psychikos

Psychikos is a Greek adjective, written as ψυχικός in Greek script, that translates roughly as “of the mind or soul” and is used to mean mental, psychological, or spiritual. In English-language discussions of Greek philosophy and language, it often appears when tracing the roots of mind-related terms or when translating ancient texts that discuss the soul and its faculties.

Etymology and cognates: Psychikos derives from psyche, the Greek word for soul or mind, combined with the suffix -ikos, which forms adjectives. This makes it the ancestral source of English terms such as psychology, psychic, and psychiatric, all of which relate to the mind or soul in various senses.

Classical usage: In ancient Greek literature and philosophy, psychikos described things pertaining to the soul or to mental phenomena, sometimes in contrast with somatic or bodily aspects. The term appears in discussions of the faculties of the soul, emotions, and volition, reflecting a broad concept of internal life rather than merely physical processes.

Modern Greek usage: In contemporary Greek, ψυχικός is commonly used to mean psychological or mental. It appears in phrases such as ψυχική υγεία (mental health) and forms compounds like ψυχιατρικός (psychiatric) and ψυχικοί νοητικές or emotional states, aligning closely with modern concepts of psychology and mental health.

English usage: In English, psychikos is rarely used as a standalone term. The broader family of psych-related words—psychic, psychological, psychology—originates from the same Greek root, but the explicit adjective psychikos is generally encountered mainly in linguistic or philological discussions about Greek terminology. See also psyche; psychology; psychic.