Greece Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Name == {{Main|Name of Greece}} The native name of the country in Modern Greek is {{lang|el|Ελλάδα}} (''{{transliteration|el|ISO|{{Audio|Ellada.ogg|Elláda|help=no}}}}'', pronounced {{IPA-el|eˈlaða|}}). The corresponding form in Ancient Greek and conservative formal Modern Greek ([[Katharevousa]]) is {{lang|el|Ἑλλάς}} ({{Lang|grc-Latn|Hellas}}, classical: {{IPA-grc|hel.lás|}}, modern: {{IPA-el|eˈlas|}}). This is the source of the English alternative name ''Hellas'', which is mostly found in archaic or poetic contexts today. The Greek adjectival form {{lang|el|ελληνικός}} ({{Lang|el-Latn|ellinikos}}, {{IPA-el|eliniˈkos|}}) is sometimes also translated as ''Hellenic'' and is often rendered in this way in the formal names of Greek institutions, as in the official name of the Greek state, the ''Hellenic Republic'' ({{lang|el|Ελληνική Δημοκρατία}}, {{IPA-el|eliniˈci ðimokraˈti.a|}}).<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=Government and Politics|url=https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/about-greece/government-and-politics/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227041444/https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/about-greece/government-and-politics/|archive-date=27 December 2019|access-date=28 April 2020|website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}</ref> The English names ''Greece'' and ''Greek'' are derived, via the Latin ''{{lang|la|Graecia}}'' and ''{{lang|la|Graecus}}'', from the name of the [[Graecians|Graeci]] ({{lang|grc|Γραικοί}}, {{Lang|grc-Latn|Graikoí}}; <small>singular</small> {{lang|grc|Γραικός}}, {{Lang|grc-Latn|Graikós}}), who were among the first [[List of ancient Greek tribes|ancient Greek tribes]] to settle [[Magna Graecia]] in [[southern Italy]]. The term is possibly derived from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] root ''[[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ǵerh₂-|{{PIE|*ǵerh₂-}}]]'', "to grow old",<ref>{{cite book |last=Starostin |first=Sergei |year=1998 |url=http://starling.rinet.ru/main.html |title=The Tower of Babel: An Etymological Database Project}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Watkins |first=Calvert |year=2000 |title=The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |location=Boston, New York |isbn=0618082506}}</ref> more specifically from [[Graea]] (ancient city), said by [[Aristotle]] to be the oldest in Greece, and the source of colonists for the [[Naples]] area.<ref>Aristotle, ''[[Meteorologica]]'' I.xiv</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page