Γραικός

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Ancient Greek

Etymology

Aristotle was one of the first to use the name Graeci (Γραικοί), saying that the area about Dodona and Achelous was inhabited by the Selloi (Σελλοὶ) and a people formerly called Graeci and now Hellenes (Ἕλληνες (Héllēnes)).[1]

According to one hypothesis, the name means "from Γραῖα (Graîa)", a city on the coast of Boeotia, and was a name given to the Greeks of Southern Italy by the Romans. The city's name itself means “grey, venerable” from Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- (to grow old). This is in stark contrast to eastern names for the Greeks based on ‘Ionia’.[2]

Pronunciation

 

Adjective

Γραικός (Graikósm (feminine Γραική, neuter Γραικόν); first/second declension

  1. Greek

Declension

Proper noun

Γραικός (Graikósm (genitive Γραικοῦ); second declension

  1. Graecus, a character in Greek mythology, said to be a son of Thessalos, the king of Phthia; or else a son of Pandora and Zeus.

Declension

Noun

Γραικός (Graikósm (genitive Γραικοῦ); second declension

  1. a Graecian, a member of an ancient Boeotian tribe that migrated to Italy.

Declension

Descendants

  • Latin: Graecus (see there for further descendants)

References

  1. ^ Aristotle, Μετεωρολογικά, Α.352b
  2. ^ R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 267.

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

Hellenistic reborrowing from Latin Graecus, from Ancient Greek Γραικός (Graikós).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɣreˈkos/
  • Hyphenation: Γραι‧κός

Noun

Γραικός (Graikósm (plural Γραικοί)

  1. (historical) Greek

Usage notes

  • Used in Byzantium and during Ottoman rule. Although the word has carried a derogatory sense from the roman Graecus, Graeculus, and its occidental descendants, the word was redeemed in the lips of the revolutionary Athanasios Diakos who said before his impalement:
    Εγώ Γραικός γεννήθηκα, Γραικός θε να πεθάνω
    Egó Graikós genníthika, Graikós the na petháno
    I was born a Graikos, I shall die a Graikos.

Declension

Synonyms

References

  1. ^ Γραικός, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής , Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language