# Greek Translation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636 "2020-06-14T00:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/1 "2020-06-14T00:15:09Z")
Can anyone translate what this means? My daughter was on a walk and this was on a sidewalk–in Colorado Springs, CO: Αεηιουω Ιηουεαω. Google translate doesn’t do any good. There was also a longer quote(?) but I want to find out if this is gibberish before taking the time to type it in ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/2 "2020-06-14T02:01:42Z")
Αεηιουω is just the 7 vowels of the Greek alphabet in alphabetical order. There appears to be some mystical associations with them in certain quarters: [https://www.magicpureandsimple.com/2019/01/06/ancient-greek-call-to-quarters/](https://www.magicpureandsimple.com/2019/01/06/ancient-greek-call-to-quarters/) IOW, I vote for near gibberish. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2020, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/3 "2020-06-14T13:10:51Z")
And the second word is the same seven vowels, in a different order (I suppose there might be some significance to the order, but I have no idea what it’d be). My first thought is that it’s meant as a letter-substitution cypher, such that α is transformed to ι, ε to η, and so on. But it wouldn’t be a very useful cypher that transformed only the vowels, because the consonants would leave the cryptotext pretty close to readable. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/4 "2020-06-15T01:57:32Z")
Interesting that a Google search finds only this thread itself, but a DuckDuckGo search finds a different hit (only one!) and not this thread. [This old Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/codes/comments/ckeg0y/found_these_words_on_a_long_sidewalk_next_to_old/) seems to ask about a longer Greek quote that contains these same “words”: > [@](#): > > Ιηουεαω Αβρασαξ Αεηιουω > Ιζη Ζωζω Ζεζωζω > Αβρασαξ A helpful Reddit moderation-bot thought it broke some rule (but didn’t say what) and deleted it. But not before one possible answer came in: > [@](#): > > They’re Greek letters: > > > [@](#): > > > > Ιηουεαω Αβρασαξ Αεηιουω > > Ιζη Ζωζω Ζεζωζω > > Αβρασαξ > > The first & third words are made of all the vowels, in different orders. I reckon the second word is referring to [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas). The second line means “I live I live I live”, according to Google Translate, but I’m not sure I trust that translation. The cited link goes to a Wikipedia page on Abraxas, the second word in the above Greek quote, which give a very vague and indefinite meaning, apparently some mystical Gnostic thing. A second reply, apparently by the same respondent, says: > [@](#): > > I don’t think there’s anything to translate. I think they’re just mystical sounding nonsense words (apart from Abrasax, which as the Wikipedia page I linked earlier explains is from Gnostic texts - so, still a mystical sounding nonsense word, I guess). > Transcribed into English letters, they read “I-ee-ou-eh-a-oh Abrasax A-eh-ee-i-ou-oh Izee Zoh-zoh Ze-zoh-zoh Abrasax”. ---
**Author:** ![sophia108](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sophia108/32/7558_2.png) [@sophia108](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sophia108)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/5 "2021-04-14T18:25:42Z")
We found the same writing on a trail in Colorado Springs(also while walking with our daughter!)! This writing was found in two places on Rock Island Trail. We’ve walked this trail for YEARS and never noticed this writing before. Where did you see it and have you seen it since? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2021, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/6 "2021-12-03T21:09:44Z")
Bumped. How about the motto across the bottom of this first, triangular Miskatonic U. pin? > **[Lovecraftian Lapel Pins](https://store.hplhs.org/collections/apparel/products/miskatonic-varsity-pins)** > > Pins are in and we've got a bunch to let you share your love of Lovecraft. Designed originally to decorate our Miskatonic Varsity Hoodie, our collection of pins celebrate the many accomplishments of Miskatonic students, the joys of horror role... ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/7 "2021-12-03T21:37:53Z")
That’s not a motto of mystical Greek hocus-pocus. ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ is literally the modern Greek word for ARCHEOLOGY. Notice that some of the other pins are list other academic fields of study or extracurricular activities. Any modern computer with online translation ability would have translated that, once you activated a Greek alphabet keyboard. TBH, ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ Club sounds fun. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/8 "2021-12-06T17:17:00Z")
Ah, good - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/9 "2021-12-06T22:27:48Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > TBH, ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ Club sounds fun. What does Tau Beta Eta stand for? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/10 "2021-12-06T22:50:24Z")
Mystical Greek hocus-pocus. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-translation/855636/11 "2021-12-07T00:16:20Z")
Greek hocus-pocus would be “αυτό είναι ένα σώμα”.