Why the Greek term for the common people now often insults the elite
In short: Originally a neutral Ancient Greek phrase for the masses, hoi polloi has undergone a strange linguistic evolution. While it traditionally signifies the common people, it is frequently misused today to describe the wealthy. This shift reveals as much about our changing social anxieties as it does about language itself.
The expression originates from the Ancient Greek phrase οἱ πολλοί, meaning the many or the people. In Thucydides' account of Pericles' Funeral Oration, the term was used positively to celebrate the inclusive nature of Athenian democracy, standing in direct contrast to hoi oligoi, or the few. However, as the phrase migrated into English, it adopted a distinctly derogatory tone, becoming a synonym for the rabble, the plebs, or the riffraff.
By the early 19th century, the term became a marker of social status. Because elite education at the time required fluency in Greek and Latin, using the phrase in its original script served as a gatekeeping mechanism to distinguish the learned from the uneducated masses. Writers like James Fenimore Cooper and Thomas De Quincey helped cement its usage in English literature, often employing it to emphasize class divisions. Even Charles Darwin, during his time at Cambridge, used the term to describe students pursuing an ordinary degree rather than honors.
Interestingly, the term has recently inverted in common parlance. Since the mid-20th century, middle-class and lower-income speakers in regions like North America, Australia, and Scotland have frequently used the phrase to disparage the wealthy. This usage is widely considered incorrect by linguists, yet it persists as a form of social leveling. Whether used to mock the elite or the commoner, the term remains a powerful, if often misunderstood, tool for signaling social hierarchy.
Grammatically, the phrase is also a subject of debate. Because hoi is the Greek definite article, adding the English the creates a redundancy, effectively saying the the masses. Yet, language is rarely so rigid; similar to how alcohol is accepted despite containing the Arabic article al, hoi polloi has become an established, if frequently misused, fixture of the English language.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hoi polloi
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