Φιλῶ: A four letter word worth repeating.
Ancient Greek Word of the Week: Love and Friend
Dear Classical Wisdom Kids,
Love is in the air! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, pictures of hearts, candies, and flying babies abound... yay!
But did you know that Valentine’s day has ancient roots? The historical Saint Valentine was a figure of the Classical world. He lived under the Roman Empire as a Christian clergyman. While much of his life remains a bit of a mystery, it is believed he secretly married Christian couples during the Roman times, before Christianity was an accepted religion.
Of course the concept of love -and friendship- go even further back! There are many ancient Greek myths dedicated to love (including the goddess of love, Aphrodite and her baby cupid)... as well a very famous philosophical play written by Plato which is ALL about love and friendship.
It was so important to the ancient Greeks that they had almost 30 different words to describe different types of love.
The most important word for love and friendship, however, was Φιλῶ: A four letter word that is certainly worth repeating!
So let’s celebrate the idea of love with the ancient Greek word for love... below.
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
Classical Wisdom Kids
Φιλῶ: A four letter word worth repeating.
By Eugenia Manolidou, Elliniki Agogi
In the vast cosmos of the Greek language, there's this tiny but super ancient word, «Φιλῶ» (philó), that is all about love and friendship. It is not just about romantic love; it also covers the whole vibe of “philía” which embraces the idea of friendship and togetherness.
This little word, «φιλῶ» is the root of dozens of other words related to feelings, friendship, wisdom, language, knowledge, and so much more! Let’s explore a few...
Philosophy (φιλοσοφία pron. philosophía) is a combination of "philó" (to love) and "sophía" (wisdom). It's basically the art of mixing the love for wisdom with the love for knowledge... and of course a Philosopher is someone who loves wisdom!
Almost every philosopher is also into philanthropy. That's another word from φιλῶ and ἄνθρωπος (ánthropos: human). Philanthropists are like superheroes of humanity because they love humans. Philanthropy is a big deal in building civilizations.
Ever heard of philharmonic? It’s like a party where different instruments come together in harmony, making beautiful music. Then you have logophiles (lógos + philó) who just really enjoy words, and philologists (philó + lógos) who dive deep into the language and its evolution.
So, next time you see a word with philó in it, remember that it is a love word. From Philadelphia (the love of brothers), to Philip (the love of horses) and from philomathy (the love for knowledge) to technophiles (the love for technology), these “philo-words” are like signals of shared love and wisdom which break down language and cultural barriers.
They connect people from different times and places, making φιλῶ a four-letter word worth mentioning, repeating and loving.
Questions:
Can you write the word φιλῶ in Greek? Print out this traceable PDF to practice:
How do you think it is pronounced?
Activities
Build “Philowords”:
Make a list of the philo-words mentioned in the article and create a colorful word chart or poster, illustrating the meaning of each word.
Create your own "philowords" by combining «Φιλῶ» with other root words or concepts... What are some of the things/people/places that you love?
For Teachers:
Designate a “classroom philosopher” each week, where students take turns sharing their thoughts on a chosen topic. Let them express their ideas or listen to their classmates, fostering a sense of philosophical discussion.
Φιλό-πτωχος, Φιλο-θέη, Φιλο-πάππου, Φιλό-ξενος, Φιλό-τιμος ♥️♥️♥️