Tattoos and Biblical Greek

A few years ago, a delightful young college student came up to me and asked, “Would you like to see my tattoo?” “Um…OK,” I mumbled, somewhat unsure of where on her body the tattoo might be located. She lifted her long hair so I could see what was engraved on the nape of her neck. … Continue reading Tattoos and Biblical Greek

The Longest Greek Word

What is the longest Greek word ever to appear in written form? Here it is: λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιολιπαρομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοπιφαλλιδοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερυγών. (Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae 1170). This insane—and rather well-known—word is 172 characters long! Kenneth M. De Luca comments about how Aristophanes (ca. 392 B.C.) created this word: “In this scene Blepyrus is offered a meal that is a composite of an … Continue reading The Longest Greek Word