Words from the Ancients: Education
The Greeks were seekers of knowledge, and our modern language reflects this. This week, we look at some English words rooted in the Ancient Greek language of academia.
Thesaurus - From the Greek "thesauros", treasure. A thesaurus is a dictionary, or treasury, of synonyms and antonyms, or it is a treasury or storehouse.
Museum - From the Greek "Museion", shrine of the Muses. The Muses were the 9 Greek goddesses who represented creative, intellectual, and scientific endeavors. They were:
- Calliope - epic poetry
- Euterpe - music/lyric poetry
- Clio - history
- Erato - love poetry
- Melpomene - tragedy
- Polyhymnia - hymns
- Terpsichore - dance
- Thalia - comedy
- Urania - astronomy
A museum is an institution devoted to the exhibition, study, and appreciation of things with historic, scientific, or artistic value or influence.
Academy - From the Greek for "Akademos", the Academy, which was Plato's school of philosophy and learning in Athens, founded around 385 B.C. Today an academy is any place of instruction, training, or learning, and the word retains its elite connotation.
Diploma - From the Greek, "diploma", a double folded letter. A diploma is a document conferring any honor, privilege, or power, usually from an academic institution.
Mathematics - From the Greek, "mathematike", science. Mathematics is the study of the relationships between figures and forms, expressed with numbers and symbols.
