Greek influence was widespread throughout the Balkans during the Middle Ages, influencing the languages within it, including Serbo-Croatian. Many words of Greek origin were borrowed from other languages, while most others came via contact with the Greeks. Some words are present and common in the modern vernaculars of Serbo-Croatian: hiljada (хиљада), tiganj (тигањ), patos (патос). Almost every word of the Serbian Orthodox ceremonies are of Greek origin: parastos (парастос).
Serbo-Croatian (L) | Serbo-Croatian (C) | Greek (L) | Greek | English meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
afrodizijak | афродизијак | áfrodisiakós | ἀφροδισιακός | aphrodisiac | AG |
azot | азот | ázōtos | ἀζωτος | Nitrogen | via French ← Latin ← AG (coined in French, based on AG) Croatian = dušik |
bar | бар | varós | βάρος | bar (unit of pressure) | AG |
biber | бибер | piperiá | πιπεριά | pepper | via Turkish Croatian = papar |
crkva | црква | kyriakón | κυριακόν | church | via Proto-Slavic ← Old High German ← AG |
cvekla | цвекла | red beet | Proto-Slavic ← Medieval Greek ← AG; Croatian = cikla | ||
čempres | чемпрес | kypárissos | κυπάρισσος | cypress | via Dalmatian ← Latin |
ćuprija | ћуприја | géfyra | γέφυρα | bridge | via Turkish Croatian = most |
delfin | делфин | delphís | δελφίς | dolphin | via Latin ← AG |
drum | друм | drómos | δρόμος | road Croatian = cesta | |
dupin | дупин | delphís | δελφίς | dolphin | via Dalmatian ← Latin ← AG |
đak | ђак | diákos | διάκος | student, pupil | via Medieval Latin |
đakon | ђакон | diákonos | διάκονος | deacon | via Medieval Latin |
đubre | ђубре | kópros | κόπρος | garbage, trash; manure; bad and immoral person | via Ottoman Turkish ← AG Croatian = smeće |
efendija | ефендија | afthéntis | αὐθέντης | effendi | via Ottoman Turkish |
episkop | епископ | épískopos | ἐπίσκοπος | bishop | AG Croatian = biskup |
etika | етика | ḗthikós | ἠθικός | ethics | AG |
etnika | етника | éthnikós | ἐθνικός | ethnic group (people, nation) | |
fazan | фазан | phasianós | φασιανός | pheasant | via German ← Latin ← AG |
feniks | феникс | phoȋniks | φοῖνιξ | phoenix | AG |
gitara | гитара | kithára | κιθάρα | guitar | via Spanish ← AG |
guma | гума | kómmi | κόμμι | rubber | via Latin ← AG, originally Egyptian |
haos | хаос | kháos | χάος | chaos | AG; Croatian = kaos |
hartija | хартија | khartí | χαρτί | paper Croatian = papir | |
hiljada | хиљада | khiliás | χιλιάς | [a] thousand (1000) | AG Croatian = tisuća |
hlor | хлор | χλωρός | khlōrós | chlorine | AG; Croatian = klor |
hor | хор | khorós | χορός | chorus, choir | Croatian = kor |
idiot | идиот | idiṓtēs | ἰδιώτης | idiot | via Latin ← AG |
ikona | икона | eikóna | εικόνα | icon | |
ironija | иронија | eírōneía | ειρωνεία | irony | AG |
kada | када | kádos | κάδος | bathtub | via Latin ← AG |
kalem | калем | kálamos | κάλαμος | reel | via Turkish ← Arabic ← AG |
kamin | камин | káminos | κάμινος | hearth, fireplace | via Latin ← AG |
keramika | керамика | keramikós | κεραμικός | ceramics | AG |
kesten | кестен | kástana | κάστανα | chestnut | via Turkish ← AG |
kit | кит | kȇtos | κῆτος | AG | |
klisura | клисура | kleisoúra | κλεισούρα | gorge | Medieval Greek |
komad | комад | kommátion | κομμάτιον | piece, part, parcel, fragment | AG |
kopito | копито | kopto | hoof | ||
kreda | креда | Krḗtē | Κρήτη | chalk, Cretaceous | via Latin ← AG |
krevet | крeвет | kreváti (MG) / krábbatos (AG) | κρεβάτι (MG) / κράββατος (AG) | bed | via Ottoman Turkish ← MG ← AG |
kutija | кутија | koutí | κουτί | box | via Ottoman Turkish ← AG |
livada | ливада | livádi | λιβάδι | meadow | MG |
mana | мана | mánna | μάννα | manna | via Latin ← AG, originally Hebrew |
manastir | манастир | monastḗrion | μοναστήριον | monastery, cloister | via Latin ← AG Croatian = samostan |
melodija | мелодија | melōidía | μελῳδία | melody | via Latin ← AG |
miris | мирис | mýron | μύρον | smell | AG |
mirodija | миродија | myrodiá | μυρωδιά | aromatic spice | MG |
mit | мит | mŷthos | μῦθος | AG | |
muzej | музеј | Μουσεῖον | Mouseîon | museum | via Latin ← AG |
nafta | нафта | náphtha | νάφθα | petroleum, diesel fuel (slang) | via Latin ← AG |
okean | океан | ṓkeanós | ὠκεανός | ocean | via Latin ← AG; Croatian = ocean |
orgazam | оргазам | orgasmós | οργασμός | orgasm | via Latin ← AG |
orgija | оргија | órgia | ὄργια | orgy | AG |
papa | папа | papás | παπάς | Pope | via Latin ← AG |
patos | патос | pátos | πάτος | floor | AG Croatian = pod |
pâtos | па̂тос | páthos | πάθος | pathos | AG |
paranoja | параноја | paránoia | παράνοια | paranoia | via New Latin ← AG |
parastos | парастос | parástasis | παράστασις | dirge | |
pasulj | пасуљ | fasóli (MG) / phásēlos (AG) | φασόλι (MG) / φάσηλος (AG) | bean | via Hungarian ← MG ← AG Croatian = grah |
pauza | пауза | paûsis | παῦσις | pause | via German ← Latin ← AG |
pita | пита | píta | πίτα | pie, pita | via Turkish ← Medieval Greek |
plastika | пластика | plastikós | πλαστικός | plastic | via Latin |
pleroma | плерома | plḗrōma | πλήρωμα | Pleroma | AG |
pop | поп | papás | παπάς | priest | via Proto-Slavic ← Old German German ← AG |
praksa | пракса | prȃksis | πρᾶξις | usage, use, practice, profession | AG |
putir | путир | potḗr | ποτήρ | chalice | AG Croatian = kalež |
sfera | сфера | sphaĩra | σφαῖρα | sphere | AG |
sidro | сидро | sídiros | σίδηρος | anchor | |
sistem | систем | sýstema | σύστημα | system | AG |
skandal | скандал | skándalon | σκάνδαλον | scandal | via German ← Latin ← AG |
stadion | стадион | stádion | στάδιον | stadium, stadion | AG |
subota | субота | sávvaton | σάββατον | Saturday | via Latin ← AG, originally Hebrew |
sulundar | сулундар | sōlēnárion | σωληνάριον | stove-pipe | via Turkish ← MG ← AG |
talas | талас | thálassa | θάλασσα | wind wave | via Turkish ← AG Croatian = val |
talenat | таленат | tálanton | τάλαντον | talent | AG; Croatian = talent |
tehnika | техника | tekhnikós | τεχνικός | technique, technology | AG |
tiganj | тигањ | tigáni | τηγάνι | pan (saucepan) | |
tip | тип | týpos | τύπος | type | AG |