Late Greek

9.5

A form of Greek used from the third to the eighth centuries

noun

Specialized

: griego tardío

Scholars study Late Greek texts to understand the transition between ancient and medieval Greek.

Examples

Many Byzantine documents are preserved in Late Greek manuscripts.
The Late Greek period shows significant linguistic changes.
The New Testament is written in a form of Late Greek known as Koine.
Many scholars study Late Greek texts for historical insights.
Scholars study Late Greek texts to understand the transition between ancient and medieval Greek.
Many Byzantine documents are preserved in Late Greek manuscripts.
The Late Greek period shows significant linguistic changes.

Synonyms

Late Greek language

vsLate Greek

Specialized

9.9

A form of Greek used in speech and writing from the 3rd to the 8th centuries AD

is the shorter phrasing for the same historical stage

How Old

Ancient Greek

5 9.9

Classical Greek

1 9.9

Late Greek

Specialized

9.5

Medieval Greek

9.9

Modern Greek

1 4.5

Surface Forms

Late Greek singular

Late Greeks plural

Morphology

late + Greek

The phrase 'Late Greek' is a straightforward composition of 'late' (occurring near the end) and 'Greek' (the language), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the Greek language of a later historical period. This is a common, cross-linguistic way to label historical stages (e.g., Late Latin, Late Middle English), making the meaning transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Late Greek comes from the simple idea of a language in its 'late' stage: Late means later in time and Greek is the language, so it names the form of Greek people spoke and wrote from about AD 200 to 800. That's why we use it for the Greek found in many church writings and other texts of that period.