- Definition: “Greek” refers to anything related to Greece, including its culture, people, and language. It is used both as an adjective and a noun.
- Etymology and Origin:
- The English word “Greek” originates from the Latin “Graecus.” According to Greek mythology, Graecus was believed to be a grandson of Deucalion (Deykalion) and son of Zeus and Pandora. Deucalion is a central figure in Greek flood myths, akin to Noah in the Abrahamic traditions.
- The term “Graikos” (Γραικός) in Greek, from which “Graecus” is derived, referred to an ancient Greek tribe, suggesting a tribal or regional origin for the name.
- The Greeks themselves traditionally referred to their country as Hellas and their language as Hellenika, identifying themselves as Hellenes. The use of “Greek” in English and other European languages, originating from “Graecus,” is thus more externally derived.
In Greek tradition, the self-identification as ‘Hellenes‘ by the Greeks derives from Hellen, a son of Deucalion. Hellen was a significant mythological figure, often considered the progenitor of the Greek people. According to the myths, Hellen had three sons — Dorus, Xuthus, and Aeolus — each of whom became the forefathers of the major Greek tribes: the Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians. This lineage provided a unifying mythological ancestry for the Greeks, linking the diverse tribes and regions of ancient Greece under a shared heritage. Consequently, the term ‘Hellenes’ came to signify not just a common descent but also a collective cultural and linguistic identity, distinguishing the Greeks within their own conception of ethnicity and nationhood.
