmented, black, ink	Melanesia
μικρός	mikros	μικρο-	mikro-	small	microscope
μνῆστις	mnēstis	μνη-	mne-	memory	amnesia, amnesty
μόνος	monos	μονο-	mono-	alone, solitary, forsaken	monotony
Μοῦσα	Mousa	μουσ-	mous-	a patron goddess of the arts	music

Ν

n

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
νέος	neos	νεο-	neo-	new, young	neon, neologism

Ξ

x

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ξένος	xenos	ξενο-	xeno-	strange, stranger, guest	xenophobia
ξύλον	xulon	ξυλ-	xul-	wood	xylophone, xylem

Ο

(h)o

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ὀλίγος	oligos	ὀλιγο-	oligo-	few, little, small	oligarchy
ὅμοιος	homoios	ὁμοιο-	homoio-	similar	homeopathy
ὀξύς	oxus	ὀξυ-	oxu-	sharp, acid	oxygen
ὀρθός	orthos	ὀρθ-	orth-	straight, correct	orthography

Π

p

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
πάθος	pathos	παθ-	path-	suffering, disease	pathology
παιδεία	paideia	παιδεια-	paideia-	education, culture	encyclopaedia
παῖς	pais	παιδ-	paid-	boy, child	pedophilia
πᾶς	pas	παν, πανσο;-	pan-, panto-	all, complete	pantheism, pantomime
περί	peri	περι-	peri	around	perimeter
πολύς	polus	πολυ-	polu-	many, much	Polynesia

Ρ

r(h)

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ῥίς	rhis	ῥιν-	rhin-	nose	rhinoceros

Σ

s

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
σαῦρος	sauros	σαυρο-	sauro-	lizard	dinosaur
σκοπός	skopos	σκοπ-	skop-	observer	telescope
σοφία	sophia	σοφια-	sophia-	knowledge, wisdom	philosophy, sophistry

Τ

t

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
τῆλε	tēle	τηλε-	tēle-	far away	telephone, telepathy
τόξον	toxon	τοξ-	tox-	archer’s bow, poison	toxin

Υ

(h)u, (h)y

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ὕπνος	hupnos	ὑπνο-	hupno-	sleep	hypnotism

Φ

ph

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
φιλία φίλος	philia, philos	φιλια- φιλο-	philia-, philo-	friendship friend	Philadelphia
φοβία φόβος	phobia phobos	φοβια φοβο-	phobia phobo-	irrational fear fear	phobia Phobos
φυτόν	phuton	φυτο-	phuto-	plant	neophyte
φωνή	phōnē	φωνη-	phōnē-	voice	telephone

Χ

kh, ch

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
χαίτη	khaitē	χαιτη-	khaitē-	loose, flowing hair	polychaete
χρόνος	khronos	χρον-	khrono-	time	chronology

Ψ

ps

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ψυχή	psukhē	ψυχη-	psukhē-	spirit, mind	psychology

Ω

(h)ō

Citation form		Root form		Meaning	English Derivative
ὠόν	ōon	ὠο-	ōo-	egg	oocyte
ὥρα	hōra	ὡρα-	hōra-	season, hour	horoscope

See also

• Greek language
• English words of Greek origin
• List of Latin words with English derivatives
• Greek words for love
• Iso

External links

• The Perseus Project - has many useful pages for the study of classical languages and literatures, including dictionaries.