1
2
Upper case Lower case Letter name English equivalent
Α α alpha a
Β β beta b
Γ γ gamma g
Δ δ delta d
Ε ε epsilon e (short e)
Ζ ζ zeta z, sd
Η η eta ē (long e)
Θ θ theta th
Ι ι iota i
Κ κ kappa k, c
Λ λ lambda l
Μ μ mu m
Ν ν nu n
Ξ ξ xi x
Ο ο omicron o (short o)
Π π pi p
Ρ ρ rho r
Σ σ or ς sigma s (σ at beginning or middle of a word; ς at the end of a word)
Τ τ tau t
Υ υ upsilon u, y
Φ φ phi ph
Χ χ chi ch
Ψ ψ psi ps
Ω ω omega o (long ō)
TASK: Now have a go at copying out the Greek letters in both their upper and lower case
forms.
N.B Unlike in English, capital letters are only used for proper nouns and not at the start of
sentences.
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All words that begin with a vowel in Greek have a breathing – either ‘rough’ or ‘smooth’. The type
of breathing affects the way the vowel sounds are pronounced.
Rough breathing
If the symbol appears above a lower case vowel or
diphthong, this indicates the presence of an h sound.
Rough breathings appear in front of capital letters instead of
above them.
For example:
ἡ = hē
Ἡ = Hē (e.g. Ἡρα – Hēra: Greek goddess)
Ἑ = He (e.g. Ἑλλας – Hellas – Greece)
ἁ = ha
Smooth breathing
If the symbol appears above a lower case vowel or diphthong, this indicates the absence of
the h sound. Do not add h!
For example:
ἀ = a
Ἀ = A
ἰ = i
ὀ = o
A diphthong is a combination of
two vowel sounds in a single
syllable.
For example:
αι as in ‘sigh’
αυ as in ‘now’
οι as in ‘boy’
On a diphthong, the breathing
comes on the second vowel, not the
first.
e.g. Αἱ = hai
h
WATCH OUT FOR…
A rough breathing over ρ (rho) turns the ‘r’ sound
into ‘rh’.
CHALLENGE: Can you name these shapes and
write the name in Greek letters? (Hint: You will need
to use the Greek letter ‘ρ’)
h
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Greek word Meaning Word in English letters English derivative Meaning of English word
κινημα movement kinēma cinema place to watch films
ἠλεκτρον amber, shining metal
πρισμα anything cut or sawn (e.g. glass)
ἰσοσκελης with equal legs
κινητικ(ος) moving
θεατρον a building for viewing
TASKS:
a) Write the Greek words down in English letters, using the alphabet chart.
b) Write down an English word that is derived from the Greek.
c) Give the definition of this English word.
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Greek word Meaning Word in English letters English derivative Meaning of English word
θερμη heat
ῥομβος spinning top, figure with 4 equal sides
κεραμεικ(ος) made of clay
διαγραμμα a drawing
τραπεζιον a banker’s table, irregular 4 sided figure
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Greek word Meaning Word in English letters
English derivative Meaning of English word
πλανητης wanderer, wandering object
planētēs planet heavenly body orbiting the sun
madness mania
rib cage, rib, flank, side
pleura
uncut, not possible to split
atom(os)
area in a Greek theatre where the chorus danced
orchestra
TASKS:
a) This time, write out the words in Greek letters using the alphabet chart to help you (use the letters/ forms in brackets).
b) Think of an English derivative from each Greek word.
c) Write down the meaning of the English word.
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Greek word Meaning Word in English letters
English derivative Meaning of English word
action or story told on stage by actors
drama
stage, acting area in theatre
scene (skēnē)
outcome, turning point
crisis (krisis)
step, base, foundation
basis
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The Greek word λογος (‘logos’) means ‘word’ or ‘explanation’. In English, when the
suffix ‘ology’ is added to a word, it means ‘the study of something’.
TASK: Can you work out which English ‘-ology’ words derive from each of the following
Greek words?
ἀρχαιος
ancient
archaios
archaeology
τοπος
place
χρονος
time
παθος
suffering; disease
γενεα
family background
ψυχη
soul, mind
τεχνη
skill
βιος
life
ζῳον
living creature, animal
mythology
muthosstoryμυθος
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μετεωρος
high in the air, lofty
φυσις
nature
ἀστρο
star
(γυνη) γυναικος
woman
θεος
god
(ὀρνις) ὀρνιθος
bird
ἀστρο
star
astro
astronomy
BUT ‘ology’ isn’t the only common suffix derived from
Greek…
The Greek word νομος (=nomos) means ‘law’ or
‘principle’. In English, when the suffix ‘onomy’ is added
to a word, it means ‘the principles of something’.
TASKS:
a) Can you explain the difference between the meanings of the English words ‘astrology’
and ‘astronomy’?
b) Can you think of an English word derived from the Greek οἰκοϛ meaning ‘house’ or
‘home’? Hint: as years went by, the pronunciation of ‘oi’ changed to ‘e’.
c)
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Now decide which of the following explanations fits the words you have made. Write the
correct English ‘ology’ word in the boxes below.
A branch of biology concerned with the study
of animals.
The study of practical skills (with materials)
The study of descent from ancestors
The study of the physical life of plants and animals.
The study of stories often involving fantastical
creatures
The study of the normal functions of natural things.
The study of medical problems specific to
women and girls
The study of religion The study of weather patterns (using things ‘high
in the sky’)
The study of diseases
The study of how the human mind works and
how it influences behaviour
The study of birds
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Below are some Greek words and their meanings. You’ll need to refer to this vocabulary for the next few activities.
πολυς many
ἐνδον inside
ἐξω outside
μερος part, component
(φως) φωτος light
μονος only one
δι- two
τρι- three
τετρα- four
πεντε five
ἑξ six
ἑπτα seven
ὀκτω eight
δεκα ten
δωδεκα twelve
(ε) ἰκοσι twenty
ἑκατον hundred
χιλιοι thousand
δυναμις power
δυναμικος powerful
τηλε far, far off
μικρος small
χρωματα colours
θερμη heat
Words that tend to come at the end of English derivatives:
μετρον -metry, -metre, -meter measure
γραφος -graphy writing
ἑδρα -hedron base, surface
γωνια -gon corner
σκοπη -scope looking at
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Lots of the English words derived from Greek are made up of two or more Greek words.
Greek compounds are especially prominent in the technical language of biology,
medicine, and other scientific disciplines.
Greek words Meanings English transliteration
English derivative
A τηλε + σκοπη far + sight tēleskopē telescope
B μικρο + σκοπη small + sight
C πολυς + γωνια many + a corner
D πολυς + ἑδρα many + bases
E πολυς + μερος many + parts
F φωτος + γραφος light + drawing
G τηλε + φωνη far + voice
H τετρα + ἑδρα
I πεντε + γωνια
J δεκα + μετρον
K χιλιοι + μετρον
L δωδεκα + ἑδρα
M ἐνδον + θερμη
N ἐξω + θερμη
O χρωματα + γραφος
TASKS:
a) Write out the Greek words in English letters (transliteration)
b) Then in the final column, write down the English compound word/s that you
think comes from the Greek. N.B. Sometimes you may need to change some letters
Can you guess who I am? (HINT: I’ve been credited with
several mathematical and scientific discoveries).
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a picture recorded using light (by a camera)
A chemical reaction that gives heat out
A geometrical figure with five sides and corners
An instrument used for looking at very small
objects
A geometrical figure with many sides and corners
A substance made up of many structures (parts)
A chemical reaction that takes heat in(side)
A measure of ten metres A solid shape with four surfaces
A solid shape with twelve surfaces
A solid shape with many surfaces
An instrument for looking at far-off objects
TASK: Now decide which of the explanations fits each of the words you made in the
previous exercise. Write an English word in each box.
e.g. telephone: an instrument used by voices far away from each other
*Hint: the words in bold should help you work out which bits of the explanation are
derived from Greek
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During the first millennium BC, the Ancient Greeks used an acrophonic number system.
‘Acrophonic’ means that the symbols for the numerals mostly (apart from the symbol for
‘one’) come from the first letter of the number’s name.
The number system also worked on an additive principle, in a similar way to the later
Roman numerals – for example, the symbol for 6 was simply made up of the symbol for
five plus the symbol for one. 50 and 500 were represented by the letter with powers of
ten written small in the top right corner: ,
Greek letter name
Symbol Number Greek letter name
Symbol Number
εἱς, μια,
ἑν
1 πεντηκοντα
50
πεντε
5 ἑβδομηκοντα ΔΔ 70
ἑξ 6 ἡκατον Η 100
δεκα Δ 10 πεντακοσιοι
500
εἱκοσι ΔΔ 20 χιλιοι Χ 1000
BONUS: Based on what you know so far about Greek, can you explain why the Greek
symbol for 100 is represented by the symbol H even though the word ἡκατον starts with ‘eta’?
TASK: In the fifth century BC, the city-state of Athens took tribute money from many
other Greek communities around the Aegean Sea. Some of this tax went to the
goddess Athene.
a) Can you work out how much each community had to pay? (N.B All figures are in drakhmai)
b) OPTIONAL: Can you find out where Hephaistia, Halikarnassos, Keramos and
Kamiros were?
from Hephaistia
from Elaiossos
from Dardania
from Halikarnassos
from Keramos
from Kamiros
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Ζευς
Zeus
King of the gods and god of the sky
Symbols: thunderbolt, eagle, bull, oak
Ἀθηνη
Δημητηρ
Ποσειδων
Ἀπολλων
Ἡφαιστος
Αἱδης
Ἀρτεμις
Διονυσος
Ἡρα
Ἀφροδιτη
Ἀρης
TASKS:
a) Practise copying out each name in Greek letters
b) Transliterate each name – i.e. write them out in English letters
c) Find out what each god/goddess rules over and what symbols tend to be
associated with each one
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Ἀθηναι
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for at
least 5000 years.
Legend has it that Athens was built on a hill by a legendary creature called Cecrops –
half-man, half-snake. Cecrops decided to call the city Cecropia. Under his rule, the city
flourished and became an important centre for trade. However, the city soon attracted the
jealousy of the Olympian gods as it never paid any tribute to them. In response the gods
decided to name the city after one of their own – i.e. to establish a patron god for the city.
A) Which two gods were contesting to become guardian of the city?
B) What did King Cecrops decide each god had to do?
C) What did each god give?
D) Which god was chosen and why?
TASK: Research the myth of how Athens got its name and find out the answers to the
questions below.
BONUS: Based on your knowledge of the Greek gods and alphabet, can you explain the
significance of the owl symbol and the Greek letters on the Athenian tetradrachm coin above?
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The mountainous territory of Ancient Greece consisted of many smaller city-states, each
with its own dialect, identity and form of governance. Athens and Sparta were the two
most powerful city-states but they were very different, both politically and culturally.
In the 5th century BC, Athens entered its so-called ‘golden age’ during which time great
thinkers, writers and artists flourished in the city.
TASK: The words below are all associated with life in Classical Athens. Copy out each
word in Greek letters and then find out at least three things about each one.
N.B You may also like to refer to the plan of the Athenian agora on the next page.
polis agora acropolis
Parthenōnboulē
(the Council)
ekklēsia
(the Assembly)
Pythagoras Periklēs Sōkratēs
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1 Square peristyle (colonnaded courtyard)
11 Metroon (archive)
2 Mint 12 Bouleuterion (council house)
3 SE Fountain 13 Temple of Hephaestus
4 South stoa (south colonnade) 14 Temple of Apollo Patroos
5 Heliaia (court house) 15 Stoa of Zeus
6 Strategeion (office of leading politicians)
16 Eschara (altar) & Altar to the twelve gods
7 Kolonos Agoraios (hill) 17 Royal Stoa
8 Tholos (round building) 18 Temple of Aphrodite Urania
9 Boundary stones of agora 19 Stoa of the Herms
10 Eponymous heroes (statues of 10 heroes)
20 Stoa Poikile (painted stoa)
Creative Commons image - User: Madmedea - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1734974