Contents
Greek didn’t just influence other languages — it helped build them. From medicine and astronomy to politics, philosophy, and modern technology, thousands of terms used every day trace directly back to Greek roots. Words like “biology,” “democracy,” “analysis,” and “technology” aren’t random borrowings; they carry precise meanings shaped thousands of years ago. When you look closely at scientific and academic vocabulary across English, German, French, Italian, and beyond, the Greek structure is still there — clear, systematic, and surprisingly intact. Here I present just a subset of the thousands of terms in a few languages: English, German, French,
The Greek alphabet directly influenced the development of the Latin script, and through it shaped most modern European writing systems still in use today. Specifically, the Latin alphabet is an evolution of the ancient Chalkidian alphabet, derived from the Phoenician alphabet, which in turn derived from Egyptian hyeroglyphs.
English: Natural Sciences
Physics – Matter, energy, motion, forces: from Greek ‘Φυσική / phonetic: ‘Physeké’
Chemistry: from Greek ‘Χημεία / phonetic: ‘Chemia’
Astronomy: from Greek ‘Αστρονομία / meaning: The rules governing the stars / phonetic: ‘Astronomia’
Geology: from Greek ‘Γεωλογία / phonetic: ‘Geologia’
Meteorology: from Greek ‘Μετεωρολογία / phonetic: ‘Meteorologia’
Oceanography: from Greek ‘Ωκεανογραφία’ / meaning: ‘Ωκεανος’ = Ocean / phonetic: ‘Okeanographia’
Languages
phonetic: from Greek ‘Φωνητική / phonetic: ‘Phonetiké’
🌱 Life Sciences (Biological Sciences)
Biology: from Greek ‘Βιολογία / phonetic: ‘Biología’
Entomology → (study of insects): from Greek ‘Εντομολογία’ / meaning = pasture, herbs / phonetic: ‘Entomología’
Zoology: from Greek ‘Ζωολογία / phonetic: Zoología’ / meaning: ‘Ζώον’ = animal
Botany (plants): from Greek ‘βοτάνη’ / meaning = pasture, herbs / phonetic: ‘Votáne’
Microbiology (microorganisms): from Greek ‘Μικροβιολογία’ / meaning = pasture, herbs / phonetic: ‘Mikroviología’
Genetics: from Greek ‘Γενετική’ / phonetic: ‘Genetiké’
Ecology: from Greek ‘Οικολογία’ ‘Οίκος’ = home / phonetic: ‘Ecología’
Anatomy: from Greek ‘Ανατομία’ ‘Οίκος’ = home / phonetic: ‘Anatomía’
Physiology: from Greek ‘Φυσιολογία’ ‘Οίκος’ = home / phonetic: ‘Physiología’
🧠 2. Social Sciences
Anthropology – Human cultures and evolution: from Greek ‘Ανθρωπολογία’ ‘Άνθρωπος’ = man, Mensch + ‘λόγος’ (logos) = study, discourse / meaning: study of the humans behavior and physiology / phonetic: ‘lógos’ -logy. phonetic: ‘Anthropología’
Psychology – Mind and behavior: from Greek ‘Ψυχολογία’ / phonetic: ‘Psychología’
Economics: from Greek ‘οἶκος’ = household + ‘νόμος’ = law / phonetic: ‘Economía’, meaning: management of the household
Geography: from Greek ‘Γεωγραφία’ ‘Γέω’ = earth + ‘γραφή’ = to write, meaning studying the Earth / phonetic: ‘graphé’/ phonetic: ‘Geografía’
History: from Greek ‘ἱστορία’ phonetic: historía) = inquiry, investigation, meaning: originally meant research or learning through investigation
Philosophy: from Greek ‘φίλος’ / phonetic: ‘philos’) = loving or friend of + Greek: ‘σοφία’ / phonetic: ‘sophía’ = wisdom / meaning: the love of wisdom
Political: from Greek ‘Πολιτική’ / phonetic: ‘Politike’, Greek: ‘πόλις’ (polis) = city-state, ‘πολιτικός’ (politikos) = relating to citizens / meaning: originally about affairs of the city-state
➗ 3. Formal Sciences
Study abstract systems and logic.
Mathematics: from Greek ‘Μαθηματικά / phonetic: ‘Mathimaticá’
Statistics: from Greek ‘Στατιστική / phonetic: ‘Statistiké’
Logic: from Greek ‘Λογική / phonetic: ‘Logiké’
Theory: from Greek ‘Θεωρία / phonetic: ‘Theoría’
Geometry: from Greek ‘Γεωμετρία’, ‘Γέω’ = earth + ‘μέτρον’ = meter, measurement / phonetic ‘métron’ = phonetic: ‘Geometría’
🧪 4. Applied Sciences
Using scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
Cryptology: Computer science (also cybersecurity and information theory): from Greek ‘Κρύπτω’ = hiding, hidden / phonetic: ‘krypto/crypto’ + ‘λόγος’ (logos) = study, discourse / meaning: study of the cryptic science / phonetic: ‘lógos’ -logy.
Helix: from Greek ‘ἕλιξ’ = twisted, curved, or spiral, e.g. DNA helix / phonetic: ‘hélix’
Helicopter:
Mechanics: from Greek ‘Μηχανική / phonetic: ‘Mechaniké’
Pharmacology: from Greek ‘φάρμακον’ = medicine + ‘λόγος’ (logos) = study of medicines / phonetic: ‘lógos’ -logy. phonetic: ‘Φαρμακολογία’ ‘Pharmakología’
Photography: from Greek ‘φως’ = light / phonetic: ‘phos’ + ‘γραφή’ = to write / phonetic: ‘graphé’ = ‘photografía’
Photogrammetry → Geospatial science / surveying / remote sensing: from Greek ‘φως’ = light / phonetic: ‘phos’ + ‘γραμμα’ = letter / phonetic: ‘gramma’ + ‘μέτρον’ = meter, measurement / phonetic ‘métron’.
🧬 5. Interdisciplinary Sciences
Dialect: from Greek ‘Διάλεκτος’ = dialect, local language, lang variety / phonetic: ‘Dyálektos’
Logos: from Greek ‘λόγος’ (logos) = study, discourse / meaning: study of the mind, used as compound at the end of many names ending in -logy
Neuroscience: from Greek ‘Νεύρο’ = neurons, nerves / phonetic: ‘Nevro’
Synapse: from Greek ‘Σύναψη’ = connection, combo / phonetic: ‘Synapsy’
German: Ökologie, derived