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Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Greeks had a word for it … until now, as language is deluged by English terms

A leading linguist pleads for moderation as a huge outbreak of ‘Greenglish’, much of it Covid-related, spreads * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage Usually, Professor Georgios Babiniotis would take pride in the fact that the Greek word “pandemic” – previously hardly ever uttered – had become the word on everyone’s lips. After all, the term that conjures the scourge of our times offers cast-iron proof of the legacy of Europe’s oldest language. Wholly Greek in derivation – _pan _means all, _demos _means people_ _– its usage shot up by more than 57,000% last year according to _Oxford English Dictionary_ lexicographers. Continue reading...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com