How did Greek words transform into English words?
There are some English words that are of Greek origin, such as ethos, pathos. But letters used in Greek are different from that in English. So how did English "import" words from Greek? By means of imitating the original sound or substituting the Greek letters by their English counterparts ( if there is a counterpart in English for every Greek letter) ?

Question

Answer

Most were not directly imported into English, but rather through Latin. English simply replicates the Latin orthography of those words, usually with minor changes due to the differences between modern conventions and the ones used back then. Words derived from Greek are indeed spelt differently. Ph, Ps, Mn, Ch (pronounced like a 'k') can all be cues that the word is derived from Greek. Telephone, pseudopod, mnemonic, and chrome are all derived from Greek.

Answer

Hi Edward_Hua,
 the words you've mentioned are greek words that were transliterated, and so imported in english vocabulary both as regards the meaning and the pronunciation.
Bye.

Answer

Greek, Hebrew, and Roman are all connected. Just study their alphabets for five minutes and you'll see it.

We import foreign words into our language exactly the same way you do it in china, Japan, or anywhere else. it is not a mystery. The large number of Greek origin words is due to cultural connections. That's all.

Answers · 3

Still haven’t found your answers?

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!