# Classical greek "Nerd, Geek"



## textor

Dear colleagues,
I am looking for classical greek translation for nouns Nerd, Geek.
I checked perseus but wasn't able to find anything.

Thank you for your time and concern.


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## dmtrs

I'm not sure the ancients had the exact concept of a nerd/geek.
The only word I can think of is 'σχολαστικός', a word with many meanings, one of them (I think) close to what nerd/geek implies.
It is interesting (and relevant?) that a 'σχολαστικός' was the protagonist of many ancient Greek jokes.

Check out:
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,  A Greek-English Lexicon, σχολασ-τικός
(see _pedant _meaning)


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## sotos

Σπασίκλας


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## dmtrs

sotos said:


> Σπασίκλας



Quite right, but in *modern *Greek again.
Also φυτό, φύτουλας, σπασικλάκι (κόρακας also, I think, in northern Greece)...


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## textor

ἐπαινῶ.  
BTW Δημήτριος, I only know _ἐπαινῶ_ and _ἐπαινῶ τὸ δόν_*;  *how would you formulate in classical greek "Thank you for your help".


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## dmtrs

textor said:


> how would you formulate in classical greek "Thank you for your help".



Tough one -as all every day phrases, I guess.
(You cannot imagine how tough it is for a foreigner, after years and years of studying English and reading literature, to get rid of some beer when in a British pub without being rude or ridiculous... )
(Yes, now I know...)

A way of thanking someone would be "Χάριν σοι ἔχω" (= I owe you gratitude).
"For your help" would be, I think, "ἐπὶ τῆ [σῆ] βοηθείᾳ" (or some synonym like "ἐπὶ τῆ [σῆ] ἀρωγῇ").
But the use of a participle might be preferable, something like "Χάριν ἔχω σοι βοηθήσαντι" [or _βοηθήσαντί μοι_] (or any participle of a similar verb).

I sometimes envy you British people; you can say "cheers, mate" and mean anything from _thanks _to _you're welcome_ to _sorry _to _bye _to _hello _or whatever...


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## textor

dmtrs said:


> But the use of a participle might be preferable, something like "Χάριν ἔχω σοι βοηθήσαντι" [or _βοηθήσαντί μοι_] (or any participle of a similar verb).


Duly noted. I Thank you, sotos , Acestor and all colleagues here for helping me out with matters pertaining to classical greek.



dmtrs said:


> I sometimes envy you British people; you can say "cheers, mate" and mean anything from _thanks _to _you're welcome_ to _sorry _to _bye _to _hello _or whatever...


True, but there is only small number of such expressions and the price one has to pay is context awareness. Linguistic ambiguity per se is rarely an advantage (at least in my opinion)


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## Perseas

Another word that crossed my mind is "αναγνώστης", "anagnostis", (= "reader"). It was the nickname, which acquired Aristotle in Plato's academy, because he read a lot. I know "anagnostis" isn't "nerd" or "geek", but maybe it is related somehow.


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## dmtrs

textor said:


> Linguistic ambiguity per se is rarely an advantage



It is if you live in 1984 and you're the Big Brother himself... Orwell's Newspeak is an ingenious concept. 
(I was just kidding about _cheers_. I totally agree with you.)




Perseas said:


> I know "anagnostis" isn't "nerd" or "geek", but maybe it is related somehow.



Good thought, Perseas. Even if the word wasn't used widely, Plato _did _bully Aristotle by that. Therefore it can definitely be considered a cultural equivalent.


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