Chrome: from the word “khrōma“ = “color”. Chrome is related to the chemical element chromium, which is also the name of a second google browser and was named like this because of the colourful compounds it makes.
Utopia: from “ou“ = “not” and “topos” = “place” which make it mean the “nowhere”. The word was coined by Thomas Moore due to him using it as a title of his book that discusses about an imaginary island of legal, social and political perfection.
Dinosaur: the “terrible lizard” from “deinos” = “terrible“ and “saura“ = “lizard“. When Sir Richard Owen named these newly discovered creatures he first imagined the feelings of the people confronted by them. (In reality people did not encounter dinosaurs but that wasn't known then)
Horizon: It comes from “horizon” = “limiting (circle)”, which comes form the verb “horizein” = “bound, limit, divide, separate”, which comes from “horos” = “mountain” (not to be confused with chorus since the h was added when the word latinized).
Chaos: from “khaos” = “abyss, that which gapes wide open, is vast and empty”. Mythologically it was the first created being from which came Gaia (Earth), Tartarus (Underworld), Erebus (Darkness), and Nyx (Night).
Android: from “andro-” = “man” + “-eides” = “form, shape”. Androdes meant “like a man, manly” compared also to “andrias” = “image of a man, statue”. It was popularized from 1950 by science fiction writers.
Technology: ”tekhne” = “art, skill, craft in work, method, system” + “logy” = “a speaking, discourse, treatise, doctrine, theory, science”, which comes from the verb “legein” = "to speak".
Nostalgia: “algos” = ”pain, grief, distress” + “nostos” = “homecoming” which comes from “neomai” = "to reach some place, escape, return, get home". Where this word is stressed most in our schools is when we talk about Odysseus who spent 10 years fighting and another 10 trying to reach Penelope, Telemachus and his people as well as for the ones that become part of the diaspora.
Aeronautics: from “aer” = “air” + “nautikos” = “pertaining to sailing" which comes from “nautis” = “sailor”. This word would be used only for metaphors whilst now it has a literal use. On the same pattern is astronaut and aquanaut.
Strategy: from “strategia” = “generalship” which comes from “strategos” = “general, commander of an army” which comes from “stratos” = “multitude, army, expedition, encamped army” literally meaning “that which is spread out” + “agos” = “leader" which comes from “agein” = “to lead”.
Callisthenics: from “kálos” = “beautiful” + “sthénos” = “psychic strength”. Gymnastics played a basic role in the cultivation of the concept of “kalos kai agathos” of “gentlemanly personal conduct, especially in a military context”. There is also another saying “mind healthy, body healthy” which emphasizes body/mind balance as well. Note: Plato was a wrestler.
Magnet: from “magnes lithos” or the stone “magnes” or “lodestone”. It was mined in large amounts at a place called Magnesia of Ionia, hence the name.
Moron: from “mōrós” = “foolish,dull”. There is an unnecessary word used a lot in modern greek the “re”, especially when we talk to someone. A possible theory for this is that “moré”, moros in the vocative case, evolved into the easier said “re”. Philologists at school told us this as well.
Ocean: from “ōkeanós” = “ocean”. It was the name of the great river or sea surrounding the disk of the Earth, not the Mediterranean. It was personified as Oceanus the titan, son of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth).
Theory: from “theoria” = “contemplation, speculation, a looking at, viewing, a sight, show, spectacle, things looked at” which comes from the verb “theorein” = “to consider, speculate, look at” which comes from “thea” = “a view” + “horan” = “to see”.
Catholic: from “katholikos” = “universal”, from “kata” = “in respect of” + “holos” = “whole”. It was applied to the Church in Rome at 1554, after the Reformation began.
Porn: it is an abbreviation of ‘pornography’ which comes from prostitute or “pornē” = “bought, purchased” + “graphein” = “write”. In the Roman times it was practiced with the grossest license but was tolerated to a considerable extent at all times. Parrhasius, Aristides, Pausanias, Nicophanes, Chaerephanes, Arellius were famous pornographoi.
