What does greek mean?
Greek is the principal language of Greece and is also spoken in Cyprus and communities throughout the Mediterranean and elsewhere. The word also identifies the Greek people and everything associated with their culture, history, alphabet, cuisine, and traditions, as in “ancient Greek,” “modern Greek,” and “Greek mythology.” Its most memorable idiomatic use is “all Greek to me,” meaning that something is completely unintelligible or unfamiliar. Although people may once have regarded Greek as difficult because of its complex vocabulary and script, the expression does not necessarily imply that a subject is genuinely difficult; it can simply signal that the speaker lacks the necessary background. In ordinary use, Greek is usually capitalized because it names a language, people, or a cultural tradition. The separate verb “to Greek” means to translate or adapt a text into Greek, although this usage is uncommon.
The language of Greece and the wider Greek-speaking world; also, a person belonging to the Greek people.
"He learned Greek while working as a translator in Athens."
As the name of the language or people, the word is normally capitalized. The language itself is not normally used in the plural.
Of or relating to Greece, its people, language, culture, or history; idiomatically, unintelligible or unfamiliar in the expression “all Greek to.”
"The exhibition displays an ancient Greek coin alongside maps of the Mediterranean."
The idiomatic sense is usually informal and appears in predicative expressions such as “all Greek to me.”
To translate or adapt a text into Greek.
"The editor Greeked the play before it was performed in Athens."
This is a rare, chiefly scholarly or literary usage.
Used for members of the Greek people; languages and cultural senses are normally uncountable and are not normally pluralized this way.
"Greeks and Romans exchanged ideas throughout the ancient Mediterranean."
The familiar phrase “It’s all Greek to me” turns an ancient language into an everyday shorthand for anything completely confusing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does greek come from?
English borrowed the name through Middle English Grek and Old English Grēc, both ultimately derived from Latin Graecus. Latin Graecus was borrowed from Ancient Greek Γραικός, the name used for the Greeks. Later English developed both familiar Greek- forms and scholarly Graec- forms, reflected in words such as Grecian, Graecology, and Graecomania.
Related word forms
How greek is actually used
As a name, language, or adjective, “Greek” is normally capitalized. The verb “to Greek” is rare and formal, meaning to translate or adapt something into Greek; the idiom “all Greek to me” is informal and often humorous.
Easily confused with greek
Greek refers to the people, language, or culture, whereas Greece is the name of the country itself.