Philosophical Greek

Philosophical Greek#

Revised

06 Aug 2023

Alphabet#

α  Α  alpha     a
β  Β  beta      b
γ  Γ  gamma     
δ  Δ  delta     d
ε  Ε  epsilon   
ζ  Ζ  zeta      z
η  Η  eta       
θ  Θ  theta     
ι  Ι  iota      i
κ  Κ  kappa     k
λ  Λ  lambda    l
μ  Μ  mu        m
ν  Ν  nu        n
ξ  Ξ  xi        
ο  Ο  omicron   o      o
π  Π  pi        p      π
ρ  Π  rho       r      p
σς Σ  sigma     s      c
τ  Τ  tau       t      т
υ  Υ  upsilon   uyvw   уѵ
φ  Φ  phi              ф
χ  Χ  chi       x      х
ψ  Ψ  psi
ω  Ω  omega

  • [W] alpha

  • [W] beta

  • [W] gamma

  • [W] delta

  • [W] epsilon

  • [W] zeta

  • [W] eta

  • [W] theta

  • [W] iota

  • [W] kappa

  • [W] lambda

  • [W] mu

  • [W] nu

  • [W] xi

  • [W] omicron (o micro “small o”)

  • [W] pi

  • [W] rho

  • [W] sigma

  • [W] tau

  • [W] upsilon

  • [W] phi

  • [W] chi

  • [W] psi

  • [W] omega (o mega “large o”)

Concepts#

aér            ἀήρ           ΑΗΡ           air; cloud; invisible
agapé          ἀγάπη         ΑΓΑΠΗ         charity; love
analogía       
aísthesis      αἴσθησις      ΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΣ      sense perception
aisthetón      αἰσθητόν      ΑΙΣΘΗΤΟΝ      object of sense perception
aithér         αἰθήρ         ΑΙΘΗΡ         aether; clear; visible
aóriston       ἀόριστον      ΑΟΡΙΣΤΟΝ      
ápeiron        ἄπειρον       ΑΠΕΙΡΟΝ       that which is boundless, indefinite, infinite
apógonos       ἀπόγονος      ΑΠΟΓΟΝΟΣ      descendant; offspring
apokrínesthai  ἀποκρίνεσθαι  ΑΠΟΚΡΙΝΕΣΘΑΙ  separate off, set apart
arché          ἀρχή          ARXH          beginning; origin; principle; rule
arithmós       ἀριθμός       ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ       amount; count; quantity; number; a number (of things) (German anzahl) 
astér          ἀστήρ         ΑΣΤΗΡ         star
chora          χὠρα          ΧΩΡΑ          expanse; space
chthón         χθών          ΧΘΩΝ          earth; soil
chthónios      χθὀνιος       ΧΘΟΝΙΟΣ       in, under, beneath the earth
demos          δῆμος         ΔΗΜΟΣ         subdivision; suburb
diégesis       διήγησις      ΔΙΗΓΗΣΙΣ      narration
dynamis        δύναμις       ΔΥΝΑΜΙΣ       capability; capacity; dynamism; potency; potential; power
enérgeia       ἐνέργεια      ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑ      activity; actuality; energy
enteléxeia     ἐντελέχεια    ΕΝΤΕΛΕΧΕΙΑ    being-complete; completion
érgon          ἔργων         ΕΡΓΩΝ         work
éros           ἔρως          ΕΡΩΣ          passionate, sensual love
gaia           γαῖα          ΓΑΙΑ          the earth
ge             γῆ            ΓΗ            earth
génesis        γένεσις       ΓΕΝΕΣΙΣ       becoming; coming-to-be; genesis
génos          γένος         ΓΕΝΟΣ         common ancestry; kin; race; stock
geometría      γεωμετρία     ΓΕΩΜΕΤΡΙΑ     earth measurement; geometry
gnothi sautón  γνῶθι σαυτόν  ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ  know thyself
katharsis      κάθαρσις      ΚΑΘΑΡΣΙΣ      cleansing; purification
kínesis        κίνησις       ΚΙΝΗΣΙΣ       change; motion
kósmos         κόσμος        ΚΟΣΜΟΣ        order; ornament; world
kyklos         κύκλος        ΚΥΚΛΟΣ        circle; cycle
léxis          λέξις         ΛΕΞΙΣ         vocabulary; word
lógos          λόγος         ΛΟΓΟΣ         account; law; measure; ratio; reason; reckoning; relation; rule
mímesis        μίμησις       ΜΙΜΗΣΙΣ       imitation
moirai         μοῖραι        ΜΟΙΡΑΙ        lots; parts; portions; shares
monogenés      μονογενής     ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗΣ     the only member of a kin or kind
mythos         μῦθος         ΜΥΘΟΣ         story
oikos          οἶκος         ΟΙΚΟΣ         family; house; property
ólethros       ὄλεθρος       ΟΛΕΘΡΟΣ       corruption; death; destruction; disintegration; ruin
ouranós        οὐρανός       ΟΥΡΑΝΟΣ       heaven; sky
ousía          οὐσία         ΟΥΣΙΑ         individual being
paideía        παιδεία       ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ       education
parabolé       παραβολή      ΠARABOLH      analogy; comparison; illustration; throwing-alongside
paradeigma     παραδειγμα    ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΓΜΑ    example; model; pattern
períodos       περίοδος      ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟΣ      periodic; the way around
philía         φιλία         ΦΙΛΙΑ         affection; friendship; love
phratria       φρατρῐ́α       ΦΡΑΤΡΙΑ       brotherhood; citizen-group; kinfolk
phronesis
phthora        φθορά         ΦΘΟΡΑ         destruction; deterioration; ruin
phyle          φυλή          ΦΥΛΗ          clan; tribe
physis         φύσις         ΦΥΣΙΣ         nature
pístis         πίστις        ΠΙΣΤΙΣ        faith; trust
planétes       πλανήτης      ΠΛΑΝΗΤΗΣ      planet; wanderer (πλάνητες ἀστέρες)
pólis          πόλις         ΠΟΛΙΣ         city
pneuma         πνεῦμα        ΠΝΕΥΜΑ        breath; wind
praxis         πρᾶξις        ΠΡΑΞΙΣ        action; doing
psyché         ψυχή          ΨΥΧΗ          life force; soul
pyr            πῦρ           ΠΥΡ           fire
rhízoma        ῥίζωμα        ΡΙΖΩΜΑ        element; root
sofistés       σοφιστής      ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗΣ      sophist; a master of one's craft
sofía          σοφία         ΣΟΦΙΑ         wisdom
sofízo         σοφίζο        ΣΟΦΙΖΟ        to instruct, make learned
sofós          σοφός         ΣΟΦΟΣ         wise person
sofrosyne      σωφροσύνη     ΣΩΦΡΟΣΥΝΗ     excellence of character
spérma         σπέρμα        ΣΠΕΡΜΑ        seed
stoixeion      στοιχεῖον     ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΟΝ     element; letter
storgé         στοργή        ΣΤΟΡΓΗ        familial love
symbebekós     συμβεβηκός    ΣΥΜΒΕΒΗΚΟΣ    accident
téchne         τέχνη         TΕΧΝΗ         art; craft; skill
télos          τέλος         ΤΕΛΟΣ         end; goal; purpose
to kenon       τὸ κενόν      ΤΟ ΚΕΝΟΝ      the void
tyche          τύχη          ΤΥΧΗ          chance
hamartía       ἁμαρτία       ΑΜΑΡΤΙΑ       to miss the mark
héxis          ἕξις          ΕΞΙΣ          disposition
hybris         ὕβρις         ΥΒΡΙΣ         pride
hydor          ὑδωρ          ΥΔΩΡ          water
hypónoia       ὑπόνοια       ΥΠΟΝΟΙΑ       conjecture; guess; hint; suspicion

  • [W] agápe

  • [W] Aitia αιτια [cause, reason, ground, motive]

  • [W] Akatalepsy ακαταληψια [inability to comprehend; incomprehensibleness]

  • [W] Aletheia αληθεια [truth; unconcealedness; disclosure]

  • [W] Apátheia ἀπάθεια “equanimity; without passion, suffering”

  • [W] Ápeiron ἄπειρον “boundless; indefinite; infinite”

  • [P] apógonos

  • [W] Aporia απορια [lacking passage; impasse; puzzlement]

  • [W] Arche αρχη [principle]

  • [W] Areté ἀρετή “excellence, virtue”

  • [W] Ataraxía ἀταραξία “unperturbedness”

  • [W] Atom ατομον, ατομοσ [uncuttable; indivisible]

  • [W] catharsis

  • [W] Chronos χρονος [chronological, sequential time]

  • [P] chthón

  • [P] chthónios

  • [W] demos

  • [W] diégesis

  • [W] Dialektiké διαλεκτική “dialectic”

  • [W] Dóxa δόξα “appearance; common belief, opinion” < δοκειν “to appear to be; to seem”

  • [W] Eikasia εικασια [conjecture]

  • [W] Elenchus ελεγχος [argument of disproof or refutation; cross examination; scrutinization]

  • [W] Energy ενεργεια [activity]

  • [W] Epistéme ἐπιστήμη “(scientific) knowledge”

  • [W] Epoché ἐποχή “cessation; suspension of judgment; withholding of assent”

  • [W] éros

  • [W] Ethos ηθος [character; custom; habit]

  • [W] Eudaimonía εὐδαιμονία “happiness, well-being”

  • [W] Eunoia ευνοια [good will; well mind; beautiful thinking]

  • [W] génos

  • [W] gnothi sautón

  • [W] hamartía

  • [W] Hedoné ἡδονή “pleasure”

  • [W] héxis

  • [W] húbris

  • [W] Hypokeimenon υποκειμενον [material substratum; underlying thing]

  • [W] Kairos καιρος [right, critical, opportune moment]

  • [W] Katálepsis κατάληψις “comprehension; grasping”

  • [W] léxis

  • [W] Logos λογος [ratio/proportion, language, reason, rule, law]

  • [W] Maieutics μαιευτικος [“midwifery”]

  • [W] Metabole μεταβολη [change; alteration]

  • [W] Metanoia μετανοια

  • [W] Metempsychosis μετεμψυχωσις

  • [W] mímesis

  • [W] mythopoeia

  • [W] mythos

  • [W] Nous νοῦς “intellect; mind; thought; understanding”

  • [W] oikos

  • [P] ólethros

  • [W] Ousia ουσια [substance; essence; being]

  • [W] paideia

  • [W] parabolé

  • [W] paradeigma

  • [W] Paradigm πραδειγμα [pattern; example; sample]

  • [W] Phantasíai φαντασίαι “impressions”

  • [W] philía

  • [W] phratria

  • [W] Phrónesis φρὀνησῖς “good judgment; mindfulness; prudence; practical wisdom”

  • [P] phthorá

  • [W] phyle

  • [W] Physis φυσις [nature]

  • [W] pístis

  • [W] Pneuma πνεῦμα “breath, spirit, soul”

  • [W] pólis

  • [W] praxis

  • [W] Prohairesis προαίρεσις “moral character, moral will”

  • [W] Psyche ψυχή “life force, soul, spirit”

  • [P] rhízoma

  • [W] Sophía σοφία “wisdom”

  • [W] sophrosyne

  • [W] stoicheia

  • [W] storgé

  • [W] symbebekós

  • [W] têchne

  • [W] télos

  • [W] Trópoi τρόποι “tropes; modes?”

  • [W] ὃ οὐ κινούμενον κινεῖ [unmoved mover; that which moves without being moved]

  • [P] CAUSE

    • αἴτιος [culpable; responsible]

    • αιτιον, αιτια “cause” [Latin causa]

    • αναιτιον “without cause, blameless”

    • αιτιασθαι “assign the cause to, blame”

  • [P] AIR/PLASMA ἀήρ

    • mist; haze; vapor; smoke; steam; hot air; air

  • [P] ἀναθυμίασις [rising invapor; exhalation]

  • [P] WIND ἄνεμος

    • wind; fine portions of the wind

  • [P][W] BOUNDLESSNESS απειρον

    • indefinite, infinite, unbounded, unlimited

  • [P] ἀποκρίνω [set apart; separating-off]

    • ἀποκρίνεσθαι

    • ἀπόκρισις

  • [P][W] PRINCIPLE ἀρχή

    • beginning

    • origin

    • first principle

    • element

  • [P] αὐλός [pipe; hollow tube; blow-hole]

  • [P] CHAOS χαος “infinite space, chasm, abyss”

  • [P] χειμερινός [of winter; in winter]

    • χειμερινάς

  • [P] ειναι “to be”

    • το ον “that which is” [ον neuter participle]

    • τα οντα “those which are”

    • τα οντα αυτα καθ αυτα “the Forms, the things that are themselves all by themselves”

    • oυσια “being, wealth” [ουσα feminine participle]

    • οντος “in its very being”

    • το τι ην ειναι [the what it is to be a given thing]

  • [P] ἐκπνοή [breathing out; exhalation]

    • ἐκπνοαί

    • ἐκπνοεῖν

  • [P] ἔμψυχος [having life in one; animate]

  • [P] ἐπισημασία [marking]

  • [P] φροντιστήριον [place for meditation; thinking shop]

  • [P] φροντιστής [deep thinker]

    • φροντισταί

  • [P] EARTH γῆ, γῆς

    • γῆς περίοδος πάσης [world map]

  • [P] BECOMING/GENERATION γίγνομαι [come into a new state of being]

    • γιγνεσθαι “come to be, be born, happen”

    • γενεσις “becoming, birth”

    • γενος “kind, class, race”

    • γενναν “beget”

    • γιγνομενον εις “passing into”

  • [P] γόνιμος [productive; fertile; fruitful]

    • γόνιμον

  • [P] WATER ὕδωρ

  • [P] ὑπόκειμαι, ὑποκείμενον

    • lie under

    • to underlie, as the foundation in which something else inheres, to be implied or presupposed by something else

  • [P] ὑπόστασις

    • standing under, supporting

  • [P] COSMOS

    • κόσμος, κοσμοῖ, κοσμέω

    • order

    • arrange

    • κοσμος “cosmos, adornment, beautiful arrangement, well-behaved” [the world as a well-ordered whole]

    • κοσμειν, κατακοσμειν, διακοσμειν “to array, to arrange”

    • διακοσμησις “arrangement”

    • επιταττειν “to order”

    • ταξις “arrangement, order” [W]

    • αταξια “disorder”

  • [P] μετέωρος [raised off the ground]

    • μετεωρολογία

    • τὰ μετέωρα [things aloft; meteorology]

    • τὰ μετέωρα καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ γῆς

  • [P] μυθοποιία

    • making of fables

    • invention

  • [P] οὐσία

    • being

    • substance, essence

    • true nature

  • THE ALL το παν “the all” [the world as a totality]

  • [P] περίοδος [one who goes the rounds, patrols; going round]

  • [P] πλάνης [wandering star; planet]

    • πλανήτης

    • πλανητός

  • [P] πλατεῖα [flat; wide; broad]

  • [P] πνεῦμα [blast; wind]

    • πνευματα [the winds]

  • [P] πνοή [blowing; blast]

  • [P] πόροι [means of passage; narrow passage; channel; pore]

  • [P] LIFE-SPIRIT ψυχή [life; departed spirit; ghost; immaterial immportal soul; source of life and consciousness; spirit of the universe; immaterial principle of movement and life]

  • [P] ῥίζωμα

    • the mass of roots of a tree

    • element

  • [P] σφαιροειδής [globular; spherical]

  • [P] ATOM-ELEMENT στοιχεῖον [smallest unit of speech sound; element]

  • [P] στρογγύλος [round; spherical]

  • [P] θεός

    • god, deity

  • [P] θερινός [of summer; in summer]

    • θερινάς

ORBIT οδος “way, path” περιοδος “circuit, a way around” περιφορα “orbit” φερειν “to course, to sweep” φορα “course”

CRAFTSMAN δημιουργος “craftsman; an ordinary worker; someone who has a method for making something” δημιουργειν “to craft” δημος “the people” εργον “work” τεχνιτης ? [40C] Earth is the δημιουργος of Night and Day [59A] Fire is a δημιουργος of non uniformity

DESIRE επιθυμια “desire; bodily desire” θυμος “spirit, spiritedness; courage; anger; the emotional or passionate part of the soul” προθυμια “heart; ready willingness; zeal; enthusiasm” προθυμος “heartily” προθυμειν “to put one’s heart into; to make an effort” ερως “erotic love; sexual desire; which can be directed to something non bodily like power, honor, or wisdom” εραστης “lover” ποθειν “to long for” αλογον τε και επιθυμητικον “irrational and desirous” [70A] θυμος is a lover of victory

ETERNITY αιδιος “everlasting” αιωνιος “eternal” αιων “eternity; a period of time, either an era or an infinitely long stretch of time” αει “always” [37D5] definition of time [29A] the intelligible model is said to be αιδιος [37A] the construction of time, the intelligible Animal is said to be both αιδιον and αιωνιον

SOUL vital force; that by which we endure and live

FORM ιδ “to see” ειδος “form; beautiful appearance” (intellection, as opposed to vision; the eidos of something is its purely intelligible whatness, what a thing most truly is) ιδεα “look, form” (vision, as opposed to intellection) σχημα “figure” μορφη “shape”

HEAVEN ουρανος “the firmament/vault of the sky; the roof of the mouth”

IMAGE ειδωλον “image; little form” μιμημα “imitation” μιμησις “the act of imitating” φαντασμα “phantasm; ghostly, fleeting image; dreams, visions?” (don’t preserve the proportions of their originals) φανταζειν “to seem” εικονες (preserve the proportions of their originals)

INTELLECT νους “intellect; mind” (that by which rational beings are immediately in touch with the highest and unchanging objects of thought; that by virtue of which we see in the sense of having an insight into what something most truly is) νουν εχειν “to make sense; to be sensible; to have mind” κατα νουν “to one’s mind” νοησις “intellection; the activity of intellect” νοητος “intelligible; to be thought” ανοητος “unintelligible; not to be thought” ανοια “folly; misunderstanding?” αμαθια “stupidity; the condition of being without learning” διανοια “discursive intelligence; thought in the sense of purpose”

LIVING THING βιος “lifetime, the span of one’s life” ζωον “living thing; animal” ζωη “life, in the sense of being alive” ζαν “live”

SIMILARITY, MODEL εικων “likeness” εικως “likely; suitable” (like the truth; likely, probable, reasonable; fair, equitable) εικοτως “suitably” εοικεναι “to be like” επιεικης “fitting; suitable; fair; reasonable; probable” παραδειγμα “paradigm; example; original; model” παραδεικνυναι “to show alongside of”

CHANGE, MOTION, NON MOTION κινησις “change; local motion” κινειν “to move something” κινειστηαι “to move” στασις “rest; civil war” ησυχια “stillness; rest; peace, opposite of war”

MUSIC εμμελως “musically” εμμελης “in tune” πλημμελως “unmusically” πλημμελης “out of tune” πλημμελεια “lack of musicality” πλημμελειν “to be unmusical” μελος “song”

NATURE φυσις “nature; a thing’s being, appearance, and becoming” (a thing’s innermost quality, power, disposition; a thing’s outward appearance, look; the kind of thing something is; the indwelling constitution or order of something, the internal principle by which a thing grows and does what it does) φυειν “to sprout; to grow?” φυλη “tribe” φυτον “plant”

NECESSITY, FORCE αναγκη “necessity” αναγκαζεσθαι “to compel; to make necessary” βια “force” βιαζειν “to force” εισαναγκαζεσθαι “to make necessary”

PERSUASION πειθω “persuasion” πειθειν “to persuade” πιστις “trust; belief” πιστευειν “to trust”

SPACE χωρα “place; space; open field; the expanse in which something is”

POET ποιητης “poet” ποιειν “to do; to make”

POWER δυναμις “power; ability; capability” δυνασθαι “to be able” κατα δυναμιν “in square”

EXPLANATION προφασις “explanation” (cause; reason; motive)

RANDOM εικη “without plan; without purpose; unintentional; unexpected; random”

RECEPTACLE υποδοχη “receptacle; hospitable reception; refuge; presupposition; assumption” υποδεχεσθαι “to receive under; to receive under one’s roof; to welcome; to admit; to allow; to conceive” δεχεσθαι “to receive”

REGION τοπος “place; region” ατοπος “out of place; strange” εδρα “seat; site”

Terms#

  • [W] Acrophony

  • [W] Ancient Greek

  • [W] Ancient Greek Accent

  • [W] Ancient Greek Phonology

  • [W] Archaic Greek Alphabet

  • [W] Attic Greek

  • [W] Attic Numerals

  • [W] Cuneiform (cuneus “cone”)

  • [W] Gematria

  • [W] Greek Alphabet

  • [W] Greek Alphabet, history

  • [W] Greek Diacritics

  • [W] Greek Numerals

  • [W] Greek Orthography

  • [W] Homeric Greek

  • [W] Ionic Greek

  • [W] Iota Subscript

  • [W] Iotacism

  • [W] Isopsephy

  • [W] Katharevousa

  • [W] Koine Greek

  • [W] Koine Greek Phonology

  • [W] Linear A (lines)

  • [W] Linear B (lines)

  • [W] Modern Greek Phonology

  • [W] Mycenaean Greek

  • [W] Old Italic

  • [W] Phoenician Alphabet

  • [W] Proto Greek

  • [W] Rough Breathing

  • [W] Smooth Breathing

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