grecism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Academic
Quick answer
What does “grecism” mean?
A word, phrase, or idiom borrowed from or characteristic of the Greek language.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A word, phrase, or idiom borrowed from or characteristic of the Greek language.
A feature, style, or cultural element imitative of or influenced by ancient Greek models, especially in literature, art, or architecture.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both variants use the spelling 'grecism' (though 'graecism' is an alternative).
Connotations
Neutral/scholarly in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally rare in both British and American English, confined to specialist discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “grecism” in a Sentence
The [text/author] contains/is full of grecisms.To [use/avoid] grecisms in one's writing.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “grecism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The translator chose not to grecise the original phrase.
- His prose is heavily grecised.
American English
- The translator decided not to grecize the term.
- His style is noticeably grecized.
adverb
British English
- The line was translated rather grecisely.
- He writes grecisely at times.
American English
- The phrase was rendered somewhat grecizingly.
- He composes grecizingly on occasion.
adjective
British English
- The grecised syntax felt unnatural in English.
- A grecising tendency.
American English
- The grecized syntax felt awkward in English.
- A grecizing influence.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in philology, classical studies, and comparative literature to describe linguistic or stylistic features.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would likely require explanation.
Technical
Used precisely in linguistics to denote a loanword or syntactic feature from Greek.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “grecism”
- Misspelling as 'graecism' (though this is a valid alternative).
- Confusing with 'Hellenism', which can have broader cultural/historical meanings.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In linguistics, they are often synonyms. However, 'Hellenism' has broader historical and cultural meanings beyond language.
Yes, in art and architecture criticism, it can describe a style or motif imitating ancient Greek models.
No, it is a low-frequency, specialised term used primarily in academic and literary contexts.
In the context of loanwords, an 'anglicism' (a borrowing from English into another language) could be considered a loose opposite. More directly, a 'latinism' is a borrowing from Latin.
A word, phrase, or idiom borrowed from or characteristic of the Greek language.
Grecism is usually formal, academic in register.
Grecism: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡriːsɪz(ə)m/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡrisɪzəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'Greece' + '-ism' (a characteristic feature) = a Greek-like feature.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A FABRIC (with grecisms being threads woven in from Greek).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'grecism' MOST likely to be used?