Ways to say it
| Ancient Greek | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ἕλλην | Hellen | a Greek man |
| Ἑλληνιστί | Hellenisti | in the Greek language |
To say something is spoken 'in Greek', the word used is Ἑλληνιστί (Hellenisti), an adverb meaning 'in the Greek manner' or 'in the Greek tongue'.
What does it mean word for word?
Ἕλλην names a member of the people the Greeks called by that name themselves, the root behind the modern country name 'Hellas'. Ἑλληνιστί is built from the same root with an adverbial ending.
Which one should you use?
Ἕλλην refers to a person. A woman would be Ἑλληνίς (Hellenis). Ἑλληνιστί refers to the language itself, as in 'he spoke Greek'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both words are used in any register, from historical writing naming the Greek people to simple statements about language.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The self-designation Ἕλλην became widespread only gradually, after the Persian Wars united many separate city states under one shared identity against a common enemy.
How does it change in a sentence?
Ἕλλην is a third declension masculine noun, with the feminine Ἑλληνίς following a related but distinct pattern.
How do you pronounce it?
Ἕλλην has a double lambda, held slightly longer than a single l, close to 'HEL-len'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Confusing Ἕλλην, the ethnic name the Greeks used for themselves, with Γραικός, an older, more regional term that became the source of the Latin word 'Graecus' and eventually English 'Greek', is a common point of confusion.
When do people say it?
The English word 'Greek' actually comes from the Latin Graecus, not from Ἕλλην, which is why Greeks today still call themselves and their country Ἕλληνες and Ἑλλάς.
Did you know?
- English 'Greek' comes from Latin Graecus, not from the Greeks' own name for themselves, Ἕλλην, which survives today in the country's official name, Hellas.
- Ἑλληνιστί is the same adverb used in the New Testament to note when a sign or inscription was written in Greek alongside other languages.
Examples in context
- ἐγώ εἰμι Ἕλλην.ego eimi Hellen.I am a Greek.
- λέγει Ἑλληνιστί.legei Hellenisti.He speaks in Greek.
- οἱ Ἕλληνες νικῶσι.hoi Hellenes nikosi.The Greeks are winning.
Example conversation
A merchant named Barnabas asks a traveler named Kleitos where he is from.
- Barnabasπόθεν εἶ?pothen ei?Where are you from?
- KleitosἝλλην εἰμί, ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν.Hellen eimi, ex Athenon.I am a Greek, from Athens.
- Barnabasλέγεις οὖν Ἑλληνιστί?legeis oun Hellenisti?Do you then speak Greek?
- Kleitosναί, καὶ ἄλλας γλώσσας.nai, kai allas glossas.Yes, and other languages too.
