The Greek Gateway Guide To Grenglish

How many languages do you know that derive from Greek origin? There are actually hundreds, and to begin listing them would literally take up hours of our time.

However, there is one language we would be remiss not to mention. It is the one you are currently reading off this computer screen: English.

There are over fifty thousand English words that derive from the Greek language. Words like anchor, martyr, prophet chaos, photograph, and nectar. The list goes on and on.

But the rest of you out there who have grown up speaking both Greek and English on a regular basis, know very well that there are a handful of words in which North Americanized Greeks enjoy using in their everyday dialect. Heck, people in Greece are even speaking it. We use these words interchangeably, and sometimes even unknowingly. We mishmash English with Greek all the time, and in the end you get: Grenglish.

So with that being said, I now present to you a list of 10 popular Grenglish words that you may (or may not) know. Read their definitions, learn how to pronounce them, and find out the proper term.

Let's go!

GRENGLISH DEFINITION: to go from one place or position to another.

USED IN A SENTENCE: μουβάραμαι από ένα διαμέρισμα σε ένα σπίτι… we moved from an apartment to a house.

PROPER TERM: μετακινώ (mai-ta-kee-no)

GRENGLISH DEFINITION: a floor or stair covering made from thick woven fabric, typically shaped to fit a particular room.

USED IN A SENTENCE: Το καρπετο θελει καθαρισμα

PROPER TERM: χαλί (ha-lee)

GRENGLISH DEFINITION: a body of fresh or salt water (of considerable size), surrounded by land.

USED IN A SENTENCE: Πάμε για μπάνιο στο λαίκι… Let’s go swimming in the lake.

PROPER TERM: λίμνη (leem-nee)

GRENGLISH DEFINITION: to make an inquiry into, search through, etc.

USED IN A SENTENCE: τσεκάραμε τα αρχεία, αλλά το γράμμα έλειπε… we checked the files, but the letter was missing.

PROPER TERM: ελέγχω (eh-le-hoh)

GRENGLISH DEFINITION: an automobile. The real definition of kάρο is horse carriage in Greek.

USED IN A SENTENCE: Οδήγησα το κάρο μου στην δουλειά…  I drove my car to work.

PROPER TERM: αυτοκίνητο (af-toh-kee-nee-toh)

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