Fourth unit feelings

The Odyssey of words Fourth unit: emotions - character traits 1. νοσταλγία The word nostalgia is a compound word. It comes from the ancient Greek noun «άλγος» (algos) = "pain, grief, distress" and the noun «νόστος» (nostos) = "homecoming". «Νόστος» is derived from the ancient Greek verb «νέομαι» (neomai) = "to reach some place, to return, to get home".

Aphrodite, Pan and Eros Athens - National Archaeological Museum

2. πανικός The word "panic" is derived from the name «Παν» (Pan) who was an Arcadian shepherd god with upper body of a man and horns and lower part like a goat. He was the god of woods and fields and also the source of mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots. His presence was associated with fear and noise.

3. υστερία – υστερικός Ηysteria is an abstract noun from the ancient Greek word «υστέρα» (hystera) = "uterus". It’s originally defined as a neurotic condition peculiar to women and thought to be caused by a malfunction of the uterus. (They believed that the disease is due to pains of the uterus).

Hysterical = "characteristic of hysteria," comes from the Greek adjective «υστερικός» (hysterikos) = "of the uterus, suffering in the womb”, from «υστέρα» (hystera) = "uterus".

4. μανία - μανιακός Mania comes from the Greek word «μανία» (mania) = "madness, frenzy; enthusiasm, inspired frenzy; mad passion, fury," related to the verb «μαίνομαι» (menome) = "to rage, go mad". It’s used as the second element in compounds expressing particular types of madness (such as nymphomania, kleptomania, megalomania).

The word maniac comes from the Greek adjective «μανιακός» (maniakos) which comes from «μανία» (mania).

5. ενθουσιασμός The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek noun «ενθουσιασμός» (enthousiasmos) ="divine inspiration, enthusiasm", from the verb «ενθουσιάζω» (enthousiazo) = "be inspired or possessed by a god, be rapt, be in ecstasy". The word is derived from «ένθεος» (entheos) = "divinely inspired, possessed by a god, which is a compound word from the preposition «εν» (en) = "in" and the noun «θεός» (theos) = "god".

6. μελαγχολία The word melancholy comes from the Greek word «μελαγχολία» (melankholia) = "sadness," from the ancient Greek adjective «μέλας» (melas) (genitive melanos) ="black" (see melanin) and the noun «χολή» (khole) = "bile".

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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The Odyssey of words 7. εγωισμός The word egoism comes from the Greek pronoun «εγώ» (in Latin: ego) = “I, me” and means self-interest, self-centeredness.

8. συμπάθεια - συμπαθητικός The word sympathy comes from the Greek noun «συμπάθεια» (sympathia) = "fellowfeeling, community of feeling”. It’s a compound word of the preposition «συν» (syn) = "together" and the noun «πάθος» (pathos) = "feeling".

The word sympathetic comes from the Greek adjective «συμπαθητικός» (sympathetikos) = "having sympathy".

9. φανατικός The word fanatic comes from the Latin adjective “fanaticus” = "mad, enthusiastic, inspired by a god," also "furious, mad," originally, "pertaining to a temple," from the latin noun “fanum” = "temple, consecrated place".

10. παράδοξος The word paradox comes from the Greek adjective «παράδοξον» (paradoxon), from the preposition «παρά» (para) = "contrary to" and the noun «δόξα» (doxa) = "opinion" from the verb «δοκώ» (dokο) = "to appear, seem, think".

11. δυναμικός The word dynamic comes from the Greek adjective «δυναμικός» (dynamikos) = "powerful" related to the noun «δύναμις» (dynamis) = "power". «Δύναμις» comes from the verb «δύναμαι» (dyname) = "to be able, to have power, be strong enough".

12. τυπικός The word typical comes from the Greek adjective «τυπικός» (typikos) which comes from the noun «τύπος» (typos) = "impression".

13. αριστοκρατικός The word aristocratic comes from the Greek adjective «αριστοκρατικός» (aristokratikos) = "belonging to the rule of the best," from the adjective «άριστος» (aristos) = "best of its kind, noblest, bravest, most virtuous" and the noun «κράτος» (kratos) = "rule, power".

14. εξωτικός The word exotic comes from Greek adjective «εξωτικός» (exotikos) = "foreign," literally "from the outside", from the adverb «έξω» (exo) = "outside". The word means "unusual, strange".

15. πρακτικός The word practical comes from the Greek adjective «πρακτικός» (praktikos) which comes from the ancient Greek verb «πράττω» (pratto) = "to do, act, effect, accomplish."

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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The Odyssey of words 16. βάρβαρος The word barbarian comes from Greek «βάρβαρος» (barbaros) meaning "foreign, stranger" The Greek word «βάρβαροι» (=plural, barbari) meant "all that are not Greek," but especially the Medes and Persians. The word comes from the sound «βαρ, βαρ» (var, var). The Greeks used this sound to convey the sound of the languages of other people as this sound was incomprehensible to them.

17. λακωνικός The word laconic means "concise, abrupt," literally "of or pertaining to the region around ancient Sparta in Greece”, from Greek «Λακωνικός» (Lakonikos) "Laconian, of Laconia ", adjective from «Λάκων» (Lakon) = "person from Lakonia," the district around Sparta in southern Greece in ancient times, whose inhabitants famously cultivated the skill of saying much in few words.

18. μυστήριος The adjective mysterious comes from mystery. The word mystery comes from Greek «μυστήριον» (mysterion) (usually in plural mysteria) = "secret rite or doctrine," from «μύστης» (mystes) "one who has been initiated," from «μύω» (myo) "to close, shut" (see mute); perhaps referring to the lips (in secrecy) or to the eyes (only initiates were allowed to see the sacred rites).

19. ανώνυμος The word anonymous means without a name from Greek «ανώνυμος» (anonymos) = "without a name". It’s a compound word from «αν» (an-) = "without" + «όνομα» (onoma) = "name".

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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