Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 6:46pm

Reblog: The Greek Words for Good and Bad

Over at Aliens In this World, SuburbanBanshee has a lovely post on classical Greek.

I found this part fascinating:

We also have the word “makrothymia,” which doesn’t mean “longsuffering” or “patience” the way we use it, even though that’s how it’s translated this week. “Thymia” is passion, temper, spiritedness, the way a bold warrior acts. It comes from “thymos,” which also means spiritedness, and usually a sort of righteous anger. “Makrothymia” is the quality of biding a long time before deploying the thymia and making havoc. “Slow to anger” is more to the point than “longsuffering.” In the Septuagint, Isaiah 57:15 has God promising to give makrothymia to the lowly of soul/mind (“oligopsychois”), where the Hebrew promises to “revive” the spirit of those with a humble spirit. So having makrothymia is a dynamic quality, promising action.

Go read the rest, please.

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Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Sunday, February 21, AD 2021 7:56pm

Good post, Foxfier. Thank you! My commentary is too long winded to post here:

https://www.facebook.com/paul.primavera/posts/4308385439175630

Ezabelle
Ezabelle
Sunday, February 21, AD 2021 8:10pm

This is very cool. “Long suffering” implies a powerlessness but “slow to anger” implies a sense of control to act at the right time with passion for what is right when it counts. I wish we adopted the Greek word “Makrothymia” into our English vocabulary. One simple word with such loaded meaning.

CAM
CAM
Monday, February 22, AD 2021 12:18am

From the link: There are some other Greek words for good and bad, but “agathos” comes up in today’s second reading at Mass in the OF, 1 Peter 3:18-22. We’re not actually asking God for a “clear” or “clean” conscience, but for a good, righteous conscience that bugs us and keeps us out of trouble.” It seems to me that a well formed conscience is the greatest gift parents can give a child.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Monday, February 22, AD 2021 5:07am

Cam is rite. That’s the point of my post on FB & MeWe.

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