Learn Greek › C1 › μοτίβο
μοτίβο
motif, pattern /moˈtivo/
nounC1#3487 most common
Also: design, recurring theme
Example sentences
Το μοτίβο είναι όμορφο.
The pattern is beautiful.
Το φόρεμα έχει ένα μοτίβο με λουλούδια.
The dress has a floral pattern.
Μου αρέσουν τα μοτίβα σε αυτό το χαλί.
I like the patterns on this rug.
Ο καλλιτέχνης επαναλαμβάνει το ίδιο μοτίβο σε όλους τους πίνακές του.
The artist repeats the same motif in all his paintings.
Η μελωδία βασίζεται σε ένα μοτίβο τεσσάρων νότων που επαναλαμβάνεται σε όλη τη συμφωνία.
The melody is based on a four-note motif that repeats throughout the symphony.
Ο ιστορικός εντόπισε ένα επαναλαμβανόμενο μοτίβο στη ρητορική των πολιτικών ηγετών της εποχής.
The historian identified a recurring motif in the rhetoric of political leaders of the era.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | το μοτίβο | τα μοτίβα |
| Genitive | του μοτίβου | των μοτίβων |
| Accusative | το μοτίβο | τα μοτίβα |
| Vocative | μοτίβο | μοτίβα |
Word family
μοτίβοmotif, patternσχέδιοdesign, pattern (related in meaning, not in root)κίνητροmotive, incentive (shares the Latin root movere)
επαναλαμβανόμενοςrecurring (often paired with μοτίβο)
Etymology
Μοτίβο came into Greek from Italian motivo, which itself derives from Latin motivus, meaning that which moves or prompts. The word entered everyday Greek in the twentieth century through art, music, and textile design, where it describes a recurring shape or theme. It kept its Italian stress pattern and took a standard Greek neuter ending.
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