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What Do We Mean by ‘Love’?
Why does it mean so many things?
The Greeks had eight different words for (different types of) love.
Lucky them!
We have only one word to describe dozens of different things. This can make for a lot of confusion.
Here are the eight Greek words and their various meanings. Notice that the English word ‘love’ has to be used to get the point across in every definition!
1. Eros: sexual or romantic love, borrowed from the god of the same name. He’s the guy who shoots you with an arrow to make you fall for somebody.
2. Agape: selfless and/or unconditional love. (This is the one that was infamously translated as ‘charity’ in the King James Version of the Bible.)
3. Storge: ‘family’ love; that is, love that is the result of a relationship rather than leading to one.
4. Philia: ‘brotherly’ love; that is, deep friendship that’s close enough to have the L-word applied to it. (This is the one that has the city of Philadelphia named for it.)
5. Ludus: ‘playful’ love. This is where the word ‘ludicrous’ comes from. It can include serious flirting.
6. Pragma: longstanding love, usually for some particular person, though it can also be used to mean long-term…
