# demes



## eshcar

hi everybody,

I ran across the word 'demes', and I was hoping you could help me translate it into english. I kinda know what it means - babylon defines it as 'a political division in ancient or modern Greece', but I'm looking for something a little more succinct.

Thanks a lot


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## balgior

Hello eshcar! 

It's already in English! 

"Deme" (δήμος) would be compared to "municipality" in modern terms (this is the word we use for "municipality" today). However, I believe it is inaccurate to translate an ancient "deme" as "municipality".

Hope this helps!


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## eshcar

hi balgior!

first of all, thanks a lot. Actually, I needed to translate 'deme' into hebrew, but thinking that probably most greek speakers wouldn't know hebrew, I hoped for an english equivalent that I could then translate into hebrew. 
Since you're saying that 'demes' is actually the term you'd use in english, and you don't think there's a substitue, I guess I'll just have to think of something else... (In hebrew you really can't use 'deme')

Thanks anway


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## ireney

Well, maybe you can ask in the Hebrew forum for either "deme" or "demos" if, that is, non exist in dictionaries. If these things can help we'll see what we can do


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## eshcar

Already done, my friend.. 
But I don't really have high hopes of the hebrew forum - the way I see it, it's really a greek word, so my best chance is that a greek speaker will come up with some sort of rough equivalent I could work with. See, I already checked the dictionary and saw that you _can_ sometimes just use 'deme' in hebrew, but I'm working with a commercial text, and there's no way I'm gonna stick 'deme' in there, because no one would understand it. 
Hoping you'll have some ideas for me...
thanks


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## ireney

Hmmm, how about giving us the context in which it is used? And, as an extra suggestion, have you asked (context included) in the English forum? You see, apart from "municipality", I can only think of "borough" although both these refer to administrative divisions


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## eshcar

well, it's part of a tour in athens - during the tour you visit all sorts of historical sites like the parthenon, the acropolis and some ruins. The word 'demes' appears only once, in the name of the tour, which is called 'hills and demes'. 

I'll try in the english forum as well - thanks for the advice


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