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Glite Dictionary
Grecism

Grecism

9.9
A word or phrase borrowed from Greek and used in another language for literary style
  • noun
  • /ˈɡrɛsɪzəm/
  • Literature
translation icon : grecismo
  • Many scientific terms in English are actually Grecisms borrowed directly from ancient Greek.

Examples

  • The poem was filled with Grecisms that enhanced its beauty.

  • The author's use of a Grecism added an exotic flavor to the narrative.

  • Her essay analyzes the presence of Grecism in early modern European literature.

  • A common Grecism is 'philosophy'.

  • The author's use of a Grecism added an exotic flavor to the narrative.

  • Her essay analyzes the presence of Grecism in early modern European literature.

  • Many scientific terms in English are actually Grecisms borrowed directly from ancient Greek.

Surface Forms

Grecism singular
Grecisms plural

Morphology

Grecism = Greek (semi-transparent) = grec + ism

Formed from the combining element representing 'Greek' plus the suffix '-ism'; the composition is clear but the specialized linguistic sense 'a borrowing from Greek' is more technical than the simple 'Greek + -ism' might suggest.

Etymology

Grecism comes from Greek and the ending -ism, which means 'a style' or 'practice', so a Grecism is a 'Greek-style' word or phrase used in another language. That's why many scientific and literary words in English are Grecisms.