Greek vocabulary via English (or French) vocabulary?

Here you can discuss all things Ancient Greek. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Greek, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
pster
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 1089
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 3:05 am
Location: Magna Graecia

Greek vocabulary via English (or French) vocabulary?

Post by pster »

So I was a bit miffed that I hadn't noticed the Greek root in 'theatre' despite knowing 'theaomai'--wasn't till I learned 'thea' that I realized it. There are a lot of books out there for kids to learn greek and latin roots. But, are there any books out there that are pitched at a higher level and leave out the latin? Ideally, I'd like a book that takes an English (or French) word or family or words and goes to the Greek root and then gives the greek family. Something like that, that uses the Greek alphabet and all. I suspect that if there is such a book, it is a 100 year old and print on demand kind of thing.

Helikwps
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 74
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:37 am

Re: Greek vocabulary via English (or French) vocabulary?

Post by Helikwps »

Not much help here, but I find that occasional leafings through LSJ does the same for me in reverse. Volcano crater from κρατήρ, what a mindblow. :)

Damoetas
Textkit Fan
Posts: 231
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:31 pm
Location: Chicago

Re: Greek vocabulary via English (or French) vocabulary?

Post by Damoetas »

But, it wouldn't be practical to leave out the Latin entirely. I can understand not wanting it as a focus. But to use your "theatre" example, Latin and French are indispensable links between Greek and English: θεάομαι > θέατρον > L. theatrum > Fr. theatre > E. theatre/theater.

If you can't find a book that focuses on this, you can learn a lot just by studying Greek suffixes and word formation (such as the -τρον suffix mentioned above).

Paying some attention to Latin also helps in spotting false cognates: e.g. it makes it easy to see that κοίτη and "coitus" are not related.
Dic mihi, Damoeta, 'cuium pecus' anne Latinum?

Post Reply