Everyday LifeGreek → English
Gregory
/ˈɡrɛɡəri/proper noun
A male given name, carried by sixteen popes.
The Greek roots
γρηγορεῖν
grēgoreîn
to be awake, to watch
Literally: “watchful”
Follow a root:γρηγορεῖν1 word
The story of the word
Early monastic communities liked names taken from scripture, and the repeated command to stay awake and keep watch made Γρηγόριος a favourite. Gregory the Great sent the mission that converted the English; Gregory XIII imposed in 1582 the calendar most of the world now runs on. Modern Greek still uses γρήγορος, though the sense has drifted from watchful to quick.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Late Latin → English
In a sentence
Gregory kept the night watch on the boat and slept through the mornings.