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kind and gentle

Greek (Ancient) translation: êáëüò êáãáèüò, Þðéïò

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:kind and gentle
Greek (Ancient) translation:êáëüò êáãáèüò, Þðéïò
Entered by: Nick Lingris

19:39 Jul 26, 2005
English to Greek (Ancient) translations [Non-PRO]
Other / housewife
English term or phrase: kind and gentle
translate into Ancient Greek please. Or if there is a name that means kind & gentle that will do nicely as well. I am looking for a name for my new horse, and the best way to describe him is Kind & Gentle, so I want his name to reflect that.
Sonja
êáëüò êáãáèüò, Þðéïò
Explanation:
[From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalos_Kagathos]
Kalos kagathos (êáëüò êáãáèüò) is the combination of two words; “kalos” and “agathos”. “To kalon” (ôü êáëüí) is “The Beautiful”. It was an ideal that Homeric Greek culture strove to obtain. (1)

“Agathos” “corresponds to the noun are'te, though it derives from a different root, came to imply the combination of nobility and valour in war. It meant sometimes ‘noble’ and sometimes ‘brave’ or ‘capable’; but it seldom meant ‘good’ in the later sense, any more that are'te meant ‘moral virtue.” (2)

Both words have a military connotation.

Kalos kagathos is the counterpart of the word “Gentleman”. Both are terms that describe the knights of those eras.

“In Homer, (as it was in Christian England of the Magna Carta to Victorian England) the real mark of the nobleman is his sense of duty. He is judged, and is proud to be judged, by a severe standard.” (3)

The Kalokagathos is ”the chivalrous ideal of the complete human personality, harmonious in mind and body, foursquare in battle and speech, song and action”. (4) They were truly the “beautiful people”. They were virtuous, manly, chivalrous, well-mannered and well-educated. These men were “always ready to sacrifice himself for his friends or his country, to abandon possessions and honors in order to “take possession of the beautiful”. (5)................
[End of Wikipedia entry]

The ancient kalos kagathos is pronounced ka'los kaga'thos [accents before the stressed syllable].
In modern Greek we have the single word kalo'kagathos, used for a kind and gentle person.

However, my suggestion is that you call you horse Þðéïò (pronounced 'eepios).
It means gentle, mild, kind. It is still used in modern Greek for a person with a gentle character or for mild weather.
Now the fun part is that Þðéïò is pronounced as Greeks today would pronounce the ancient Greek adjective ßððåéïò (which ancient Greeks would have pronounced with an aspirant sound in front).
ßððåéïò is no longer used in modern Greek but its meaning is obvious. It means 'of a horse'. It was used by Homer and Sophocles.
Anglosaxons are familiar with the word ßððïò (hippos), i.e. horse, from hippo in front of words such as hippodrome, hippopotamus, or even Hippocratic.
So you will have a story to tell your friends.
Selected response from:

Nick Lingris
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:01
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3êáëüò êáãáèüò, Þðéïò
Nick Lingris


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
êáëüò êáãáèüò, Þðéïò


Explanation:
[From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalos_Kagathos]
Kalos kagathos (êáëüò êáãáèüò) is the combination of two words; “kalos” and “agathos”. “To kalon” (ôü êáëüí) is “The Beautiful”. It was an ideal that Homeric Greek culture strove to obtain. (1)

“Agathos” “corresponds to the noun are'te, though it derives from a different root, came to imply the combination of nobility and valour in war. It meant sometimes ‘noble’ and sometimes ‘brave’ or ‘capable’; but it seldom meant ‘good’ in the later sense, any more that are'te meant ‘moral virtue.” (2)

Both words have a military connotation.

Kalos kagathos is the counterpart of the word “Gentleman”. Both are terms that describe the knights of those eras.

“In Homer, (as it was in Christian England of the Magna Carta to Victorian England) the real mark of the nobleman is his sense of duty. He is judged, and is proud to be judged, by a severe standard.” (3)

The Kalokagathos is ”the chivalrous ideal of the complete human personality, harmonious in mind and body, foursquare in battle and speech, song and action”. (4) They were truly the “beautiful people”. They were virtuous, manly, chivalrous, well-mannered and well-educated. These men were “always ready to sacrifice himself for his friends or his country, to abandon possessions and honors in order to “take possession of the beautiful”. (5)................
[End of Wikipedia entry]

The ancient kalos kagathos is pronounced ka'los kaga'thos [accents before the stressed syllable].
In modern Greek we have the single word kalo'kagathos, used for a kind and gentle person.

However, my suggestion is that you call you horse Þðéïò (pronounced 'eepios).
It means gentle, mild, kind. It is still used in modern Greek for a person with a gentle character or for mild weather.
Now the fun part is that Þðéïò is pronounced as Greeks today would pronounce the ancient Greek adjective ßððåéïò (which ancient Greeks would have pronounced with an aspirant sound in front).
ßððåéïò is no longer used in modern Greek but its meaning is obvious. It means 'of a horse'. It was used by Homer and Sophocles.
Anglosaxons are familiar with the word ßððïò (hippos), i.e. horse, from hippo in front of words such as hippodrome, hippopotamus, or even Hippocratic.
So you will have a story to tell your friends.


Nick Lingris
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Will Matter
22 mins
  -> :-}
agree  kaydee: Þðéïò - fits better than êáëüò êáãáèüò, and the play with ßððåéïò is lovely: ßððïò Þðéïò, then, a kind and gentle horse // yes, I do remember you promised to be away for a while; the final touch. - Have a lovely holiday...
26 mins
  -> Packing to leave on a short holiday and I wasn't going to submit an answer, but I just couldn't resist this :-} // Thanks. Going to a place where, thankfully, they haven't got an Internet connection.
agree  Alfa Trans (X): Kales diakopes!
2 days 9 hrs
  -> Thanks, Marju. Just back. Your wish has worked. I reciprocate with all my heart.
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