¹ For Modern Greek (abbr. NG) the words of most interest are those of the spoken language () and the new literary type based thereon. But ancient words prevailing in the καϑαρɛύουσα and still considerably used beside the more colloquial are also cited. As it happens, in the three items discussed here the ancient words are still colloquial as well as literary.

² To distinguish more specifically the broadest sense, the common words for ‘world’ have been partly replaced in technical language by other terms, as, for example, Lat. universum, Fr. univers, NHG weltall, Russ. vselennaja (lit. 'allness'), Boh. ves-mir (lit. 'all-world', SCr. svemir (lit. ‘all-world‘). These will not be included in the discussion.

³ This view of Lat. mundus is, I think, beyond any reasonable doubt, but it is not universally accepted. It has been objected that in the earlier quotable occurrences the meaning is ‘heavens’, while that of ‘universe’ is later. Even if this is not accidental, this is no valid objection, in view of the use of κόσμος stated above. The separation of this mundus and its derivation from moveo (so Varro, Isidore, and recently Muller, Altitalisches Wtb. 277, mouendos) is uncalled for and unlikely. Pliny's words, ‘nam quern κόσμος Graeci nomine ornamenti apellaverunt, eum nos a perfecta absolutaque elegantia, mundum’, show just that understanding of κόσμος which accounts for the Roman use of mundus.