Lonely Planet Greek Phrasebook & Dictionary

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The word πλατυώνυχον however sounds like πλατωνικόν, i.e. "the platonic thing". See The stranger’s knowledge: Political knowledge in Plato’s statesman by Xavier Márquez, University of Notre Dame, 2005, p. 120. Papyrus, dated 75–125 A.D. describing one of the oldest diagrams of Euclid's Elements Ἀεὶ ὁ θεὸς γεωμετρεῖ. Aeì ho theòs geōmetreî. "God always geometrizes." — Plato Plutarch elaborated on this phrase in his essay Πῶς Πλάτων ἔλεγε τὸν θεὸν ἀεί γεωμετρεῖν "What is Plato’s meaning when he says that God always applies geometry". [2] Based on the phrase of Plato, above, a present-day mnemonic for π (pi) was derived: One of the hardest things for English speakers approaching the Greek language is the fact that Greek uses a different alphabet. It’s actually been in use since the 9 th century BC, so is far more venerable than many language systems currently in use around the globe. Greek has changed less in the last two thousand years than English has in the last five hundred. It still has three genders, five cases, and movable ν. Although the dative dropped out of use in Greek before the dative merged with the accusative in English, one can still form the dative of μπαγλαμας (a stringed instrument smaller than the μπουζουκι), even though it belongs to a new declension. So if you know some Attic or Koine Greek and pronounce it as Modern Greek, though you will sound archaic, you will probably be understood. If you really want to fit in and sound like you’ve been speaking Greek since birth, there’s nothing for it but a few classic slang words and terms. These are the phrases that only the locals should know, so get ready to impress your travel buddies…

Greek people know they have a difficult language (for foreigners) and don't expect any tourist to know more than a couple words. And even while they think it's easy phonetically, they understand the problems foreigners have pronouncing it. You can say gamma as a hard 'g', chi as 'h', and rho as an unrolled English 'r', you can also say "au" or "eu" instead of "av" and "ev" and you'll be totally understood. People in no way expect you to be proficient in any aspect of Greek, so by studying a bit before visiting you can really impress people and win their hearts! Of course, it will require serious effort and dedication to learn to speak Greek fluently, as Greek grammar is admittedly more complex than it is in most other languages (much more demanding than German, for example, which is a language with relatively complex grammar). But still, you can master relatively easily the fundamentals of communication and get your meaning across. And even if you don't, don't despair: almost all Greeks (but the oldest) can understand and speak English. Hoûtós estin o Plátōnos ánthrōpos. "Here is Plato's man." In response, Plato added to his definition: It is common for older people to pronounce some vowels slightly different according to the the rules of the diacretics (spirits) that used to be taught until 1982, giving them in some occasions a very light h (χ) sound. The correct pronounciation of those words is currently dying out as it is no longer taught. It is still relevant however if you are interested in Ancient Greek. Greek was the language of choice for the iconic civilizations of the Heroic Age and then, later on, city states like Athens and Sparta. Homer used it to write his great epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, and the New Testament is also thought to have been written in Greek before it was written in Latin. The upshot? This is, without question, one of the most important languages in Western culture. You will notice that individual letters look very different to letters in English. That’s because Greek makes use of a whole different script. In fact, writing in Greek looks more like Cyrillic Russian writing than most European languages.The date in greek is written in the form of DD/MM/YY. For example Christmas Day of 2009 is written 25.12.09 or 25-12-09 or 25/12/09. Having said that, 9/11 in greek means the 9th day of November. Here are a few good-to-know Greek words that you can use in combination with the phrases mentioned above! Word: alpha (άλφα) as in p at Ε/ε epsilon (έψιλον) as in p et Η/η eeta (ήτα) as in r eed Ι/ι iota (ιώτα) as in r eed, though when followed by a vowel it can often be pronounced like y - example: its very name, it's either said as iota or yota. Ο/ο omicron (όμικρον) as in p ot Υ/υ eepsilon (ύψιλον) as in r eed Ω/ω omega (ωμέγα) as in p ot

The word λεπτό means both a euro cent and a minute of time. A second is δευτερόλεπτο, δεύτερο meaning second (the ordinal). alpha (άλφα) as in p at Ε/ε epsilon (έψιλον) as in p et Η/η eeta (ήτα) as in h e Ι/ι iota (ιώτα) as in h e Ο/ο omicron (όμικρον) as in p ot Υ/υ ypsilon (ύψιλον) as in h e Ω/ω omega (ωμέγα) as in p ot The Greek language has the following linguistic heritage: Indo-European Languages > Hellenic Languages > Greek The Greek language holds an important place in the histories of Europe, the more loosely defined "Western" world, and Christianity; the canon of ancient Greek literature includes works of monumental importance and influence for the future Western canon, such as the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. Greek was also the language in which many of the foundational texts of Western philosophy, such as the Platonic dialogues and the works of Aristotle, were composed; The New Testament of the Christian Bible was written in Koiné Greek and the liturgy continues to be celebrated in the language in various Christian denominations (particularly the Eastern Orthodox and the Greek Rite of the Catholic Church). Together with the Latin texts and traditions of the Roman world (which was profoundly influenced by ancient Greek society), the study of the Greek texts and society of antiquity constitutes the discipline of Classics.Greek was a widely spoken lingua franca in the Mediterranean world and beyond during Classical Antiquity, and would eventually become the official parlance of the Byzantine Empire. In its modern form, it is the official language of Greece and Cyprus and one of the 23 official languages of the European Union. The language is spoken by approximately 13 million people today in Greece, Cyprus, and diaspora communities in numerous parts of the world. Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special. Aristophanes goes on: "Firstly, the owls of Laurium (i.e. the Athenian drachmas minted from the silver-mines of Laurium) which every judge desires above all things, shall never be wanting to you" The Birds, 1106