Our Everyday Greek: 25 Greek Words you Already Know from English Words Ending in –logy

If you know the meaning of English words ending in -logy, which you most probably do, then you know more Greek words than you think. The first compound of English words ending in -logy is also a Greek word. From cosmo-logy you know the Greek word κόσμος, the world, the people, from theo-logy you know Θεός, God, from ecclesiology you know εκκλησία, the church, from hematology you know αίμα, the blood, from gynecology you know γυναίκα, the woman, from neurology you know νεύρα, the nerves, from ethnology you know the word έθνος, the nation etc.

The suffix -logy, λογία in Greek, comes from the word λόγος. Λόγος is the Greek word that is most often used in English as

a component of compound words. Ο λόγος means the verbal expression, the speech, and the reason as well. In ancient Greek it additionally meant the logic, the rational thinking implying the direct connection between talking, reasoning and rational thinking in ancient Greek culture.

Consequently, the suffix -λογία, -logy, which occurs in English words, means the science. For example, neurology is the medicine field which studies the human nervous system, ecclesiology is the study of the different churches, etc. These are only a few of the English words that end in -logy.

1. -logy: The suffix -logy indicates the science, the study of, the theory. Examples: cosmology, ecology, ecclesiology, ethnology, gerontology, graphology, gynecology, hematology, neurology, theology.
2. -logist. The suffix -logist indicates the specialist engaged in the study of something. Just add this ending instead of -logy in the above words and you name him: ethnologist, gynecologist, neurologist etc.

COSMOS

For Pythagoras, the ancient Greek thinker, the word cosmos means the order, the harmony within the chaos of the universe. Κόσμος also means the jewel, the beautiful, because harmony is beauty. In modern Greek κόσμος means the world and the people as well. We say «Η εκκλησία έχει πολύ κόσμο.» “There are a lot of people in the church.”

WORD CLUSTERS

English word   Greek word Pronunciation

Cosmology      η κοσμολογία  EE kosmoloYEEa

Cosmologist    ο κοσμολόγος O kosmoLOyos

Cosmos     ο κόσμος   O KOsmos

Ecclesiology    η εκκλησιολογία    EE eklisioloYEEa

Ecclesiologist  ο εκκλησιολόγος   O eklisioLOyos

Church η εκκλησία      EE ekliSEEa

Theology           η θεολογία    Ee theoloYEEa

Theologian ο θεολόγος     O theoLOyos

God     ο θεός  O theOS

Ecology     η οικολογία      EE ikoloYEEa

Ecologist   ο οικολόγος     O ikoLOyos

House  ο οίκος O EEkos

Ethnology  η εθνολογία     EE ethnoloYEEa

Ethnologist      ο εθνολόγος    O ethnoLOyos

Nation  το έθνος    TO Ethnos

Gynecology     η γυναικολογία      EE yinekoloYEEa

Gynecologist   ο γυναικολόγος     O yinekoLOyos

The woman, wife  η γυναίκα  EE yiNEka

Neurology          η νευρολογία      EE nevroloYEEa

Neurologist      ο νευρολόγος  O nevroLOyos

The nerve  το νεύρο    TO NEvro

The nerves      τα νεύρα    TA NEvra

Hematology η αιματολογία     EE ematoloYEEa

Hematologist   ο αιματολόγος O ematoLOyos

Blood   το αίμα TO Ema

EXERCISE

1.Οι Έλληνες είναι έθνος.

2. Οι Έλληνες έχουν ελληνικό αίμα.
3. Η γυναίκα μου είναι Ελληνίδα.
4. Η γυναίκα μου έχει νεύρα.
5. Ο νευρολόγος μελετάει το νευρικό σύστημα.
6. Ο γυναικολόγος είναι γιατρός*.
7. Για την οικολογία η γη είναι ο οίκος του ανθρώπου.
8. Η εκκλησία είναι ο οίκος του Θεού.
9. Η Μαρία πάει** στην εκκλησία.
10. Αυτή η εκκλησία είναι ο Άγιος Δημήτριος***.
11. Η εκκλησία έχει πολύ κόσμο.
12. Ο κόσμος μας είναι η γη.
13. Έχει πολύ κόσμο.

*γιατρός = doctor

** πάει = goes

*** Άγιος Δημήτριος = St. Demetrios

PRONUNCIATION KEY

i (idiom), ee (bee), e (energy), o (organism), oo (boot), y (yes), h (helium), th (theory), d (the). The capitalized syllables are accented.

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