YOU ALREADY KNOW THE NUMBERS OF THE YEARS
Can you say in Greek the number of the New Year, 2019, after studying the example of year 2018?
2018 = δύο χιλιάδες δέκα οκτώ (DEEo hiliAdes DEka okTO)
Δύο means two. The word is familiar to you from the word dialogue, which originally meant a discussion between two persons and is a composite one from the dia- =δύο, the Greek word for number two and -logue = λόγος, talk.
Χιλιάδες means thousands. The word is familiar to you from the prefix kilo-, which means a thousand. (kilo+gram, kilo+meter).
Δέκα is found in the word decathlon, which comes from the Greek word δέκαθλον (DEkathlon). It is a composite one from the number δέκα (DEka), ten and the word άθλος (Athlos), the achievement.
Εννέα (eNEa), the number nine, is the root of enneagon, a polygon with nine sides.
Οκτώ (oKTO), the number eight, is familiar to you from words like octa+pus, the fish with the eight legs, and octagon, the polygon with the nine sides.
8 WAYS TO SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR IN GREEK
In Greek we have four different words that mean the year and the years. Their meaning is exactly the same, but we usually use each one of them in a different phrase. Note that the word the year exists in Greek in all three different grammatical genders. The masculine, ο χρόνος, the feminine η χρονιά and the neuter το έτος. The neuter τα χρόνια exists only in the plural number and its only difference from the feminine word is in the syllable that takes the accent: τα χρόνια, η χρονιά.
Τα χρόνια is used in the wish «Χρόνια πολλά!», while η χρονιά is used in the wish «Καλή χρονιά!». Ο χρόνος is used in the phrase ο νέος χρόνος.
Ευτυχισμένος, -η, -ο and χαρούμενος, -η, -ο mean happy.
Note that we can use any gender of the word year in the wishes below. The endings and the articles change accordingly. Nevertheless, they all mean Happy New Year!
«Ευτυχισμένος ο νέος χρόνος!», «Χαρούμενος ο νέος χρόνος!»
«Ευτυχισμένη η νέα χρονιά!», «Χαρούμενη η νέα χρονιά!»
«Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος!», «Χαρούμενο το νέο έτος!»
«Ευτυχισμένο το έτος 2019!», «Χαρούμενο το έτος 2019!»
Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
Ο χρόνος o HROnos the year
Η χρονιά ee hroniA the year
Τα χρόνια ta HROnia the years
Το έτος to Etos the year
Τα έτη ta Eti the years
ΝEO- MEANS NEW
The Greek adjective νέος, -α, -ο is the root of many English words that begin with the prefix neo-. Innumerable companies have incorporated the prefix neo- in their brand names, in order to indicate how innovative and new in the market their products are.
English word Greek word Pronunciation
Neon το νέον to NEon
Neolithic ο νεολιθικός o neolithiKOS
-lithic ο λίθος o LEEthos
Neoclassical ο νεοκλασικός o neoklasiKOS
Classical ο κλασικός o klasiKOS
Η εποχή (ee epoHEE) is the Greek word for the era, which has been transliterated in English in the word epoch and η αρχιτεκτονική (ee arhitektoniKEE) is the architecture.
EXERCISE
Add the correct words in the phrases below.
- Χαρούμενη η … …. 2019!
- Ευτυχισμένος ο … … 2019!
- …. πολλά!
- Χαρούμενος ο …. …. 2019!
- Χαρούμενο το … έτος 2019!
- Ευτυχισμένη η … … 2019!
- Χαρούμενο το … … 2019!
- Η νεολιθική …
- Η νεοκλασική …
- Καλή …!
PRONUNCIATION KEY
i (idiom), ee (needle), e (energy), o (organism), oo (boot), y (yes), h (helium), th (theory), d (the). The capitalized syllables are accented.
The post Our Everyday Greek: Greek you already know: 8 ways to say Happy New Year 2019 appeared first on The National Herald.