History Main / GratuitousGreek

%% * Joked about in ''Anime/SonicX'' '''Eggman:''' ''"As far as their names go, it's all Greek to me!"''

[[folder: Ιαπωνικα κινουμενα σχεδια (Anime)]]

[[folder: Βιντεοπαιχνιδια (Video games)]]

[[folder: Επιτραπεζια Παιχνιδια (Tabletop Games)]]

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

[[folder: Μουσικη (Music)]]

[[folder: Τηλεοπτικες σειρες (Live-action TV)]]

[[folder: Λογοτεχνια (Literature)]]

[[folder: Κομικς (Comics)]]

[[folder: Διαδικτυακα κομικς (Webcomics)]]

[[folder: Διαδικτυακης προελευσης (Web originals)]]

[[folder: Ταινιες (Film)]]

[[folder: Πραγματικη ζωη (Real life)]]

** Which is the origin of terms of like "Alpha Male" and the tropes like AlphaBitch

Also see GratuitousLatin, XtremeKoolLetterz and TheBackwardsR. Often part of a MadLibThrillerTitle.

* The most powerful spells - including one literally named "[[KillItWithIce Kosmike]] [[LiterallyShatteredLives Katastrophe]]" (Κοσμική Καταστροφή) - in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' all have incantations in High Ancient, the series' term for Ancient Greek. The {{Omake}} features entire pages listing out incantations written in Greek and explaining the terminology (and occasionally, [[FunctionalMagic the physics behind the magic]]). [[DoingItForTheArt Not for nothing]] does Creator/KenAkamatsu take frequent research breaks.

* Oddly, McNinja Chipp Zanuff of VideoGame/GuiltyGear has four moves that are this: Alpha Blade, Beta Blade, Gamma Blade, and Delta End.

* VideoGame/{{Maplestory}} features Greek in an unusual way, trying to pass it off as an ancient language that is still used on occasion, mainly for town name signs. Some of the letters were slightly altered, however. Possibly justifiable that this fantasy culture planet would use any Earth languages, as there have been many in-universe crossovers between their planet and Earth throughout history.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''

** The Tau of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' are named for a Greek letter and use Greek letters in names of attack teams (well, in [[VideoGame/DawnOfWar Dark Crusade]]: Sigma, Theta...)

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* Comes somewhat unexpected in the nonfiction computer science book "AIQ": the foreword rants about the usual nonfiction cliche of every math formula halving the sales and every Greek letter decimating it, or whatnot. Cue ExecutiveMeddling bluntly defied: "Whatever it[[note]]the editor begging to cut the math down[[/note]] was, we said no [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar δαμνεδ]] way."

* Helalyn Flowers' fifth and sixth albums are titled ''Nyctophilia''("love of night") and ''Airesis''(the root of "heresy"), respectively.

[[folder: Δυτικα κινουμενα σχεδια (Western animation)]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheZetaProject''
[[/folder]]

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' series has an interesting use of this. The series centers on a certain kind of weapon called "Keyblade", which is simply the English words key + blade, i.e. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a blade shaped and has a function like a key]]. However, ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' reveals that the swords are merely recreations of the one and only "χ-Blade", which is pronounced the same as the former but with the Greek letter χ-"khi" substituting "key". Indeed, one of the protagonists, Ventus, actually [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this when he doesn't realize that what the villain says about "[[ItIsPronouncedTroPay kee-blaed]]" isn't quite what he thinks it is. Seeing that the Greek language has a significantly longer history than English, it's probably meant to symbolize that it's very old and very, ''very'' powerful compared to ordinary keyblades.
** That's well and all but X is pronounced 'h' or stand-alone as 'he' like in 'he-man' so if it turns out that it was a man-blade after all, don't say I didn't warn you.
** Those following history might notice that the χ-"khi" is exactly the same as that one Greek initial whose transcription caused controversy a couple years ago: the "X-Mas" A.K.A. "Taking the Christ away from Christmas."[[note]]A bit more explanation: the "khi" was historically used by early Christians who feared the persecution of then-pagan Roman emperors. To prevent them knowing that they wrote "Christus", they used X (the majuscule of χ), which stood for "Ch" of "Christus" perfectly well.[[/note]]

-->-- '''{{God}}''', [[Literature/BookOfRevelation Revelation 1:18]] ([[BookEnds and Revelation 22:3]]), ''Literature/TheBible''

** Speaking of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', the unofficial motto of Unseen University is "Eta Beta Pi".

More rarely, actual Greek quotations may appear. Names drawn from Myth/ClassicalMythology are rather more common, as are biblical/philosophical words such as "logos", "theos" and "agape", as well as Gnostic terms like "sophia" and "archon" in the more {{postmodernis|m}}t series. Note, however, that it almost never matches its [[GratuitousLatin Latin counterpart]] in prominence. This is due to the fact that, while an average speaker of English might recognize quite a number of Greek words,[[note]]And ''only'' provided that those are written in the Latin alphabet rather than Greek original, which, aside from some of the letters used in intermediate mathematics, is absolutely alien to almost every non-Greek-speaking person in the West (although those familiar with the Cyryllic script will most definitely have an easier time figuring out the correct pronunciation).[[/note]] chances are they would be unable to decipher the meaning of an actual sentence, something quite common when dealing with Latin, even with no prior background in that language. Greek might be part of the Indo-European language family, much like Latin, but it happens to be classified in a rather isolated subgroup. Let's just say, had it not been for Ancient Greece's powerful influence on European history, modern Greek would appear just as strange as, say, Albanian (which also forms part of the Indo-European language group).

* The Murakumo series of {{Robot Girl}}s in ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' are named, Lambda-11, Mu-12 and Nu-13.

-->-- '''{{God}}''', [[Literature/BookOfRevelation Revelation 1:18]] ([[RepeatedForEmphasis and Revelation 22:3]]), ''Literature/TheBible''

* Greek letters are often part of a MadLibThrillerTitle, as lampshaded in the Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''Discworld/TheLastContinent''.

-->-- '''{{God}}''', ''Literature/TheBible''

* The E-series robots from the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series (well, numbers 100 to 123 anyway), the most famous being [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure E-102 Gamma]] and [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes E-123 Omega]]. (E-100 Alpha is called ZERO in the games, but is known as Alpha by WordOfGod.)
** Joked about in the anime adaptation ''Anime/SonicX'' '''Eggman:''' ''"As far as their names go, it's all Greek to me!"''
** [[VideoGame/SonicBattle E-121]] is named Phi, even though 121 should be Chi and 120 should be Phi.

* The "555" in ''[[Series/KamenRiderFaiz Kamen Rider 555]]'' is [[WordOfGod officially translated]] as "Φ's" ("Phi's" or "Faiz"), and the letter Phi is the motif of the lead character Kamen Rider Faiz. The series' theme song is titled "Justiφ's" (Justiphi's, Justifaiz, Justifies). The other Kamen Riders in the series are Kaixa (Χ Chi) and Delta (Δ). The series' {{Mooks}} called Riotroopers are even given the Omicron (Ο) as a symbolic Greek letter, despite it not thematically part of the name. All of the Greek letters are motifs for the characters' armors and arsenals. The masks/visors all resemble the letter (yes, the Riotroopers' visor consists solely of a giant featureless circle).
** The Kamen Riders in the NonSerialMovie ''Paradise Lost'' are Psyga (Ψ Psi) and Orga (Ω Omega).

* The E-series robots from the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series (well, numbers 100 to 123 anyway), the most famous being [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure E-102 Gamma]] and [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes E-123 Omega]]. (E-100 Alpha is called ZERO in the games, but is known as Alpha by WordOfGod.)

* Music/DeathspellOmega’s song title “Apokatastasis pantôn” (Ἀποκατάστᾰσις πάντων) is Greek for “Recreation of everything”. “Hétoïmasia” (Ἑτοιμασία) means “Preparation”. “Epiklesis” (Επίκλησης) means “Invocation”. A couple of EP/album titles are based on Greek terms: ''Kénôse'' is derived from ''Κένωσης'' (''Kénosis''), meaning “emptying”; and ''Paracletus'' is derived from ''Παράκλητος'' (''Paraklitos''), meaning “comforter” or “advocate”. And of course, the band’s name is itself an example. As is par for the course with this band, all of their uses of Greek have religious implications; detailed information can be found on their page.

* Music/DeathspellOmega’s song title “Apokatastasis pantôn” is Greek for “Recreation of everything”. And of course, the band’s name is itself an example.