28 Good Words from Latin and Greek

28 Good Words from Latin and Greek 28 Good Words from Latin and Greek 28 Good Words from Latin and Greek By Michael Lets talk about something good. Here is a variety of words for good things, based on ancient words for good: Latin bonus and Greek eu. Good words from Latin In Rome, bonus was the Latin word for good, noble, kind, honest, brave. Since Latin gave birth to the Romance languages of Europe, words such as bon, bien, bueno and buon are found today in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. English speakers commonly use the French expressions bon voyage (Have a good trip.) and bon appetit (Enjoy your meal.) The opposite prefix of bon or bene is mal or bad. So once you learn the meaning of benevolent, you know the meaning of malevolent. benevolent wanting to do good; altruistic, charitable, from the Latin for well-wishing. benefit Something you gain; something that helps or aids you, such as help from the government. Also, an event, often a performance, that benefits a cause or a charity. beneficiary someone who receives a benefit. beneficial the adjective form of benefit; helpful, good for you. benefactor someone who helps another, or gives out benefits, from the Latin for good-doing. benediction a prayer or blessing, usually at the end of a church service; also, a rite of consecration; from the Latin well-speak. benign harmless, non-threatening, mild, kind. A tumor can be benign or malignant (cancerous). bonus a premium; an extra benefit, such as an addition to a salary or extra points in a game. benefice a land grant, such as to a medieval priest; an estate or fief. bonanza a source of wealth or success, originally a Spanish word meaning the discovery of a valuable mine, but which came from the Latin for good weather. bonhomie friendly, genial, affable, from the French, but originally from the Latin for good man. Good words from Greek Most English words with the prefix eu come from the Greek word meaning good or well. Some were used by the ancient Greeks, while other scientific and medical terms were coined by English-speaking scientists who had studied Greek. For those words, eu can mean true as well as good. The opposite prefix is dys or dis. euphony A good-sounding word is considered euphonious. From the Greek for good-sound. eulogy a funeral speech in honor of the deceased. It comes from the Greek well-speak as benediction comes from the Latin well-speak. As you see, they mean different things. If a funeral service had the benediction first, everybody would start to leave before the eulogy. eulogize When you say good things about something, you eulogize it. Often used cynically if someone has to try so hard to make it sound good, there must be something wrong with it. euphoria an excited, intense feeling of joy or happiness. From the Greek good-feeling. The word dysphoria means bad feeling, perhaps anxiety or depression. eureka the famous announcement of the Greek mathematician Archimedes, meaning I have found it! In cartoons, prospectors say Eureka! when they discover a bonanza. euphemism a word chosen to be less vulgar or blunt (or just less precise or vivid), such as passed instead of died, or enhanced interrogation instead of torture. You can learn all about euphemisms from our previous articles: 7 types of euphemism, euphemisms for job loss, euphemisms for death, and the euphemistic treadmill. From the Greek word meaning abstaining from inauspicious words. euthanasia the act of killing to prevent suffering, practiced on animals and more controversially, on people. From the Greek good-death, which is a euphemism. eugenics historically, the theory that people with bad qualities should not have children (or sometimes, should not have lives) while people with good qualities should. Naturally, people like us get to decide which qualities are good. From the Greek good-breeding. eukaryote an organism whose cells have a nucleus enclosed by a membrane. Bacteria and archaea dont they lack a true nut, which is what the word means in Greek. eucharist in Christianity, Holy Communion or the Lords Supper, commemorating Jesuss last supper of bread and wine. From the Greek word for thanksgiving. eucalyptus a fragrant, flowering tree common to Australia. From the Greek for well-covered, because the bud covers the developing flower. euphonium a brass musical instrument with a mellow tone. It looks like a small tuba its the tenor in the tuba family. The song 76 Trombones mentions the nearly-extinct double-belled euphonium. From the Greek for good-sound. euhemerism the theory that the stories of the gods grew from stories of human heroes. Named after its Greek originator Euhemerius, whose name meant well-domesticated. eudaemon a good or benevolent spirit. This is not a euphemism the Greek word daemon did originally mean protective spirit instead of evil fiend. eucaine a good derivative of cocaine, used as a veterinary pain-killer. euphuism John Lylys 1578 romance Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit was so ostentatious, precious, elaborate, and excessively ornate, any English literature that imitated it was called euphuistic. Spanish, Italian, and French literature had their own offenders. From the Greek for graceful, witty. Naturally, people like Lyly decided what was graceful and witty. eurythmy in medicine, a normal pulse. In architecture, harmony of features and proportion. In dance, graceful movement in rhythm with spoken words. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! 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