ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pre-Greek substrate

Before the Ancient Greeks, there were people who lived in the regions that the Greeks eventually established themselves in. These people were the previous inhabitants of those areas, and their cultures and languages left a lasting impact on the Greeks. This is known as the pre-Greek substrate.

Imagine if you moved into a new house that was previously owned by someone else. Even if you make changes to the house, some things may still be influenced by the previous owner's choices. In the same way, the Greeks adopted some of the practices, beliefs, and words of the people who lived there before them.

The pre-Greek substrate can be seen in various forms, such as in the local names of places and cities that were not named by the Greeks themselves. For example, the Greek city of Athens was likely named after the goddess Athena, but it is believed that the original name of the city was something different that the pre-Greek inhabitants used. The Greeks also incorporated some of the pre-Greek language into theirs, such as the words "mama" and "papa" that are still used today in many languages.

So, the pre-Greek substrate refers to the cultural and linguistic influence of the people who lived in Greece and surrounding areas before the Ancient Greeks arrived. It demonstrates that even though history may move on and new cultures may emerge, the past still has a way of leaving its mark.