6 AUGUST 1910, Page 27

Modern Greek-English Dictionary. By A. Kyriakides. (Anesti Constantinides, Athens.)—This is

a second edition, revised throughout, of a work which first appeared some twelve years ago. It contains, we have calculated, some forty thousand words, and, apart from its utility as a complete vocabulary of modern Greek—augmented by the addition of a Cypriote vocabulary—much will be found in it to attract the scholar. It would not be easy to say whether the differences from classical Greek or the resem- blances to it are the more interesting. IC,:taro) may be taken as an instance. In its epic use the word means to work, with an emphasis, perhaps, on the toil, but with no suggestion of suffering Liddell and Scott quote a modern Greek phrase to show that this was the original meaning; certainly it has now returned. IL:tares pr-yAny icryacriar =-- "he does a large business." The idea of weariness and suffering, frequent in Herodotus, the tragedians, and elsewhere, seems to have disappeared altogether. Some of the differences are doubtless due to changed circumstances. Words may have existed in the old language, but did not find their way into literature. So we have eaftearos in old Greek for " rmslaked lime" with two derivatives only ; here it has ten or twelve. It is worth noting that the old jest about the stupidity of the natives of Abdera has kept its place and has two derivatives ; 11887;pirards (silly) and 0311pr:wails (silliness). Sometimes the modern Greek is very quaint. So 5.97aAros is used of "a tooth not yet cut" and "a girl who has not come out."