1 - 16 of 16 Posts

ssherie_

Active member
I am sooo curious...are there any languages that have similarities to Greek? I know that Greece doesn't derive from another language, but does anyone who speaks another language have an easier time learning Greek?
 
Spanish is similar with the conjugation of verbs, so Spanish speakers can pickup on it a bit quicker than others... Greek is a difficult language because there isn't a specific place in a sentence where you need to place objects. As a simple example, I can say - "είσαι καλά;" which means "are you well?" Or I can say "καλά εισαι;" and it will have the same meaning. Not many languages allow you to change the position of words in a sentence and allow it to have the same meaning - i.e. there is no strict order in which you have to put your words in Greek.

Greek - mila(o) - i speak
Spanish - habl(o) - i speak
Greek - mil(as) - you speak
Spanish- habl(as) - you speak...
Greek - mil(am)e - we speak
Spanish - habl(am)os - we speak
Greek - mil(an)e - they speak
Spanish - habl(an) - they speak

Spanish is easier than Greek though because it only has 2 genders whereas Greek has 3, and Spanish doesn't have 9 declensions of words.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jawge and seleanor
Spanish is similar with the conjugation of verbs, so Spanish speakers can pickup on it a bit quicker than others... Greek is a difficult language because there isn't a specific place in a sentence where you need to place objects. As a simple example, I can say - "είσαι καλά;" which means "are you well?" Or I can say "καλά εισαι;" and it will have the same meaning. Not many languages allow you to change the position of words in a sentence and allow it to have the same meaning - i.e. there is no strict order in which you have to put your words in Greek.

Greek - mila(o) - i speak
Spanish - habl(o) - i speak
Greek - mil(as) - you speak
Spanish- habl(as) - you speak...
Greek - mil(am)e - we speak
Spanish - habl(am)os - we speak
Greek - mil(an)e - they speak
Spanish - habl(an) - they speak

Spanish is easier than Greek though because it only has 2 genders whereas Greek has 3, and Spanish doesn't have 9 declensions of words.
This is an excellent analysis :) I also always wondered why Spanish and Greek sound a little similar. Do you have a background in languages/linguistics??
 
This is an excellent analysis :) I also always wondered why Spanish and Greek sound a little similar. Do you have a background in languages/linguistics??
I'm trilingual (English, Greek, and Spanish)
 
  • Like
Reactions: greek_ggirl
Spanish is similar with the conjugation of verbs, so Spanish speakers can pickup on it a bit quicker than others... Greek is a difficult language because there isn't a specific place in a sentence where you need to place objects. As a simple example, I can say - "είσαι καλά;" which means "are you well?" Or I can say "καλά εισαι;" and it will have the same meaning. Not many languages allow you to change the position of words in a sentence and allow it to have the same meaning - i.e. there is no strict order in which you have to put your words in Greek.

Greek - mila(o) - i speak
Spanish - habl(o) - i speak
Greek - mil(as) - you speak
Spanish- habl(as) - you speak...
Greek - mil(am)e - we speak
Spanish - habl(am)os - we speak
Greek - mil(an)e - they speak
Spanish - habl(an) - they speak

Spanish is easier than Greek though because it only has 2 genders whereas Greek has 3, and Spanish doesn't have 9 declensions of words.
I also picked up Spanish pretty quick when I was learning it in high school. The accent is very similar too
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jawge
The root of a word expresses the meaning of the word, whereas your grammatical endings express only Mood, Tense, and Persons. To understand or to speak Greek, one needs, above all, to understand roots. I see no affinity between MILA- and HABL-.. Hence, without the English translations, a Spaniard will not understand what "Milao" means. Sorry.
As for the order of words, inflected languages (like classical Greek or Latin, Middle English, etc., ) present no semantic problems. No problem here: Him she called but received no reply ana Zeu.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: dubai_suzie
I am sooo curious...are there any languages that have similarities to Greek? I know that Greece doesn't derive from another language, but does anyone who speaks another language have an easier time learning Greek?

I am sooo curious...are there any languages that have similarities to Greek? I know that Greece doesn't derive from another language, but does anyone who speaks another language have an easier time learning Greek?
The similarities (and, hence, dissimilarities) can be of various types, wherefore there can be different difficulties in learning [understanding, speaking, and even writing] a language or Greek in particular. SIMILARITIES in grammatical endings [morphology];
in words [lexikon] or word-roots; in syntax [formation of compound words, or of sentences into a discourse/Logos]; and in peculiar/ethnic idiomatic expressions; in diction or pronunciation [phonetics]; and in orthography. // Lexical study: If two words from two languages are similar in sound and in meaning, they are said to be affine (kindred) or cognate, and most likely, one of the words derives from the other. My manuscript, still unpublished, "Indo-European and Its Speakers" presents the etymology of many words from Greek (Proto-Greek) -- words of Latin, Akkadian, Etruscan, Basque, Anglo-Saxon, Eblaite (Canaanite), etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dubai_suzie
The root of a word expresses the meaning of the word, whereas your grammatical endings express only Mood and Persons. To understand or to speak Greek, one needs, above all, to understand roots. I see no affinity between MILA- and HABL-.. Hence, without the English translations, a Spaniard will not understand what "Milao" means. Sorry.
As for the order of words, inflected languages (like classical Greek or Latin, Middle English, etc., ) present no semantic problems. No problem here: Him she called but received no reply ana Zeu.
Hmmm maybe its different grammatically but just familiar or sounds similar? I don't know too much about languages, I'm jus guessing here
 
Hmmm maybe its different grammatically but just familiar or sounds similar? I don't know too much about languages, I'm jus guessing here
I just read your next comment, makes sense now with the kindred words, thanks! :)
 
The root of a word expresses the meaning of the word, whereas your grammatical endings express only Mood and Persons. To understand or to speak Greek, one needs, above all, to understand roots. I see no affinity between MILA- and HABL-.. Hence, without the English translations, a Spaniard will not understand what "Milao" means. Sorry.
As for the order of words, inflected languages (like classical Greek or Latin, Middle English, etc., ) present no semantic problems. No problem here: Him she called but received no reply ana Zeu.
No, a Spaniard won't understand it, and I was not trying to show that the root of the words are similar but if I were then I would have picked a verb like goustaro (γουστάρω) and gustar which have the same roots - both of these words mean "to like". What I was showing was that the conjugations are similar in the present tense, which is why emphasized the ending.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: efhernandez_
No, a Spaniard won't understand it, and I was not trying to show that the root of the words are similar but if I were then I would have picked a verb like goustaro (γουρστάρω) and gustar which have the same roots - both of these words mean "to like". What I was showing was that the conjugations are similar in the present tense, which is why emphasized the ending.
That makes a lot of sense to me. The languages may not come from the same root, but it isn't like Greek and Mandarin for example
 
Found this today

 
  • Like
Reactions: dubai_suzie
Found this today

Makes total sense, finally someone is putting it into words with perfect examples!! Phonology is the idea everyone was looking for I guess :) Thanks for sharing
 
Spanish is similar with the conjugation of verbs, so Spanish speakers can pickup on it a bit quicker than others... Greek is a difficult language because there isn't a specific place in a sentence where you need to place objects. As a simple example, I can say - "είσαι καλά;" which means "are you well?" Or I can say "καλά εισαι;" and it will have the same meaning. Not many languages allow you to change the position of words in a sentence and allow it to have the same meaning - i.e. there is no strict order in which you have to put your words in Greek.

Greek - mila(o) - i speak
Spanish - habl(o) - i speak
Greek - mil(as) - you speak
Spanish- habl(as) - you speak...
Greek - mil(am)e - we speak
Spanish - habl(am)os - we speak
Greek - mil(an)e - they speak
Spanish - habl(an) - they speak

Spanish is easier than Greek though because it only has 2 genders whereas Greek has 3, and Spanish doesn't have 9 declensions of words.
This is very cool! Spanish and Greek are both part of the Indo-European language group so it makes sense that there are similarities. Each language off shooting from Indo-European has its own family branch. Greek is in a branch by itself, and this would include Ancient Greek, Koine Greek, etc. The branch that has Spanish has its root from Latin, and that is an offshoot from the original Indo-European. Here's a fun chart:

 
It seems to me that because all of these languages are tied together by the same, ancient root language, whether Spanish, Italian, Greek, even German, we are bound to find similarities. I think of the word mother. Mother (English). Mutter (German). Mitera μητέρα (Greek), Madre (Spanish), Madre (Italian) ... they are all similar. I don't know about you, but I can just kind of tell that they all mean "mother".
 
  • Like
Reactions: seleanor
It seems to me that because all of these languages are tied together by the same, ancient root language, whether Spanish, Italian, Greek, even German, we are bound to find similarities. I think of the word mother. Mother (English). Mutter (German). Mitera μητέρα (Greek), Madre (Spanish), Madre (Italian) ... they are all similar. I don't know about you, but I can just kind of tell that they all mean "mother".
Yes true, they all sound very similar to me...not sure how or why though 😂
 

Netflix Show about Alexander the Great

I just noticed there was a show about Alexander the Great on Netflix. How is it?

I have been noticing some buzz that it's fairly controversial, but those who are unhappy about it ... I can't tell if they actually know about him, or if they are just upset about how he was depicted.

I am trying to figure out if I want to watch it so your honest reviews are welcome.

I have studied Alexander the Great a little bit and no a bit about his life, so I am sincerely hoping it's worth my time. I am between shows at the moment.

Ideas for Celebrating the New Month - Kalo Mina

Growing up, I heard my family say this all the time when there was a new month. I finally started paying attention to the tradition and ritual of saying it.

Kalo Mina actually means "Good Month" but my family took it a step further. We developed the habit of doing something special as a family to celebrate.It depends which day it falls. Some things we've done:

- Brunch - We do this if it falls on a weekend.
- Dinner - Going out to dinner is great any time of the year!
- Journaling - We've done family journaling parties, sitting together reflecting on the month. Sometimes we read aloud what we write (depends how the month went LOL)
- Goals - No matter if we do anything, like go out to dinner or brunch, we always sit and review our goals for the month together.

Thinking about the Greek way of hospitality...

I thought I would ask your thoughts oh Philoxenia - or the Greek way, or art, of hospitality. I noticed this when I travel in Greece. People are so kind, they often go out of the way for us, when I feel that they don't have to! How can one describe this to someone?

From what I understand, Philoxenia is not merely a practice but a deeply ingrained value within Greek culture that extends far beyond the simple act of hosting. It reflects a genuine, heartfelt welcome to strangers, treating them with the same respect and generosity one would show to a dearly beloved friend. This beautiful tradition, passed down through generations, turns the act of hosting into an art form, embodying warmth, respect, and a profound sense of human compassion. There have been so many stories I can think of...

This thought process was triggered because we were watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 - someone in the village had taken on a Syrian refugee. Is this a Greek hospitality thing? Philoxenia?

Navigating Greek Lenten Fasting - Advice?

Lent is here and all my friends and family have been asking "what are you doing for lent this year?" They're all "giving something up" but I decided I wanted to fast. I would love your help and advice because this is the first time I am doing things in a stricter way. I resolve to see it through!

It's supposed to be a a time of reflection, purification, and preparation for the celebration of Easter, and the diet plays a significant part in this spiritual journey. I don't want to get so obsessed with the "rules" that I lose myself in them and forget why I am fasting int he first place.

Thanks in advance!

Greek tradition of hanging onions on the door?

I just came from my friend's house and I saw there were onions hanging on the door! I asked them about it and learned it was a New Year's tradition. Here's what my research pulled out:

The Greek New Year is celebrated on the 1st of January, but the preparations for the celebration begin on the New Year’s Eve. As per tradition, the Greeks hang onions outside their house, balcony, or anywhere visible to attract good fortune, prosperity, and luck. The onions are hung, infused with various symbols like coins, bread, honey, and olives, representing prosperity, food, and success. This concept reminds the Greeks of their grandmothers, who hung onions outside their homes and gatherings during special occasions, especially New Year’s Eve.

Beyond the symbolic value of the onions, for Greeks, hanging onions also has medicinal and therapeutic benefits. Onions can purify the air and keep away harmful bacteria and impurities due to their sulfur compounds. Additionally, they are believed to have great health benefits and can help boost your immunity, reduce the risk of cancer, and regulate cholesterol levels.

Hanging onions is also a fun activity that the family enjoys together. Everyone gathers around and writes their wishes on the onions and ties them with a red thread, symbolizing good fortune. The onion is then hung outside the house, allowing the wishes to come true. The onions can also be collected at a later stage and used for cooking, acting as a souvenir that remains with the family for the rest of the year.

The notion of hanging onions is an ancient tradition in Greece, and the country takes pride in it. The ritual dates back to ancient Greece, where they were hung on doors and windows to keep away evil spirits and other unwanted energies. In Greece, the land of myths and legends, the onion symbolizes the new life that arises from the depths of the earth, representing hope, fertility, and growth.
Share and discuss Greek traditions related to Greek weddings, christenings, dance & holidays!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top