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Glite Dictionary
Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek

5 9.9
A form of Greek used long ago before the Roman Empire
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪnʃənt ɡriːk/
translation icon : griego antiguo
  • The tablets were identified as containing Linear B, an early form of ancient Greek.
  • ancient Greek philosopher
  • ancient Greek philosophy
  • ancient Greek art

If you look at the root word psychic, it's psyche, the ancient Greek word for soul.

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Examples

  • In fact, the fledgling democracy he endorsed was itself lifted in part from the ancient Greeks.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The word democracy comes from the ancient Greek.

    Brexit: The Movie (2016)

  • And a lot of what we know about this we know because we're looking at it through the eyes of ancient Greek writers.

  • So all of that said, let's jump in and talk about ancient Greek philosophy.

  • My little niece knows six languages, including ancient Greek.

    The Countess (2009)

  • So daimon is a very common term in ancient Greek thought, both philosophical thought and in religious thought.

  • Did you know our present system for map-making dates back to the ancient Greeks in the third century B.C.?

    Fiction book (2000)

  • By some accounts, ancient Greek sailors used simple evaporation to purify seawater.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Preliminary surveys suggested the wreck was of ancient Greek origin, triggering conflicting claims between these old enemies.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The word democracy comes from ancient Greek.

Synonyms

Ancient Greek language
vsAncient Greek
9.9

The form of Greek used in Greece from about 800 BCE to 600 CE

is defined in relation to classical antiquity rather than precise dates

How Old

Ancient Greek
5 9.9
Late Greek
  • Specialized
9.5
Modern Greek
1 4.5

Surface Forms

Ancient Greek singular
Ancient Greeks plural

Morphology

ancient + Greek

The phrase 'Ancient Greek' is directly compositional: 'ancient' (pertaining to antiquity) modifies 'Greek' (the Greek language), yielding 'the form of Greek used in antiquity'. This is a straightforward, literal combination following cross-linguistically common noun-modifier patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the meaning.

Etymology

Ancient Greek simply names the language: Ancient means 'old' and Greek means from Greece, so imagine Homer, philosophers and words carved on stone long ago. So, it means the 'old' form of the Greek language used long before modern Greek.