Everyday LifeGreek → English
Marathon
/ˈmærəθɒn/
A long-distance foot race, or any long endurance effort.
The Greek roots
Μαραθών
Marathṓn
the plain of Marathon
Literally: “of Marathon”
Follow a root:Μαραθών2 words
The story of the word
A messenger is said to have run from the plain of Marathon to Athens to announce victory. The place-name became the word for the race.
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
In a sentence
Training for a marathon took the better part of a year.