Γραικός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Aristotle was one of the first to use the name Γραικοί (Graikoí), saying that the area around Dodona and Achelous was inhabited by the Σελλοί (“Selloi”) and a people formerly called Graeci and now Ἕλληνες (“Hellenes”).^[1]

According to one hypothesis, the name means “from Γραῖα (Graîa, “Graea”)”, a city on the coast of Βοιωτῐ́ᾱ (Boiōtĭ́ā, “Boeotia”), and it was given to the Greeks of southern Italy by the Romans. The city’s name itself means “grey, venerable” from Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- (“to grow old”). This is in stark contrast to eastern names for the Greeks based on Ἰωνία (Iōnía).^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡrai̯.kós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɡrɛˈkos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɣrɛˈkos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ɣreˈkos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ɣreˈkos/

Adjective

Γραικός • (Graikós) m (feminine Γραική, neuter Γραικόν); first/second declension

Greek

Declension

First and second declension of Γραικός; Γραική; Γραικόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	Γραικός Graikós	Γραική Graikḗ	Γραικόν Graikón	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικᾱ́ Graikā́	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικοί Graikoí	Γραικαί Graikaí	Γραικᾰ́ Graikắ
Genitive	Γραικοῦ Graikoû	Γραικῆς Graikês	Γραικοῦ Graikoû	Γραικοῖν Graikoîn	Γραικαῖν Graikaîn	Γραικοῖν Graikoîn	Γραικῶν Graikôn	Γραικῶν Graikôn	Γραικῶν Graikôn
Dative	Γραικῷ Graikōî	Γραικῇ Graikēî	Γραικῷ Graikōî	Γραικοῖν Graikoîn	Γραικαῖν Graikaîn	Γραικοῖν Graikoîn	Γραικοῖς Graikoîs	Γραικαῖς Graikaîs	Γραικοῖς Graikoîs
Accusative	Γραικόν Graikón	Γραικήν Graikḗn	Γραικόν Graikón	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικᾱ́ Graikā́	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικούς Graikoús	Γραικᾱ́ς Graikā́s	Γραικᾰ́ Graikắ
Vocative	Γραικέ Graiké	Γραική Graikḗ	Γραικόν Graikón	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικᾱ́ Graikā́	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικοί Graikoí	Γραικαί Graikaí	Γραικᾰ́ Graikắ
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	Γραικῶς Graikôs			Γραικότερος Graikóteros			Γραικότᾰτος Graikótătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Proper noun

Γραικός • (Graikós) m (genitive Γραικοῦ); second declension

Graecus, a character in Greek mythology, said to be a son of Thessalos, the king of Phthia; or else a son of Pandora and Zeus.

Declension

Second declension of ὁ Γραικός; τοῦ Γραικοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Γραικός ho Graikós
Genitive	τοῦ Γραικοῦ toû Graikoû
Dative	τῷ Γραικῷ tōî Graikōî
Accusative	τὸν Γραικόν tòn Graikón
Vocative	Γραικέ Graiké
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Noun

Γραικός • (Graikós) m (genitive Γραικοῦ); second declension

a Graecian, a member of an ancient Boeotian tribe that migrated to Italy.

Declension

Second declension of ὁ Γραικός; τοῦ Γραικοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ Γραικός ho Graikós	τὼ Γραικώ tṑ Graikṓ	οἱ Γραικοί hoi Graikoí
Genitive	τοῦ Γραικοῦ toû Graikoû	τοῖν Γραικοῖν toîn Graikoîn	τῶν Γραικῶν tôn Graikôn
Dative	τῷ Γραικῷ tōî Graikōî	τοῖν Γραικοῖν toîn Graikoîn	τοῖς Γραικοῖς toîs Graikoîs
Accusative	τὸν Γραικόν tòn Graikón	τὼ Γραικώ tṑ Graikṓ	τοὺς Γραικούς toùs Graikoús
Vocative	Γραικέ Graiké	Γραικώ Graikṓ	Γραικοί Graikoí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

→ Latin: Graecus, Latin: graecus (see there for further descendants)

References

^ Aristotle (c. 340 BCE) Μετεωρολογικά [Metereology] (in Ancient Greek), 352b
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 267

Greek

Etymology

Hellenistic reborrowing from Latin Graecus, from Ancient Greek Γραικός (Graikós).^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɣreˈkos/
Hyphenation: Γραι‧κός

Noun

Γραικός • (Graikós) m (plural Γραικοί)

(historical) Greek

Usage notes

Used in Byzantium and during Ottoman rule. Although the word has carried a derogatory sense from Latin Graecus, Graeculus, and its occidental descendants, the word was redeemed in the lips of the revolutionary Athanasios Diakos who said before his impalement:
Εγώ Γραικός γεννήθηκα, Γραικός θε να πεθάνω
Egó Graikós genníthika, Graikós the na petháno
I was born a Graikos, I shall die a Graikos.

Declension

Declension of **Γραικός**
	singular	plural
nominative	Γραικός (Graikós)	Γραικοί (Graikoí)
genitive	Γραικού (Graikoú)	Γραικών (Graikón)
accusative	Γραικό (Graikó)	Γραικούς (Graikoús)
vocative	Γραικέ (Graiké)	Γραικοί (Graikoí)

Synonyms

Έλληνας m (Éllinas)
Ρωμιός m (Romiós) (familiar, emotive term)

Related terms

γραικικός (graikikós, “Greek”)
γραικύλος (graikýlos, “Graeculus”) (derogatory, offensive)

References

^ Γραικός, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language

[1] Aristotle (c. 340 BCE) Μετεωρολογικά [Metereology] (in Ancient Greek), 352b

[2] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 267

[3] Γραικός, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language

[1]

[2]

[1]

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Proper noun

Declension

Noun

Declension

Descendants

References

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Declension

Synonyms

Related terms

References