Greek Reference
Some notes on modern greek.
1. Phonology
Greek script is usally phonetic: you can say it like you see it once you know the rules.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Greek_phonology
1.1. Vowels
The greek vowel letters are 'α', 'ε', 'η', 'ι', 'ο', 'υ' and 'ω'. These are nontrivially mapped to five vowel sounds roughly like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u' in english.
α → a
ε, η, ι → e
ει → i
ο, ω → o
υ, ου → u
1.2. Consonants
"β" is a humming "veeta" sound. Not a 'b', so 'βιο' is pronounced "veo"
"γ" is a rolling y/g sound.
"δ" "th" in "father" (humming th ) {IPA ð}. Not a 'd' sound!
"ζ" → "z"
"θ" "th" in "thing" (no humming) {IPA θ}
"κ" is the "k"
"λ" → "l"
"μ" → "m"
"ν" → "n"
"ξ" → "x"
"π" → "p"
"ρ" → "r"
"σ", "ς" → "s"
"τ" → "t"
"φ" → "f"
"χ" → rolling 'ch', like 'buch' in German or scottish 'loch'.
"ψ" → "ps" like in "lapse" or "psychic"
Some dipthongs to know:
"ευ" → "ef"
"αυ" → "af"
"γκ" → "g"
"μπ" → "b"
"ντ" → "d"
All greek words have a 'stressed' vowel which is decorated with an accent.
2. Grammar
2.1. Nouns
https://foundalis.com/lan/grknouns.htm
Each noun changes its ending based on
gender :
masculine (m) ending in "-ος", "-ης", "-ας"
feminine (f) ending in "-α", "-η", "-ις"
neutral (n) ending in "-ο", "-ι"
case :
nominative (n) for subjects of sentences: "H γυναίκα είναι μόνη" - the woman is alone
genitive (g) for possession. Genitive can either be used after a noun as an adjective-like construct: "Η μέρα της γυναίκας" | "woman's day". Or it can be used with a verb as the "to" argument: [TODO] example.
This is also true for genitive pronouns.
accusative (a) for objects: "Φιλάς τη γυναίκα" - you kiss the woman
vocative (v) when calling: "Γυναίκα, έλα" - woman, come!
number :
singular (s)
plural (p)
eg. | singular | plural | |||||||
N | G | A | V | N | G | A | V | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
m | τόπος | -ος | -ου | -ο | -ε | -οι | -ων | -ους | -οι |
αλήτης | -ης | -η | -η | -η | -ες | -ων | -ες | -ες | |
άνδρας | -ας | -α | -α | -α | -ες | -ων | -ες | -ες | |
f | γυναίκα | -α | -ας | -α | -α | -ες | -ων | -ες | -ες |
τίγρη | -η | -ης | -η | -η | -ες | -ων | -ες | -ες | |
n | βιβλίο | -ο | -ου | -ο | -ο | -α | -ων | -α | -α |
παιδί | -ι | -ιου | -ι | -ι | -ια | -ιων | -ια | -ια | |
λήμμα | -α | -ατος | -α | -α | -ατα | -ατων | -ατα | -ατα |
In addition, the article changes depending on all of these things too:
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
m | f | n | m | f | n | ||
definite | nominative | ο | η | το | οι | οι | τα |
genitive | του | της | του | των | των | των | |
accusative | τον | τη | το | τους | τις | τα | |
vocative | no article | ||||||
indefinite | nominative | ένας | μια | ένα | μερικοί | μερικές | μερικά |
genitive | ενός | μιας | ενός | μερικών | μερικών | μερικών | |
accusative | ένα | μια | ένα | μερικούς | μερικές | μερικά |
All nouns have a gender. Νouns have different 'conjugations' depending on their relation to the verb.
Feminine | Masculine | Neuter | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
η | γυναίκα | ο | άντρας | το | παιδί |
της | γυναίκας | του | άντρα | του | παιδιού |
τη | γυναίκα | τον | άντρα | το | παιδί |
γυναίκα | άντρα | παιδί imperative | |||
Plurals | |||||
οι | γυναίκες | οι | άντρες | τα | παιδιά |
των | γυναικών | των | αντρώς | των | παιδιών |
τις | γυναίκες | τους | άντρες | τα | παιδιά |
γυναικες | άντρες | παιδιά imperative |
Feminine adjectives always end in "ι".
2.2. Verbs
In greek, there are many many conjugations and forms for each verb. But there are only two stems to know and then the formula is the same.
There are stems for each verb in greek. Eg for to loosen / solve, we have the stems "-λυν-" and "-λυσ-" and "-λυθ-".
The prefix and suffix of the verb change depending on
The number:
singular
plural
The person:
first (1) "I am"
second (2) "you are"
third (3) "he is"
The tense.
present "I help"/"I am helping"
imperfect "I used to help"/"I was helping"
past "I helped"
perfect "I have helped". An action that is done in relation to the present time. The action is finished.
pluperfect "I had helped". You use this if you have some event in the past and you want to relate it to another event in the past, eg, "I had eaten breakfast when my brother walked in". Or "I had eaten breakfast before noon"
future "I will help"
future perfect "I will have helped"
conditional "would have helped"
The mood:
indicative default mood
imperative used when ordering or requesting.
{ancient} subjunctive ("I must have helped")?
{ancient} optative ("I wish I could help")
{ancient} infinitive ??
The voice:
active "I loosen"
passive "I am being loosened"
{ancient} middle "I am loosening myself".
So for a fixed verb you have a 5D conjugation table. Luckily it is basically the same for all verbs and there are few irregulars.
2.3. Pronouns
The cases are used in the same way as they are used for nouns. However in most cases, the pronoun is dropped from statements because you can usually infer the pronoun from the conjugation of the verb.
person | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gender | m | f | n | |||
single | N | εγώ | εσύ | αυτός | αυτή | αυτό |
G | μου | σου | του | της | του | |
A | με | σε | τον | την | το | |
plural | N | εμείς | εσείς | αυτοί | αυτές | αυτά |
G | μας | σας | τους | τους | τους | |
A | μας | σας | τους | τις | τα |
3. Vocab
Some of this is ancient greek.
3.1. Verbs.
to be | είμαι |
to do, make | ποιέω |
to become | γίνομαι |
to have | έχω |
to go | πηγαίνω |
to want | θέλω |
to ask | ρωτάω |
to hear | ακούω |
to speak | μιλάω |
to call | καλώ |
to answer | απαντώ |
to send | στέλνω |
to put | τίθημι |
to recieve | δενομαί |
to take | λαμβάνω |
to give | δίδομι |
to see | βλέπω |
to show | δείξε |
to throw | Ρίχνω |
to bounce | βγάζω |
to kill | σκοτώνω |
to know | γινώσκω |
to think | νομίζω |
to imagine | φαντάζομαι |
to drink | πινω |
to continue | Συνέχισε |
to try / strain/ put in effort | προσπαθώ |
3.2. Αριτθμός / Νούμερο
0 | μιδέν |
1 | ένα |
2 | δύο |
3 | τρία |
4 | τέσσερα |
5 | πέντε |
6 | έξι |
7 | επτά |
8 | οκτώ |
9 | εννεα |
10 | δεκα |
11 | εντεκα |
12 | δωδεκα |
13 | δεκατρια |
14 | δεκατεσσερα |
20 | είκοσι |
30 | τριάντα |
40 | σαράντα |
50 | πενήντα |
60 | εξήντα |
70 | εβδομήντα |
80 | ογδόντα |
90 | εννενήντα |
100 | εκατό |
200 | διακόσια |
3.3. Countries
🇬🇷 Ελλάδα
🇩🇪 Γερμανίας
🇫🇷 Γαλλία
🏴 Αγγλιά
3.4. Sciency words
Basically any word which sounds technical and fancy is just the word in greek or ancient greek (and sometimes latin).
Greek and latin words commonly used in systematic names and English words of greek origin.
χεμος juice (_chem_istry!)
αμβλύς blunt, dull
αντρασ man (anthropology)
αμφι- of all kinds, of all sides (ambivalent)
ανθος {ancient?} flower
αρχαίος ancient (archaeology)
αρωματικός aromatic
αστέρι star (astronomy)
ζώο animal
βιος {ancient} life (biology)
κεφάλι head (encephalisation)
κερατο hord (keratin)
χλορος {ancient} pale green (chlorine, chlorophyl)
χρωμα colour
κρυπτος {ancient} hidden
δερμα {ancient} skin (dermatology)
δεινός terrible, difficult (dinosaur)
σαῦρος lizard, reptile (dinosaur)
διπλος double (diploid)
δισκος disk
μονοι alone (mono-)
στεθοσ? breast (_stetho_scope)
ήλεκτρο amber (because static electricity was first discovered by rubbing amber)
ἐρυθρός {ancient} red
γη earth (geo-)
γλυκυς sweet (glucose)
έδρα surface or (seat/position at an organisation) (same root as eg polyhedron)
εντα? insect (_ento_mology)
απο- = on top of
επι- = over, upon
σχεμα = schema, diagram, figure
τοπος = place, (_topo_logy)
λόγος = word, discourse or reason (-ology, logic)
ὁμός = same (_homo_genous)
ἑτερο = other, another, different (hetero-)
γένος = kind (homo_geneous_)
τῆλε = far, distant (telephone etc)
γιγας = giant (gigabyte)
αιμα = blood (heamoglobin)
ἁπλόος = simple, single (haploid)
ὕδωρ? = water (hydropower, hydrogen)
ὑπέρ = over, above (hyper-)
ὑπό = under, beneath (hypo-)
λεπτός = light (leptons?)
λευκός = white (leukocyte)
μελανός = black (melanin)
μικρός = small (micro-)
πέτρα = rock or stone (petrify)
ὀλίγοι = few (oligarchy)
ὀχι = sharp (oxygen)
?????
Gyros = turn (gyroscope)
selene = moon (selenium)
fagito = food (phage)
meteorology?
physics?
psyco-?
philosophy?
arithmos?
numeros?
ecology? oikos?
botany?
anatomy?
3.5. Pleasantries
παρακαλώ please
ευχαριστώ thankyou
Όλα καλά ok
3.6. Φρούτα
🍒κεράσια
🍍ανανάς
🍐αχλάδι
🍌μπανάνα
🍋Λεμόνι
🍓φράουλα
🥑Αβοκαντο
3.7. Food
🍦παγωτό
🍺μπύρα
🍫σοκολάτα
coffee ☕ καφές
🍇σταφύλια
🍪μπισκότο
🍳Αυγό
tea 🍵 τσάι
3.8. Animal ↦ Ζώο
🐈γάτα
🐊κροκόδειλος
🐯τίγρη
🐶σκύλος
👻φάντασμα
3.9. Misc.
🌏γη (pronounce yee) (gaia, geo-)
☀ήλιος (heliocentric)
🌙σελήνη / φεγγάρι
⛄ χιονάνθρωπος
snow ❄ χιόνι
🔥πυρ (pyrotechnics)
⭐ αστέρι
⭐⭐⭐αστέρια
❤️καρδιά (cardiology)
🐝μέλισσα
seashell 🐚 κοχύλι (cochlear implant)
🐟ψάρι
☁σύννεφο
🎈μπαλόνι
📱Κινητο
☎τηλέφωνο
📚βιβλία (bibliography, bible)
🍴μαχαιροπήρουνα
🚗Αυτοκίνητο
✏ μολύβι
✂️ ψαλίδια
🖊στυλό (stylus, stylographic)
🎼🎶μουσική (moozikee)
🚲Ποδήλατο
🚽τουαλέτα
🚿ντους
🔑κλειδί
🚪πόρτα (portal)
🛏κρεβάτι
home / house 🏠 σπίτι (same root as the 'spit' in hospital?)
City 🌆 πόλη (metropolis)
aeroplane ✈ αεροπλάνο
Present 🎁 Δώρο