Comments on: How to link the Greek language to English? http://lessonsgreek.com/how-to-link-the-greek-language-to-english.html The Greek language online. Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Larry D http://lessonsgreek.com/how-to-link-the-greek-language-to-english.html/comment-page-1#comment-215 Larry D Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:56:19 +0000 http://lessonsgreek.com/how-to-link-the-greek-language-to-english.html#comment-215 Anglo-Saxon was a west Germanic language, not a Celtic one. English is a Germanic language, but it was heavily "Frenchified" when William the Conqueror (from French-speaking Normandy) took over England in 1066. The court spoke French, and the people spoke English. The resulting mix turned the old English of Beowulf into the Middle English of Chaucer. English and Greek are both members of the huge Indo-European language family. Most languages spoken in Europe, and many in India (and in Iran) are part of this family. The sub-families include the Romance languages, the Slavic languages, the Germanic languages, the Celtic languages, etc. etc. Greek is the only surviving member of its sub-family. So Greek is related to English, but is a rather distant cousin. Many many many Greek words have entered the English language, largely through the study of Ancient Greek texts (Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Pythogoras, etc. etc.), and by scientists and philosophers adding words to our language by borrowing from Greek (the same is true of Latin) Greek also sneaks into English from the New Testament (written in Koine Greek, a later form than the ancient), the Byzantine empire (the Eastern Roman empire, which lasted until the 15th century), and Modern Greece. Anglo-Saxon was a west Germanic language, not a Celtic one.

English is a Germanic language, but it was heavily "Frenchified" when William the Conqueror (from French-speaking Normandy) took over England in 1066. The court spoke French, and the people spoke English. The resulting mix turned the old English of Beowulf into the Middle English of Chaucer.

English and Greek are both members of the huge Indo-European language family. Most languages spoken in Europe, and many in India (and in Iran) are part of this family. The sub-families include the Romance languages, the Slavic languages, the Germanic languages, the Celtic languages, etc. etc.
Greek is the only surviving member of its sub-family. So Greek is related to English, but is a rather distant cousin.

Many many many Greek words have entered the English language, largely through the study of Ancient Greek texts (Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Pythogoras, etc. etc.), and by scientists and philosophers adding words to our language by borrowing from Greek (the same is true of Latin)

Greek also sneaks into English from the New Testament (written in Koine Greek, a later form than the ancient), the Byzantine empire (the Eastern Roman empire, which lasted until the 15th century), and Modern Greece.

]]> By: tzddean http://lessonsgreek.com/how-to-link-the-greek-language-to-english.html/comment-page-1#comment-216 tzddean Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:56:19 +0000 http://lessonsgreek.com/how-to-link-the-greek-language-to-english.html#comment-216 Anglo-Saxon is not a Celtic language. If you're talking about English words of Greek origin, they often came through Latin or other languages. Anglo-Saxon is not a Celtic language. If you’re talking about English words of Greek origin, they often came through Latin or other languages.

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