# BRIEF, BRIEFING, BREVITY \[English words of Greek origin) **URL:** \ **Category:** Learning Greek\ **Created:** [May 4, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525 "2008-05-04T08:25:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neos](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/neos/32/37_2.png) [@Neos](https://www.textkit.com/u/Neos)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/1 "2008-05-04T08:25:59Z")
The word _ **brief** _ comes from the Latin **_brevis_** (short) that derives from the ancient Greek _ **brahis** _ (short). **From the same root:** _ **briefing, briefly, brevity, briefcase, briefness.** _ **In modern Greek:** a) _ **brahis** _: short b) _ **brahitis** _: shortness, brevity c) _ **brahino** _: to shorten, to cut down _ **brahis → brevis → brief** _ See the blog: English words of no apparent Greek origin at: [http://ewonago.blogspot.com/](http://ewonago.blogspot.com/) ---
**Author:** ![annis](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@annis](https://www.textkit.com/u/annis)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/2 "2008-05-04T13:08:33Z")
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**Author:** ![Neos](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/neos/32/37_2.png) [@Neos](https://www.textkit.com/u/Neos)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/3 "2008-05-04T20:10:50Z")
I would like to thank William Annis for his comments. Instead of an answer, i would like to quote two paragraphs from the Preface of the “Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language” by F. Valpy (London, 1828) concerning the relationship between Latin and Greek. - See below. Thank you very much With best regards John Neos PS. I tried to copy-paste the segment, but technically it was not possible to enter an image in the post. So i typed the segment. For those who do not have Greek fonts, i wrote the Greek words with Latin characters in parenthesis. “But of what kind is that connection? Is that of mother and daughter, or of sister and sister? If it is of the former kind, then it is sufficient for the Etymologist to trace a Latin to a Greek word. If of the latter, he has gained but little by so doing, but must go on to some other language which produced both. The question then is of essential importance to the Etymologist. Let me try the words _Domus_ and _Δόμος_ (Domos). Can we carry _Domus_ any further back in Latin? – No. But we can carry _Δόμος_ (Domos) further back in Greek, and can refer it to _Δέμω_ (Demo), to build, whose perfect middle is _Δέδομα_ (Dedoma). We may go perhaps further, and refer _Δέμω_ (Demo) itself to _Δέω_ (Deo), to bind, to bind together: the perfect passive of which is _Δέδεμαι_ (Dedeme), hence is the word _Δέμα_ (Dema). The Latin word _Domus_ therefore is allied to the Greek language not as a sister, but as a daughter. Thus also _Argentum_ can be traced no further in Latin. But in Greek is _Α?γός_ (Argos), white; and _Α?γήεις_ (Argeis), genitive _Α?γήεντος_ (Argientos), _Α?γήντος_ (Argintos), white. _Tremo_ is from _Τ?έμω_ (tremo), and _Τ?έμω_ (Tremo) from _Τ?έω_ (Treo), _Τέτ?εμαι_ (Tetrame). So _Pompa_ is from _Πομπή_ (Pompe), this from _Πέμπω_ (Pempo), _Πέπομπα_ (Pepompa). _Tragicus_ is from _Τ?αγικός_ (Tragikos), this from _Τ?άγος_ (Tragos). _Poema_ is from _Ποίημα_ (Poeema), this from _Ποιέω_ (Poeeo), _Πεποίημαι_ (Pepoeeme). In Latin we have no _Demo_, or _Argeis_ in the sense of white, or _Treo_, or _Pempo_, or _Tragus_ in the sense of a goat, or _Poieo_. Therefore the Latin is not a sister of the Greek, but proceeds from it, as a daughter from the mother. And the Latin Etymologist is justified in tracing a Latin to a Greek word – I speak not of Later Greek –and there leaving it, thinking that it then becomes the province of the Greek Etymologist to trace it further back in the Greek or to carry it on to some other language.” ---
**Author:** ![annis](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@annis](https://www.textkit.com/u/annis)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/4 "2008-05-04T20:45:52Z")
> [@Neos](#): > > Instead of an answer, i would like to quote two paragraphs from the Preface of the “Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language” by F. Valpy (London, 1828) concerning the relationship between Latin and Greek. We should **not** be relying on works nearly two centuries old as etymological authorities. No modern historical linguist is going to accept Latin as the daughter language of Greek. The idea is completely indefensible. ---
**Author:** ![Lucus\_Eques](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/lucus_eques/32/13_2.png) [@Lucus\_Eques](https://www.textkit.com/u/Lucus_Eques)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/5 "2008-05-05T11:59:16Z")
Will is correct. To say that all Latin words derive from Greek is as silly as saying all Spanish words derive from Italian. ---
**Author:** ![IreneY](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/ireney/32/23_2.png) [@IreneY](https://www.textkit.com/u/IreneY)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/6 "2008-05-05T12:20:51Z")
You must be kidding! All words of all languages come from Greek. Haven’t you seen my big fat Greek wedding where the father of the bride explains how “kimono” comes from “χειμών” ? Edit. Found the quote:“Kimono, kimono, kimono. Ha! Of course! Kimono is come from the Greek word himona, is mean winter. So, what do you wear in the wintertime to stay warm? A robe. You see: robe, kimono. There you go!” ---
**Author:** ![Misopogon](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@Misopogon](https://www.textkit.com/u/Misopogon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/7 "2008-05-05T17:17:29Z")
Oh Irene you’re great, I was thinking about the same film! Lol 😆 Regards Misopogon ---
**Author:** ![benissimus](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/benissimus/32/7_2.png) [@benissimus](https://www.textkit.com/u/benissimus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/8 "2008-05-05T19:09:52Z")
This is all besides the point, since [[u]Greek derives from Chinese[/u]](http://www.greecetravel.com/archaeology/mitsopoulou/language.htm) anyways. ---
**Author:** ![IreneY](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/ireney/32/23_2.png) [@IreneY](https://www.textkit.com/u/IreneY)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/9 "2008-05-05T21:33:48Z")
Ouch! That “article” actually hurt! 😆 However I suspect the writer either wanted to prove that Chinese come from Greek or this is another “Atlantis mother of all civilizations” “proof” Misopogon, I forgot to mention that according to Gus Portokalos “Miller” comes from “μήλο”, “apple”. I think I like that one more 😃 (I guess millers milled apples in England). ---
**Author:** ![annis](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@annis](https://www.textkit.com/u/annis)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/10 "2008-05-05T21:37:09Z")
My brains hurt now. ---
**Author:** ![IreneY](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/ireney/32/23_2.png) [@IreneY](https://www.textkit.com/u/IreneY)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/brief-briefing-brevity-english-words-of-greek-origin/7525/11 "2008-05-05T21:47:20Z")
Brain! That comes from Greek too. From “εμπ?ός” \> “έμπ?οσθεν” since you can only go forward if you use your brains.