Greek
/ɡriːk/
adjective/noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
Γραικός — inhabitant of Graea
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to Greece, its people, or its language.
- A native or inhabitant of Greece, or a person of Greek descent.
Literal older meaning
Ionic or West Greek speaker
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Ancient Greek → Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
Γραικός (Graikós)
Earliest period
8th century BCE
Journey
The term 'Greek' originated as a name for a small tribe in Boeotia. Through contact, the Romans used 'Graeci' to describe the settlers of Magna Graecia (southern Italy), eventually applying it to all speakers of the Greek language, while the people themselves preferred the name 'Hellenes'.
Evolution
- 8th century BCE
Γραικός
“an inhabitant of Graea, a region in Boeotia”
Original tribal name
- 1st century BCE
Graecus
“Greek”
Adopted by Romans to refer to all Hellenic peoples
- 13th century CE
grec
“Greek”
Middle English adoption via Old French
Connections
Word parts
Greek
root
referring to the people of Greece
Related across languages
Latin
Graecus
Greek
Italian
greco
Greek
French
grec
Greek
Explore next
Related to Greek
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.