λαθροϋλοτόμος – an illegal logger
I came across this in an article about a forest ranger being the victim of a serious attack by an illegal logger who hit the man on the head with a metal bar. This is the article: https://www.ethnos.gr/greece/article/267539/poseginehepitheshmeoploapolathroylotomosyxnaantimetopoimediaplhktismoysoidasikoiypallhloileipoyn1000atomaapotisyphresies
The word has three parts:
λαθρο = hidden/secret so by extension ‘illegal’
ϋλο i.e. from ύλη = matter or material
τόμος = cutter
In Ancient Greek ύλη meant a forest or woodland, and it is cognate with the Latin ‘silva’. Liddell & Scott cite Thucydides’ phrase “τα δένδρα και ύλη” where the former meant fruit trees and the latter forest trees (probably meaning for building and fuel). The forest connotation has completely disappeared in Modern Greek even in most compound words. For example, υλοποιώ means ‘materialise’ or ‘realise’ rather than anything to do with trees or wood.
Anyway, my main interest here is in λαθρο-, which is used as a prefix for quite a few words. It is connected with the adverb λάθρα and the adjective λαθραίος. Here are some examples. In most cases I will give the word for the person rather than the abstract noun.
λαθραλιεία = illegal fishing
λαθραναγνώστης – I love this one. It’s the sneaky fucker that reads your book or newspaper over your shoulder – especially on public transport.
λαθρανασκαφή = an illegal archaeological dig
λαθρέμπορος = a smuggler
λαθρεπιβάτης = a stowaway
λαθρόγαμος = not too sure about this one. Babiniotis says it means an adulterer while the old Crichton dictionary says it’s someone who gets married in secret. Not really a problem as I’m sure I won’t be using asking anyone if he or she is a λαθρόγαμος.
λαθροθήρας or λαθροκυνηγός = a poacher
λαθρομετανάστης = an illegal migrant or immigrant. Here Babiniotis says that the more politically correct terms παράνομος μετανάστης or παράτυπος μετανάστης are preferred, the latter being “irregular migrant” in English.