αιτία
Wordform Details
Translation: causereasonmotive
Part of Speech: noun
Inflection Type:
femininesingularnominativeIs Dictionary Form: Yes
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: αιτία
Translation: cause; reason; motive; fault; blame (noun)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek αἰτία (aitía), meaning 'cause, responsibility, blame'. The word has Indo-European roots related to concepts of giving and taking. It's connected to English words like 'etiology' (the study of causes) in medical terminology.
Example Usage
Ποια είναι η αιτία του προβλήματος;
What is the cause of the problem?
Δεν υπάρχει αιτία ανησυχίας.
There is no reason for concern.
Η αιτία του ατυχήματος ήταν η υπερβολική ταχύτητα.
The cause of the accident was excessive speed.
Εξ αιτίας της βροχής, η εκδήλωση αναβλήθηκε.
Due to the rain, the event was postponed.
Για ποια αιτία έφυγε;
For what reason did he leave?
Mnemonics
- Think of 'etiology' in English (the study of causes) to remember αιτία means 'cause'
- Associate with 'aitia' sounding like 'I-TEE-a' - 'I take the blame'
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Frequently used in philosophical, legal, and everyday contexts. The concept of 'αιτία' is important in Greek thinking about causality and responsibility.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'αιτία' means 'cause' or 'reason', 'αίτηση' means 'application' or 'request'
Notes: Both words share the same root related to 'asking' or 'seeking', but have evolved to have distinct meanings in modern Greek.
Mnemonic: 'Αιτία' (cause) explains why something happened; 'αίτηση' (application) is what you submit to make something happen.
Explanation: 'Αιτία' means 'cause' while 'αιτιατική' is the grammatical term for the 'accusative case'
Confused word:
Στην αιτιατική πτώση, το άρθρο 'το' παραμένει το ίδιο.
In the accusative case, the article 'το' remains the same.
Notes: Both terms share etymological roots but belong to different domains - 'αιτία' to general vocabulary and 'αιτιατική' to grammatical terminology.
Mnemonic: 'Αιτία' deals with real-world causes; 'αιτιατική' is a grammatical term for the case that often marks the object receiving an action.