grec

Grec is a term used in several Romance languages to denote Greece or Greek things, including people, culture, and language. Its origin lies in the Latin Graecus, which itself comes from the Ancient Greek Graikos, a designation for a Greek tribe. Through Latin, the word spread into modern Romance languages, shaping various cognates that similarly express “Greek” or “the Greeks.”

In French, grec is the masculine singular adjective meaning “Greek” and can also function as a noun, as in un grec (a Greek person). The feminine form is grecque, and the plural forms are grecs (masc.) and grecques (fem.). The word appears in phrases such as civilisation grecque or langue grecque, depending on the context.

In Catalan, grec is used as both an adjective and a noun to refer to Greece or Greek things, with forms that align with Catalan gender and number rules. The exact inflections follow the language’s regular patterns for adjectives and nouns.

In other Romance languages, the direct form grec may not be standard. For example, Spanish uses griego and Portuguese uses grego to express the same idea, while English and other languages often borrow forms from their own linguistic traditions. The common thread across these languages is that grec, where it exists as a word, serves to denote things related to Greece or the Greek people and culture.

Today, grec is chiefly encountered in linguistic, historical, and cultural contexts, helping to name and classify Greek language, literature, and heritage within the respective language communities.