...And yet you, as in ancient times, are wonderful, You are great in every facet of the past... (Byron about the Greek language)
Even people far from linguistics can easily recognize English or French speech; in Swedish they will say “something similar to German.”
But the Greek language, despite the fact that it is one of the oldest and is used in European country, few will guess. Let's figure out what kind of language the Greeks speak. 
Language is, first of all, a reflection of the history of a people and its prevailing mentality. And the history of Greece is rich: for centuries, Greek was the language of communication of people ancient world in Mediterranean countries. With its help, trade affairs were conducted, as well as military, scientists and creative people communicated. A little history Since the 2nd millennium BC.
The Balkan Peninsula, Peloponnese and adjacent islands were inhabited by various proto-Greek peoples: Achaeans, Ionians, Aeolians. Later they were supplanted by the Dorians. The tribes spoke their own dialects. These strangers managed to suppress the local population - Pelasgians, Lelegs - and their dialects.
Over the next centuries, the city-states fought among themselves, developed new lands, and established trade and cultural ties. Accordingly, their dialects influenced each other: they were assimilated and acquired borrowings. In the 5th century BC. With the development of art and literature, a tendency has arisen for one dialect to become more popular than others. 
Thus, it was customary to write lyric poetry in the Dorian dialect, but tragedies were composed only in Attic. In the 4th century BC. Athens acquired enormous political and cultural authority among its neighbors, and the Attic dialect of this state became a kind of standard for all ancient Greek prose, and a little later for literature in general.
In the 3rd century BC. after the conquests of Alexander the Great, the concept of “koine” appeared - a single “mixed” language of the peoples inhabiting his vast empire, the basis of which was the same Attic dialect. It is in Koine that the Greek Gospel is written and the liturgy is celebrated in the Greek Orthodox Church to this day. During its heyday until the 3rd century AD, Koine Greek became the lingua franca of the eastern Mediterranean. In other words, it was the language of international communication in certain fields of activity: trade, science. 
Contemporaneous with spoken Koine from about the 1st century AD. educated people begin to write in the classical Attic dialect, which again entered "fashion" among writers. Thus begins a long (until the middle of the 20th century) period of diglossia - the parallel coexistence of literary and spoken languages. After its establishment in 146 AD. During the Roman protectorate over Greece, a strange thing happened: the Romans not only did not force the Greeks to forget their own speech, but also considered it important for themselves to learn the language of the conquered people.
Writers and poets Ancient Rome successfully translated Greek authors and even wrote in Greek themselves. None of the Greeks knew Latin. Only Plutarch tried to study Latin in the last years of his life, but did not succeed. In 395 AD. The Roman state collapsed: the Byzantine Empire was formed in the east with its capital Constantinople. In the 6th century official language The state became the Greek Koine. Of course, over several centuries it has changed, being influenced by other languages: Latin, Slavic, Armenian, etc.
Hundreds of years later, in 1453, weakened by internal strife and crusades, the great Byzantium fell under the onslaught of the Ottoman army. During the 400 years of Turkish rule, literary Greek did not develop. But he was not forgotten in Europe.
All enlightened people of that time considered it necessary to be able to read the works of ancient Greek scientists and poets in the original. By the way, in pre-revolutionary Russian gymnasiums, when studying Greek, they meant the classical Attic dialect. Largely thanks to the efforts of the Greek Church spoken language, albeit somewhat " Turkified", survived until Greece gained independence in 1930.
"Linguistic Wars" in Greece At the beginning of the 19th century, the free Greeks faced the most important question: in what language will the laws of an independent country be written and will children speak? Diglosia provided for two options: to turn to the language of Orthodox Byzantium or to revive the Attic dialect of classical Athens, the language of Aristotle and Plato.
Since classicism had become fashionable in Europe at that time, the second option seemed the most attractive to the Greeks: it would be nice to consider themselves the direct heirs of the great world culture. But in reality, such a radical return to the past was no longer possible.
As a result of fierce debate, a language “purified of borrowings”, Kafarevusa, appeared, largely preserving the vocabulary and grammar of ancient Koine Greek in combination with modern pronunciation at that time. It became the language of government, science and literature: books were written in it and educated people spoke it. But Kafarevusa, according to many linguists, was far from the language of the common population.
For everyday communication, folk language was systematized - dimotics, which was a natural continuation of the same ancient Greek koine. The spoken language has many Italian, Slavic, French and Turkish words. It is much simpler grammatically and more "alive".
"Linguistic War"(there were also street fights) continued until the reform of 1976, when dimotics were introduced into the school curriculum. But it was only in 1982 that it became the official and only language of the Greek Republic.
So modern Modern Greek, as it is also called, is a vernacular spoken language. Despite its turbulent history, the current Greek language still retains more than 80% of its original vocabulary unchanged. It is a representative of the Indo-European family of languages, but does not have “close relatives”, such as Italian or German, i.e. it is the only one in its group.
Today, 10 million inhabitants of Greece and half a million Greek population of Cyprus communicate in Greek.
He is known to Greeks living all over the world - in Russia, Canada, the USA, England, Australia. Several features of the Greek language For a Russian-speaking person, it will not be difficult to learn to read and pronounce Greek words: common letters in the alphabet and many similar sounds for which our speech apparatus is already adapted.
With some effort, it is not even difficult to get rid of the Russian, rougher, accent. The only difficulty in phonetics can be caused by voiced and voiceless interdentals similar to English ones, especially when they are adjacent to consonants.
In Russian these sounds are written in letters "F" (aFina) or "D" (Lydia) and pronounce accordingly. The Greek language lacks the infinitive form of the verb inherent in many European languages. Literally translated sentence "I want to go to the movies" will sound like “I want to go to the cinema” or “Can he buy bread?” How “Can he buy bread?”
In interrogative sentences, instead of the question mark familiar to Europeans «?» Greeks use semicolons " ; «.
Another feature is that with proper names the Greeks use articles of the corresponding gender, i.e. the female name Elena is used with a feminine article: And Eleni.
The Greek language retains the vocative case (by analogy with the Ukrainian language) in the masculine gender. To call a Greek man, you need to change the ending of his name: About Aggelos - AggilE.
If you wish, it is not difficult to understand the grammar, which is somewhat reminiscent of the grammar of the Russian language: free word order in a sentence, the presence of cases and three genders. As for vocabulary, linguists believe that a Russian-speaking person can easily recognize the meanings of 1000 Greek words. Learning Greek, like any foreign language, is an interesting and useful process, as it allows you to become more deeply acquainted with the culture of another country. In addition, knowing at least a few phrases will make tourist trip Greece is much nicer.
This country has long become one of the favorite vacation spots of Russian citizens, and this is no coincidence, because this is the state on whose territory one of the most ancient civilizations of mankind arose. This means there is an opportunity to get acquainted with cultural and historical monuments. Thanks to the climate, you can have a great time enjoying a beach holiday. Language in Greece will not be a problem, since in hotels and recreation areas the staff speaks English, and some can communicate in Russian.
Official language
In Greece, each province has its own dialect. During the period of Turkish rule, not all Greeks could understand each other, so the idea of a single language arose. With independence, the question of what the state language will be became especially pressing.
- During the Korais reform, the so-called pure Kafarevusa language was developed - something between ancient Greek and modern. This is a literary language, not a colloquial one.
- In reality, this language was much inferior to the one that enjoyed the authority of the folk language, its name “domitika”. It is spoken by the overwhelming majority of Greeks, and it is understandable in any region of Hellas, despite the difference in dialects.
It is clear that the national language is the basis of any state that wants to exist independently. Therefore, since 1982, the Greek government has made it mandatory to study Domitics in all educational institutions, and this form of the language has become the main one for the country. This language is spoken by most of the Hellenes.
Greek is the richest language in the world.
Do tourists have language problems?
Greek is spoken by more than 15 million people in the world and not only in Greece itself. It is the official language of the large Greek diaspora scattered throughout the world.
But we must still admit that this is not the most widespread language in the world, and if for a short period of time, then special knowledge of the language is not required. However, there are options when a resident of Russia comes to the country on a long vacation, has real estate here, or settles in, then you need to know the language for the following reasons:
- this greatly facilitates communication with local residents, who are more willing to talk with those who know their native language;
- helps to understand the mentality of the Greeks, to be imbued with it, and this is important for those who connect their destiny with Greece seriously and for a long time;
- for those who do business in this country, knowledge of the language is simply necessary;
- those who are looking for also need to speak this language in order to make good money.
Useful video for those who want to learn Greek.
Many Greeks speak English quite well, often to such a level that they are fluent in reading English-language newspapers and watching English-language channels. Moreover, knowledge of English costs much more high level than in Spain or Italy. Therefore, there is no problem in what language to speak with the local population.
It is also worth noting that in Greece they follow European standards in serving tourists, and therefore there are signs, information signs explaining the direction of travel, the name of the monument or the location of certain public places (cafes, restaurants, toilets, etc.).
Russian in Greece
Within the limits of basic communication with tourists, employees of hotels, travel agencies, and guides know Russian in Greece. The situation is best with knowledge of the language of our homeland in such major cities, like Thessaloniki, Athens.
In addition, in several other places in the country, Russian is understood. These are formerly the areas where fur factories producing fur coats are located. The shops located in these areas are often visited by our compatriots, and the staff of these establishments are quite capable of speaking Russian. These are primarily Halkidiki and Kateria.
Is a pearl beach holiday Hellas, but there are few Russians here, however, in hotels and restaurants there are staff who understand Russian speech. Another vacation spot cannot boast of knowledge of the Russian language at all, but there are restaurants or cafes here where you can find menus in Russian, and this fact is very gratifying for the traveler.
Review of the transformation of the Greek language in independent Greece. According to foreigners and a Greek publication.
The history of the formation of the modern Greek language began during the period of Greece's struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Here is a postage stamp issued in 1971 by the Greek Post for the 150th anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence from the Turks.
Tongue modern Greece is the so-called standard Greek, adopted from the spoken Greek of the 19th and 20th centuries, known as Dimotika (standard Greek is also sometimes called Modern Greek, although the name "Modern Greek" is simply an umbrella name for all modern Greek dialects used in the modern development of the Greek language) . At the same time, the beginning of the Modern Greek language is usually traced back to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, when almost all the territories inhabited by the Greeks became part of the Ottoman Empire for almost four hundred years.
After the liberation of Greece from the Ottoman yoke in the 19th century, and the emergence, for the first time in millennia, of the Greek state proper, the Greeks were eager to return to their Hellenic origins (here we will not again recall the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium), which in all periods of its existence, for with the exception of the initial one, it was the state of the Greeks, and where from the 7th century until the end of the empire the official language was Greek (despite the fact that in the initial period of the empire, in the 4th-6th centuries, the official language of Byzantium was Latin).
Among the temptations of the new independent Greek state of the 19th century was the temptation to return to the ancient Greek language, because the Greek spoken by 19th-century Greeks was far from classical Greece.
How far from classical Greece was the very appearance of these heirs of the Hellenes who were freed from the Ottoman Empire, who not only survived centuries of Turkish slavery and were Turkified, but had previously undergone an even longer Christianization in the Byzantine Empire, because Christianity was built on the opposition to the “pagan” Roman style of life. About the period of occupation of Greece by Rome preceding the Byzantine period in the history of Greece, it is difficult to say that it spoiled the “classical” Greeks, because Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece essentially had a common culture.
It is interesting that when the Greeks of the period of liberation from the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century spoke of a return to the “Golden Age” of Ancient Greece, they did not oppose Christianity, although it was precisely responsible for the destruction of the last centers of traditions of Ancient Greece.
For example, in 394 AD. The most Christian Byzantine-Roman emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games as a pagan cult, and three years earlier, on the orders of the Byzantine authorities, services in the temple at Delphi ceased).
In his famous essays on the history of the Roman Catholic Church, Jene Gergely (life: 1944-2009) noted:
“Even earlier, Theodosius and his co-ruler Emperor Gratian in 381, and then in 383, forbade their subjects to return to any pagan faith.
On November 8, 392, Theodosius, together with his co-rulers, the Caesars, issued a decree according to which persons who practice pagan cults, regardless of their position in society, “for violating the law of faith are deprived of their home and land ownership, where they worship pagan superstitions.” Confiscated buildings and land holdings were confiscated into the imperial treasury. The transformation of Christianity into a compulsory state religion entailed the persecution of non-Christian cults by the state. Due to the fact that Christianity took a dominant position, pagan religions found themselves in the position of persecuted people, in which Christianity had previously found itself.”
Apart from the above, we note that the loyalty of the 19th century Greeks to Christianity was due to the fact that during the previous period of Turkish rule it was the only Greek institution in the Ottoman Empire, and its patriarch was the representative of all Greeks before the Sultan. In fact, the Patriarchate of Constantinople filled the role for the Greeks of the absent “motherland”, was the guardian of the Greek language and Greek identification (Orthodox, Christian in the Muslim Ottoman Empire).
Kafarevusa
But let's return to the Greek language. First, in the newly independent Greece of the 19th century, Greek was adopted as the official language in the form of the so-called. kafarevus (from the Greek word καθαρεύουσα - « clean» , this term for "new language" was coined by the Greeks in 1776). Officially, Kafarevusa is an ancient Greek language with the adoption of part of the vocabulary of the vernacular Greek of the then street (19th century). The language of the street then began to be called dimotika (dimotika - from the Greek δημοτική - “folk”).
Those who advocated kafarevusa in the newly independent Greece of the 19th century - a layer of officials, newspaper publishers, the Greek intelligentsia - would like to immediately switch to ancient Greek, but this was impossible for practical reasons.
The following two sections contain opinions in italic quotes from online forums of Greek language learners .
With its development in the XIX-XX centuries. Kafarevusa increasingly tried to clear herself of the modern Greek spoken language Dimotiki, which irritated large sections of Greek society. Foreigners who know Modern Greek do not like Kafarevusa, because... “It’s not exactly dimotic vocabulary” . Although there are now opinions that “kafarevusa can be understood without special study if you know modern Greek. Indeed, in modern Greek there is a lot of vocabulary and even paradigms from there. In learning Kafarevusu it is easier to dance from Dimotika than from Ancient Greek".
At the same time, others believe that “learning kafarevusa is not so difficult if you are already learning classical ancient Greek” (i.e. the language spoken by the ancient Athenians - it was adopted in Ancient Greece as classical Greek, after the power of Athens culturally pushed all other Greek dialects of that time into the background).
However, a number of Greek language learners say that “kafarevusa is a wild arbitrary mixture of grammar and vocabulary from different times, because Different authors-developers of Kafarevus used different ancient features in different ways, rather unsystematically.”.
Kafarevousa survived as an official language in Greece until the mid-1970s. It was then replaced by Dimotiki, according to Law No. 309/30.04.1976 “On the administration and organization of general education”, adopted in 1976 by the civilian government of Greece, which replaced the military junta. Moreover, since 1930, Dimotika was taught in the first four grades of the school, while Kafarevusa was studied in the senior grades.
Currently, only one Greek national newspaper is published on Kafarevus - the conservative newspaper Estia, founded in 1894. Kafarevusa is also actively used by the Greek Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Ancient Greek and Modern Greek
Currently, the term “Dimotica” to denote the language adopted in modern Greece, if used, is only for the purpose of contrasting it with Kafarevousa.
Usually they say “Hellenics” (ελληνικά), meaning the modern Greek language, but essentially an enriched dimotic, adopted in the modern Greek Republic as the official language and studied as such in schools.
It is interesting that many modern fans of the ancient Greek language are not too fond of modern Greek, or rather modern Greek, calling it "the language of watermelon traders" .
It is believed that “Modern Greek is not as beautiful as Ancient Greek,” while “Ancient Greek is a beautiful language, more complex and richer than Latin.” “If you know ancient Greek, the language of the classics, the language of Homer and Plato, you will be able to 1) read the original Greek texts, 2) easily understand modern Greek, but at the same time “knowing ancient Greek does not help much in learning modern Greek”.
“If we talk about learning ancient Greek for the sake of mastering modern Greek, then this task is the most difficult, in ancient Greek a large number of irregularities, etc., the language is dead, the exact pronunciation is no longer known to us. It’s better to learn dimotics right away.”.
They write at the same time, although “the difference between Ancient Greek and Modern Greek is about the same as between Latin and Italian”, “The Greek language is quite conservative, plus it has a conservative spelling and a very long written tradition. But 2500 years have passed since the times of classical ancient Greek. During this time, any language changes very much at all levels.” “As for the statements that it is now impossible to restore the phonetic differences between the acute, obtuse, and weighted stress of ancient Greek in modern Greek, then everything is perfectly restored, at least better than in ancient Latin”.
From kafarevuse to dimotika. How did the transition take place? Greek view
And now a Greek look at the development of the Greek language. Publication from the archived issue of the international magazine “UNESCO Courier” (No. 8, 1983). The author is Virgile Solomonidis (1917-1999), a French-Greek writer born in Romania and later living in Greece and France (Also wrote under the pseudonyms Andre Massepain and Andre Kedros). Note that at the time of writing the publication quoted below, in 1983, Dimotika had already been adopted as the official language in the Hellenic Republic; Kafarevusa was abandoned back in 1976, shortly after the fall of the military government.
Virgil Solomonidis writes:
“Over time, the Greek language has changed less than many other ancient languages. Modern Greek is much closer to the language of Plato than Italian is to the Latin of Cicero. A Greek high school student today can read Xenophon’s “Anabasis” or Plato’s “Dialogues” with virtually no recourse to a dictionary (this, perhaps, cannot be said about the works of Homer). But for this he needs to be fluent in the “correct” Greek language.
This is because modern Greek suffers from a bifurcation between kafarevousa (“correct” Greek) and dimotica (colloquial, vernacular). A similar linguistic dichotomy is observed to varying degrees in other areas, especially in Arab countries. In Greece, this led to a “war of words”, which, at times taking on ideological overtones, was very fierce and has not yet completely ended today.
Poor, disadvantaged (even until very recently) by their history, deprived of the opportunity to receive a sufficient level of education due to the weakness of the educational system, the people of Greece used to always speak the so-called vernacular language - flexible, expressive and lively, which at the same time, being cut off from the mainstream and main currents of thought that enriched Western culture, it remained, like the people who spoke it, somewhat closed and impoverished.
The “correct” language, on the other hand, protected by the church and close to classical ancient Greek, retained the rich vocabulary and sophistication of the language of noble traditions; at the same time, unfortunately, it suffers from inertia and archaism and is practically incomprehensible to ordinary people.
At the beginning of the 17th century. Cyril Loukaris, patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, wanted to translate the Gospel into Dimotika, but this endeavor led to tragedy. Accused of being a "Protestant" by his fellow religionists, he was sentenced to death by Sultan Murad IV and strangled by Ottoman executioners. (According to another version, the death of this Patriarch of Constantinople was also associated with his support of Russophile sentiments. Note site).
At the beginning of the 19th century. The Greeks, with the help of a number of foreign powers, finally liberated a significant part of their territory from the Turkish invaders. The poet Dionysios Solomos contributed to the rise of national feelings with such patriotic works as the wonderful "Hymn to Freedom", which, like the poems addressed to the fighters for independence and to the entire Greek people, was written in the spoken vernacular. Some of the leaders of the liberation fighters, people of humble origins, such as Makriyannis, left excellent memoirs written in dimotic.
Immediately after achieving independence, the new Greek state sharply emphasized social differences. The conservatism of the church, which had a positive influence during the long years of Turkish rule (in preserving national identity), found an echo in the conservatism of the privileged classes, large landowners and the bourgeoisie, who seized the reins of power.
This conservatism, the influence of which was felt in the education system, justice and in almost all administrative spheres, did not leave aside the language problem, as a result of which Kafarevusa (the “correct” language) was accepted as official by the entire state apparatus.
Thus, the question of two languages has acquired a different meaning. The adoption of Kafarevusa as an official language has reduced the common people to the status of “second class” citizens.. By sharply limiting their access to secondary and higher education, it put ordinary people depending on “competent” intermediaries in the administrative and legal spheres and contributed to their political enslavement. The example of Dionysios Solomos was forgotten, and the literature of the period, as well as the press, used the “correct” language.
In 1888, the Greek writer I. Psycharis made a new attempt in this direction by publishing the novel “The Journey,” written in dimotica. This book, which caused a storm of protest, was destined to become a new stage in the “war of languages.” The negative attitude of certain circles towards this work had mainly ideological overtones, but it is known that Psycharis, who came from the upper strata, himself rarely used dimotics, and therefore the folklore language he borrowed turned out to be pompous and unnatural in this book. Thus, his bold undertaking was vulnerable to criticism, although it influenced such writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Kostas Palamas and Kosmas Politis, who managed to avoid such a radical approach.
The language issue soon became one of the main political problems. Left parties put forward the introduction of dimotics in schools and in the state apparatus as one of the demands for social reform and used this language in their publications. The struggle reached such an intensity that in the 20s any convinced supporter of dimoticism was automatically considered a political extremist.
But gradually even the most staunch conservatives began to realize that in an increasingly fast-changing world, the use of kafarevusa was exacerbating their isolation. So General Metaxas (Ιωάννης Μεταξάς), who established a Nazi-type regime in Greece in 1936, began to use dimotics.
It is also significant that in 1976. The decree on the introduction of the spoken vernacular Dimotika language in schools was adopted by a rather conservative government.
However, a number of problems still remain. The use of Dimotika in schools has shown that this language is rather imprecise and can be adapted for teaching technical and scientific disciplines only through very arbitrary borrowings from Kafarevusa. And soon stones began to fall on both the defenders of Dimotika, accused of sectarianism, and the stubborn supporters of Kafarevusa, condemned for elitism.
To develop a language, it is not enough just to issue a decree. Language is a living phenomenon that changes in strict accordance with its internal dynamics and which is enriched by borrowing everything it needs from any sources.
Fortunately, Dimotika is a living folk language and has the opportunity to be enriched from the sources of the Attic dialect, which, despite the inertia and pedantry of its modern form, having crossed the chasm of centuries, gave Western world many terms and concepts necessary for its sciences and new branches of technology.
Language evolves slowly, and the outstanding modern poets of Greece have done much to enrich it; it is enough to name George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis (Nobel Prize laureates in 1963 and 1979), Constantine Cavafy, Angelos Sikelianos and Yiannis Ritsos, whose work, like other outstanding poets of small countries, has received international recognition. Such success would not have been possible without a rich and expressive linguistic base, and these poets made extensive use of the rich vitality of Dimotika, skillfully enriched by borrowings from Kafarevusa.
In the not too distant future, the process of evolution will rid Greece of the “war of languages.” The Greeks will speak, read and write in a single language - Modern Greek,” indicated the author of this archival publication (1983) in the UNESCO Courier.
In turn, the magazine, in its insert, melancholy noted that “after Greece, for four centuries of the Ottoman yoke, went through a dark period. However, the national spirit of the Greek people could not be broken, as evidenced by a number of riots and uprisings that resulted in the War of Independence (1821-1828), which led to the liberation of the country. Preserved with the support of the church, the Greek language was throughout this period of Ottoman yoke a bastion of national Greek consciousness."
Common phrases |
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euχαρίστώ | efkharisto" |
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Please | παρακαλώ | parakalo" |
Sorry | ||
Hello | ||
Goodbye | ||
I don't understand | Δεν καταλαβαίνω | den catalavaino |
What is your name? | Ποιο είναι το όνομά σου? | pie eine to onoma su? |
How are you? | Πώς είσαι? | pos eise? |
Where is the toilet here? | Πού είναι η τουαλέτα? | pou einai and toilet? |
What is the price? | ||
One ticket to… | ένα εισιτήριο για… | ena eisity"rio gia... |
What time is it now? | Τι ώρα είναι? | ti o"ra eine? |
No smoking | Απαγορεύεται το κάπνισμα | Apagorevete that capnism |
παραγωγή | paragohi |
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Do you speak English? | Λέτε στα αγγλικά? | Lete Hundred Anglica |
Where is… | Πού είναι… | pou ene... |
Hotel |
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I need to order a room | Θα πρέπει να κλείσετε ένα δωμάτιο | Fa prepe na klisete ena domatio |
Συμβουλές | symbol"s |
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I want to pay the bill | Θέλω να πληρώσω τον λογαριασμό | fe"lo na pliro"so tone logariasmo" |
διαβατήριο | diawati"rio |
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Shop (shopping) |
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Cash | ||
Card | ||
To wrap up | Πακέτο το | |
No change | ||
Very expensive | πολύ ακριβά | poly acriva |
Transport |
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λεωφορείο | leophorea"o |
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Trolleybus | ||
αυτοκίνητο | aftokinito |
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Stop | ||
Please make a stop | παρακαλούμε να κάνετε μια στάση | parakalo "ume na ka"nete mia sta"si |
Arrival | ||
Departure | αναχώρηση | anahorisi |
αεροπλάνο | airplane |
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Airport | αεροδρόμιο | airdromio |
Emergency cases |
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help me | βοηθήστε με | voifiste me |
Fire Department | πυροσβεστική Υπηρεσία | pirosvestiki "ipiresi" a |
αστυνομία | astinomia |
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Ambulance | ασθενοφόρο | asphenofo"ro |
Hospital | νοσοκομείο | sock-mei"o |
φαρμακείο | Pharmakey"o |
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Restaurant |
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I want to book a table | Θέλω να κλείσω ένα τραπέζι | fe "lo na kleso eta trape"zi |
Check please (bill) | Παρακαλούμε ελέγξτε (λογαριασμός) | parakalow"me ele"nkste (logariasmos) |
Language in Greece
What is the language in Greece
The official language in Greece is modern Greek, developed on the basis of the ancient Greek language.
More than 10.5 million people speak Modern Greek around the world: the population of Greece and 82% of the population of Cyprus. The language is also known by those members of the Greek diaspora who are scattered throughout the world.
Official language of Greece is the main one among the local population, but most Greek regions have their own local dialects, quite different from official version language.
Greek alphabet is incredibly complex and has been in continuous use by the inhabitants of the country and speakers of other languages of the Greek group since the late 9th - early 8th century BC. It consists of 24 letters, the names and spellings of which have changed only slightly since the origin of the language.
But don’t worry in advance: many Greek residents speak English. In hotels and restaurants, staff are usually fluent in the language Misty Albion. Well, if necessary, you can negotiate with local residents in sign language.
All over the world they know that Ancient Greece was a large ancient state, many of whose achievements formed the basis of modern civilization. For example, the Greek language, which was spoken by great scholars and generals, is still actively used in international terms. Of course, it has changed a little over the years, but in general, ancient Hellenes and modern Greeks could understand each other. Would you like to start learning Greek? Don't rush to answer! We recommend that you read this article first, because ahead you will find interesting facts about the Greek language, as well as popular words, phrases and expressions for tourists planning a trip to Greece.
The first beginnings of a new language of communication appeared in Greece along with a wave of migration of Indo-Europeans to the local lands. Scholars disagree on whether it was originally their language, or whether it acquired unique forms and separated from the Indo-European language family when the settlers became native to Greece. One thing is certain: the so-called proto-Greek language was formed 2 thousand years before our era.
A little later, it formed the basis of the language of the Mycenaean civilization. It was in the Mycenaean-Cretan dialect that the first written monuments of the country were written: tablets with syllabic linear script B. According to scientists, they were written in the 14th-12th centuries. BC, and were found and deciphered only in the middle of the 20th century.
The next stage of development is the 8th-7th centuries BC, when Greece supplemented the language with an alphabet based on the Phoenician letter. Then the state, and with it speech, begin to ascend to the peak of its development. Many written monuments appear in which four main dialects are used:
- Ionian;
- Dorian;
- Aeolian;
- attic.
Initially, the Ionian dialect was the most popular, but the increasing dominance of Athens brought the Attic dialect to the forefront.
And during the time of Alexander the Great, Koine appeared - a mixed spoken dialect, formed on the basis of the classical Attic language. All captured tribes and colonies, who previously communicated in the local dialect, tried to learn the language of the Greeks. Koine later formed the basis of the literary language: the Bible, the works of Plutarch and many other works were written in it.
It is interesting that after the seizure of territories by the Roman Empire, the Greek language continued to be highly valued, and every self-respecting Roman could speak it. And from the founding of the Byzantine Empire until the Middle Ages, Greek again became the official language for these places. Then came the Ottoman dictatorship and the imposition of Turkish dialects, which led to a new round in the development of the language.
Ancient Greek and Modern Greek
Under the pressure of the Turkish yoke, the Greek language became unprestigious, if not completely persecuted, and in addition local dialects and dialects were mixed in with it. And soon the Greeks realized that they were gradually losing their national traits. Thus, in the 19th century, a movement of independence supporters arose, wanting to create new pages in the history, culture and traditions of Greece.
At that moment the Greeks were divided. Part of the nation emigrated, some succumbed to Turkish influence, and many Greek residents were migrants from neighboring countries. Consequently, there were many dialects: some retained knowledge of ancient Greek, others mixed the language with Turkish, others spoke with an accent “brought” from their homeland. To establish mutual understanding, a common language was needed, and local minds began to puzzle over this task.
There were two options: return to the Byzantine Koine, or go even further and speak the Attic dialect of the classical period. After much debate and reflection, it became clear that the ancient language was too outdated for the modern world. But the desire to connect oneself with age-old traditions was great, so essentially two languages emerged: classical literary and simplified colloquial.
Kafarevusa and Dimotiki
As a result, society was split into linguistic movements. Proponents of national culture praised Kafarevusa, a modernized language based on Koine grammatical norms. It is considered a “pure”, classical, literary dialect.
The intelligentsia was opposed by the broad masses of the people, who considered simple spoken Greek “theirs.” It was called "Dimotiki". Language disputes between the Greeks were so fierce that it even led to street strikes. It was only in 1976 that the government officially recognized the superiority of Dimotika and it became the official language of the country. But you can still meet older Greeks who prefer to communicate in the high Kafarevus style.
Dialects and pronunciation in Greek
If we talk about what language is spoken in Greece now, the Greeks still have many dialects. The main difference is in pronunciation, but this does not mean that you need to be able to pronounce every word in a dozen different ways. Any area of Greece will understand Modern Greek, just like English language understood by both the prim British and the Americans who think little about the “purity” of speech.
Also, foreigners are often scared that in Greek great importance has an emphasis. Indeed, before, in order to say a word correctly, you had to be able to understand three types of stress, and even distinguish between two types of aspirations. But later all these norms were simplified and were eventually officially abolished. Today in Greece one accent mark and a dieresis (letter separator) are used.
Official Greek language
As already noted, the modern Greek language Dimotiki is officially spoken in Greece. By the way, it is recognized as official in the Republic of Cyprus. In total, more than 15 million people on the planet consider Greek their native language.
Is it difficult to learn Greek?
It can hardly be said that the Hellenic language is particularly popular in the world today. But still, many people take Greek lessons, for example, in order to start new life in Greece or familiarize yourself with ancient literature in the original.
Moreover, not only the goals, but also the directions for students of the language of Greece are different: for communication they need modern Greek, and for reading ancient works, ancient Greek. Of course, Modern Greek is much easier for foreigners both to learn and to practice. But if your interest in history knows no bounds, then you can easily master the ancient language in a year of intensive work.
So the question of whether it is difficult for a Russian person to learn Greek cannot be answered yes or no. It all depends on the interest and capabilities of the student, as well as on the qualities of the teacher. On average, Modern Greek for basic everyday communication can be learned in six months.
The alphabet has been used in Greece since the 8th century. BC, and it is very likely that it was in the letters of the Greek alphabet that vowel sounds were first identified. Over the years of use, the primer has hardly changed: only for convenience, the names were renamed and several characters were shortened. The modern Greek alphabet has 24 letters, and we invite you to get acquainted with them right now.
If you are starting to learn Greek, then you definitely need to print out the alphabet and memorize it. This basic skill will be a good help for further language learning.
Greek for tourists - common phrases and words
Before traveling to another country, you should definitely learn a couple of basic phrases in order to be able to express your wishes and understand what they are saying to you. Therefore, we have compiled a very simple Greek textbook for tourists, which will help them navigate everyday situations.
Greeting in Greek
| Expression | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Γεια σου | Yasu | Hello, hello (singular) (Bye) |
| Γεια σας | Yasas | Hello (plural) (Goodbye) |
| Χαίρετε | HERETE | Hello (official form) |
| Καλημέρα | KalimEra | Good morning, Good afternoon |
| Καλησπέρα | Kalispeera | Good evening |
| Καληνύχτα | KalinIkhta | Good night |
| Αντίο | AdIo | Goodbye, goodbye |
| Θα τα πούμε σύντομα | Fa ta pume with Indoma | See you soon |
In a restaurant or coffee in Greek
| Expression | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Καφές | KafEs | Coffee |
| Ελληνικός καφές | EllinikOs Cafes | Greek coffee |
| Φραπέ | FrapE | Frappe |
| Στιγμιαίος καφές | StigmEos KafEs | Instant coffee |
| Χωρίς ζάχαρη | Horis Zakhari | Sugarless |
| Με λεμόνι | Me lamThey | With lemon |
| Ενα Καφές σκέτο, παρακαλώ | Ena Cafes SkEto, ParacalO | One black coffee please |
| Ενα Καφές με γάλα, παρακαλώ | Ena KafES me gala, parakalO | One coffee with milk please |
In the store in Greek
| Expression | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Αγορά | Agora | Market |
| Παζάρι | PazAri | Bazaar |
| Κατάστημα, μαγαζί | KatAstyma; ShopI | Shop, shop |
| Ανοιχτό | AnikhtO | Open |
| Κλειστό | KlistO | Closed |
| Πόσο κοστίζει | POSO KostYzi | What is the price |
| Τιμή | TymI | Price |
| Χρήματα, Λεφτά | KhrImata, LeftA | Money |
| Μετρητά | Matrita | Cash payment |
| Κάρτα | Map | Payment by card |
| Κιλά | KilA | Kilogram |
| Νούμερο | NUmero | Size |
| Πολλά | Gender | A lot of |
| Λίγο | LIGO | Few |
Talk to your doctor or pharmacy
| Expression | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Γιατρός | YatrOs | Doctor |
| Φαρμακείο | FarmakIo | Pharmacy |
| Νοσοκομείο | SockIo | Hospital |
| Πρώτες Βοήθειες | ProTes VoIses | Ambulance |
| βοηθήστε με | VoifIste me | help me |
| Φάρμακο | FArmaco | Medicine |
| Χάπια | HAPHA | Pills |
| Αλοιφή | Alifi | Ointment |
| Πόνος | Diarrhea | Pain |
| Αναγούλα | AnagUla | Nausea |
| ζάλη | ZAli | Dizziness |
| Αιμορραγία | AmoragIa | Bleeding |
| Τραύμα | Injury | Injury |
| Κάταγμα | KAtagma | Fracture |
| Εξάρθρωση | ExArzrosi | Dislocation |
| Πληγή | PligI | Wound |
| Πυρετός | PirateOc | Temperature, fever |
| Συνάχι | SinAhi | Runny nose |
| Βήχας | VIhas | Cough |
| Αλλεργία | Allergy | Allergy |
| Ηλίαση | Iliasi | Sunstroke |
| Έγκαυμα | Engauma | Burn |
Airport, taxi, bus, buy tickets
| Expression | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Λεωφορείο | LeoforIo | Bus |
| Υπεραστικό λεωφορείο | IperastikO LeoforIo | Intercity bus |
| Τραμ | Tram | Tram |
| Ταξί | Taxi | Taxi |
| Μετρό | Metro | Metro |
| Τρένο | TrEno | Train |
| Αεροδρόμιο | Aerodromio | Airport |
| Αεροπλάνο | Aeroplano | Airplane |
| Εισιτήριο | IsitYrio | Ticket |
| Θέση | Tasi | Place |
| Ένα εισιτήριο για… | Ena eisitIrio Gia | One ticket to… |
| Αφίξεις | Afixis | Arrival |
| Αναχώρηση | AnahOrisi | Departure |
| Στάση (stop) | Stasy | Stop |
| Παρακαλούμε να κάνετε μια στάση | ParakalOume Na KAnete Mia Stasy | Please make a stop |
We speak Greek at the hotel
| Expression | Pronunciation | Translation |
| ξενοδοχείο | XenodochIo | Hotel |
| Ρεσεψιόν | Resepsyon | Administration |
| Δωμάτιο | DomAthio | Number |
| Κλειδί | KlidI | Key |
| Διαβατήριο | DiavatIrio | Passport |
| Θα πρέπει να κλείσετε ένα δωμάτιο | Fa PrEpe Na Klisete Ena Domatio | I need to book a room |
| Έχετε ελευθερα Δωμάτια | Ekhete ElEftera DomAtia | Do you have rooms available |
| Ναι, εχουμε | Ne, Ekhume | Yes, I have |
| Ολα τα Δωμάτια ειναι αγκαζαρισμενα | Ola Ta DomAtia Ine AngazarismEna | All rooms are booked |
| Όροφος | Orophos | Floor |
| Σκάλα | Rock | Ladder |
| Αποσκευές | AposkevEs | Baggage |
| Λογαριασμός | LogariasmOc | Check |
