{"id":3043,"date":"2018-10-05T11:22:14","date_gmt":"2018-10-05T11:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/?p=3043"},"modified":"2018-10-05T11:22:14","modified_gmt":"2018-10-05T11:22:14","slug":"greek-heroes-nicknames-and-adjectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/greek-heroes-nicknames-and-adjectives\/","title":{"rendered":"Greek heroes, nicknames and adjectives"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Greek literature and mythology are rich in characters whose predominant traits are linked to their name. Nowadays, we use the names of these heroes as adjectives to describe a person with the same traits. In this post, there is a list of the most common names. The examples are written in colloquial Greek and cannot be literally translated.<\/p>\n

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By Comfreak via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

#1.\u03a8\u03c9\u03c1\u03bf\u03ba\u03ce\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03b1 (Psorokostena):<\/strong> It was is the nickname of Panoraia (\u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c9\u03c1\u03b1\u03af\u03b1), a rich woman who actually lived in Minor Asia. In 1821, after her husband and children were killed by the Turks, she ended up in Nafplion and worked as a washerwoman. Although she was very poor, she spent the little money she earned to protect the orphan children whose fathers had died fighting the Turks. In 1826, there was a fund raising to support the besieged people of Missolonghi. The Greeks were poor and hesitated to offer money. \u03a8\u03c9\u03c1\u03bf\u03ba\u03ce\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03b1 was the first to give her only assets, a ring and a coin, motivating the others to contribute.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the term \u03a8\u03c9\u03c1\u03bf\u03ba\u03ce\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03b1\u00a0 is used to describe Greece as an impoverished country.<\/p>\n

Example: \u038c\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9 \u03bf\u03b9 \u03bd\u03ad\u03bf\u03b9 \u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u03c2 \u03c6\u03b5\u03cd\u03b3\u03bf\u03c5\u03bd \u03b1\u03c6\u03bf\u03cd \u03b4\u03b5\u03bd \u03c5\u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9 \u03bc\u03ad\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03a8\u03c9\u03c1\u03bf\u03ba\u03ce\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03b1. \/ All the young scientists migrate since there is no future in poor Mother Greece.<\/p>\n

#2.\u039a\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03b3\u03ba\u03b9\u03cc\u03b6\u03b7\u03c2 (Karagiozis, Karag\u00f6z in Turkish):<\/strong>\u00a0 The hero of the Turkish and the Greek Shadow Theater. He is seedy, lazy, witty and funny. We use this name to describe a person who plays the fool, or as a derogatory term of address.<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u0393\u03b9\u03b1\u03bd\u03bd\u03ac\u03ba\u03b7 \u03ba\u03ac\u03b8\u03b9\u03c3\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u03b8\u03ad\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03bc\u03ac\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03b3\u03ba\u03b9\u03cc\u03b6\u03b7! \/ Yannaki, sit down and stop playing the fool!<\/li>\n
  2. \u03a4\u03b9 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2, \u03c1\u03b5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03b3\u03ba\u03b9\u03cc\u03b6\u03b7; \u03a0\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ac; \/ What are you doing, you fool? Are you insane?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    #3.\u0392\u03b5\u03bb\u03b7\u03b3\u03ba\u03ad\u03ba\u03b1\u03c2:<\/strong> He is a character of the Shadow Theater. He was the pasha\u2019s adjutant who used to bully and to beat up Karagiozis. He represents the executive power. It is used to describe a rude and hot-tempered man.<\/p>\n

    Example:<\/p>\n

    \u039f \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03bf\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03ca\u03c3\u03c4\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03b7 \u03c6\u03ae\u03bc\u03b7 \u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03b7\u03b3\u03ba\u03ad\u03ba\u03b1. \u03a4\u03c3\u03b1\u03ba\u03ce\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03bf \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03c9\u03c0\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc \u03b5\u03b9\u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac \u03cc\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd \u03b6\u03b7\u03c4\u03ac\u03bd\u03b5 \u03ac\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03b5\u03c2. \u00a0\/ They say about the new chief that he\u2019s a toughie. He constantly argues with the stuff, especially when they ask for a time off.<\/p>\n

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    #4.\u0393\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf-\u039b\u03b1\u03b4\u03ac\u03c2 (gero-Ladas):<\/strong> Old Ladas is a character form Nikos Kazantzakis<\/a>\u2019 novel Christ Recrucified (\u039f \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2 \u03be\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03ce\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9).\u00a0 \u0397e is a wealthy old man who leaves in poverty because he doesn\u2019t want to spend his money. We use it to refer to a stingy person.<\/p>\n

    Example:<\/p>\n

    – \u03a4\u03b1 \u2018\u03bc\u03b1\u03b8\u03b5\u03c2; \u0397 \u03b3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03af\u03ba\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u0393\u03b9\u03ac\u03bd\u03bd\u03b7 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ac\u03c1\u03c1\u03c9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u03ba\u03b9 \u03b5\u03ba\u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b5 \u03c6\u03c9\u03bd\u03ac\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9 \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03cc. \u00ab\u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03af\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03b1\u00bb \u03bb\u03ad\u03b5\u03b9.\u00a0 \/ Did you hear what happened?\u00a0 John\u2019s wife is ill and he didn\u2019t call the doctor. “She\u2019s ok” he says .<\/p>\n

    – \u03a1\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03b7\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03b7 \u03c4\u03b7 \u03b3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03af\u03ba\u03b1… \u0395, \u03b4\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03be\u03ad\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b9 \u03b3\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03bb\u03b1\u03b4\u03ac\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9;\u00a0 \/ Poor woman\u2026 He\u2019s such a penny pincher.<\/p>\n

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    #5.\u0395\u03be\u03b7\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2:<\/strong>\u00a0 this is another name for a stingy person. \u0395\u03be\u03b7\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2 is a comedy written \u03b9\u03bd 1816, by the scholar\u00a0 Konstantinos Economou (\u039a\u03c9\u03bd\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u039f\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03bf\u03c5)<\/em>, a representative of the Neo-Hellenic Enlightment. \u0395\u03be\u03b7\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2, whose name literally means “sixty needles” (\u03b5\u03be\u03ae\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b2\u03b5\u03bb\u03cc\u03bd\u03b5\u03c2)<\/em>, was a rich widow who lived in Smyrna. He deprived his children and servants from the basics needs, even food, in order to increase his assets.<\/p>\n

    Example:<\/p>\n