Cypriot Greek
Encyclopedia
The Cypriot dialect of Modern Greek
, known as Kypriaka , Cypriot Greek is spoken by 750,000 people in Cyprus
and diaspora Greek Cypriots.
Cypriot Greek is distinct enough that it can be classified as a distinct dialect of the Standard Greek.
In Cyprus, the dialect is reportedly more similar to Classical Greek [grc] in vocabulary and grammar than that spoken in Greece.
. There is diglossia
(in the linguistic sense) between Dhimotiki
and the dialect. There are specific settings where speaking Standard Greek is demanded or considered polite, such as in school classes (but not during breaks), in parliament, in the media, and in the presence of non-Cypriot Greeks. Cypriot Greek is common on the internet, in e-mails and on SMSs
In general, the stronger the use of dialect in a speaker (closer to the basilect), the more likely he is to be perceived as a peasant or of an uneducated and poor background. This can be particularly stigmatizing within formal and upper class circles.
The social consensus on the High and Low roles of the acrolect and basilect make Cypriot diglossia more like the diglossia of Greece in the mid 19th century (when Dhimotiki was stigmatised), and less like the diglossia of the 20th century (when the consensus had broken down, and Dhimotiki and Katharevousa
were competing to become the High language). Cypriot diglossia makes the dialect one of only four Greek dialects currently still widely used; the others, Pontic Greek, Cretan Greek
and Tsakonian Greek. Pontic Greek is healthier in the former Soviet Union and Turkey than in Greece itself, where its use is increasingly emblematic. Accordingly, Cypriot is the only Greek dialect with a significant presence of spontaneous use online, including blogs and bulletin boards, and even a version of Greeklish
reflecting the dialect's distinct phonology.
dialect, but evolved from Koine
; it belongs to the Southeastern group of Modern Greek dialects, along with the dialects of the Dodecanese
and Chios
(with which it shares phonological phenomena such as gemination and intervocalic lenition). Cyprus was cut off from the rest of the Greek-speaking world from the 7th to the 10th century A.D due to Arab
attacks. It was reintegrated in the Byzantine Empire
in 962 to be isolated again in 1191 when it fell to the hands of crusaders
. This isolation developed a lot of linguistic characteristics distinct from Byzantine Greek.
The legislation of the Kingdom of Cyprus
in the Middle Ages
was written in the dialect. Other important medieval works are the chronicles of Leontios Makhairas
and George Boustronios, as well as a collection of sonnets in the manner of Francesco Petrarca.
In the past hundred years, the dialect has been used in poetry, major poets being Vasilis Michaelides
and Dimitris Lipertis
. It is also traditionally used for folk songs and poetry, including τσιαττιστά (battle poetry, a form of Playing the dozens) and the tradition of ποιητάρηες (bards). In the late 70ties Minister of Education Chrysostomos A. Sofianos
upgraded the status of the Cypriot dialect by introducing it in education. More recently it has been used in Reggae
by Hadji Mike and rap by several Cypriot hip hop
groups. DNA (Dimiourgoi Neas Antilipsis), a hiphop group from Cyprus, released an album named "sihnotites" with 2 tracks in Cypriot. (See also Music of Cyprus
).
Locally produced television shows, usually comedies or soap operas, make use of the dialect. For example Vourate Geitonoi (βουράτε instead of τρέξτε), Oi Takkoi (Τάκκος being a uniquely Cypriot name), and Istories tou Horkou (χωρκού rather than χωριού). Cypriot Greek is closer to classical Greek, in some respects, such as vocabulary and grammar, than standard Greek is.
The 2006 feature film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
features actor Jimmy Rousanis arguing in the Greek Cypriot dialect with another crew member speaking Gibrizlidja about a captain's hat they find in the sea.Peter Polycarpou
routinely spoke in the Greek Cypriot dialect in his role as Chris Theodopolopoudos in the British television comedy series Birds of a Feather
.
Note: The incorporation of this particular type of Turkish morphology is also found in Standard Greek
, however as the suffix -λίκι.
Cypriot Greek used two κ to phonologically imitate the aspirated k of Turkish.
Note: εγιώ/εγιώνι and εσού/εσούνι are currently not in use as much as standard Greek εγώ and εσύ. Τούντο is a contraction of Τούτον το etc. Both forms can be used e.g. Τούτον το πράμαν = τούντο πράμαν.
Besides τούτος as a generic demonstrative, there is also the more specific spatial demonstrative pronoun τζείνος, -η, -ο ('him/her/that there'). (From Standard Greek εκείνος).
"(He) told me" in Cypriot is "Είπεν μου" instead of standard modern Greek "μου είπε"
!" now is more often used in jest, and comes close to meaning something like "mate!", in Cyprus it remains highly offensive and literally "wanker!". Cypriots also use a Turkish
word for pimp namely "(ρε) πεζεβέγκι!"
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
, known as Kypriaka , Cypriot Greek is spoken by 750,000 people in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and diaspora Greek Cypriots.
Cypriot Greek is distinct enough that it can be classified as a distinct dialect of the Standard Greek.
In Cyprus, the dialect is reportedly more similar to Classical Greek [grc] in vocabulary and grammar than that spoken in Greece.
Usage and settings
It is the spoken everyday language of most Greek CypriotsGreek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
. There is diglossia
Diglossia
In linguistics, diglossia refers to a situation in which two dialects or languages are used by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety , a second, highly codified variety is used in certain situations such as literature, formal...
(in the linguistic sense) between Dhimotiki
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
and the dialect. There are specific settings where speaking Standard Greek is demanded or considered polite, such as in school classes (but not during breaks), in parliament, in the media, and in the presence of non-Cypriot Greeks. Cypriot Greek is common on the internet, in e-mails and on SMSs
In general, the stronger the use of dialect in a speaker (closer to the basilect), the more likely he is to be perceived as a peasant or of an uneducated and poor background. This can be particularly stigmatizing within formal and upper class circles.
The social consensus on the High and Low roles of the acrolect and basilect make Cypriot diglossia more like the diglossia of Greece in the mid 19th century (when Dhimotiki was stigmatised), and less like the diglossia of the 20th century (when the consensus had broken down, and Dhimotiki and Katharevousa
Katharevousa
Katharevousa , is a form of the Greek language conceived in the early 19th century as a compromise between Ancient Greek and the Modern Greek of the time, with a vocabulary largely based on ancient forms, but a much-simplified grammar. Originally, it was widely used both for literary and official...
were competing to become the High language). Cypriot diglossia makes the dialect one of only four Greek dialects currently still widely used; the others, Pontic Greek, Cretan Greek
Cretan Greek
Cretan Greek is a dialect of the Greek language, spoken by more than half a million people in Crete and many thousands in the diaspora....
and Tsakonian Greek. Pontic Greek is healthier in the former Soviet Union and Turkey than in Greece itself, where its use is increasingly emblematic. Accordingly, Cypriot is the only Greek dialect with a significant presence of spontaneous use online, including blogs and bulletin boards, and even a version of Greeklish
Greeklish
Greeklish, a portmanteau of the words Greek and English, also known as Grenglish, Latinoellinika/Λατινοελληνικά or ASCII Greek, is the Greek language written using the Latin alphabet...
reflecting the dialect's distinct phonology.
History and literature
The modern Cypriot dialect is not an evolution of the ancient ArcadocypriotArcadocypriot
Arcadocypriot or southern Achaean was an ancient Greek dialect spoken in Arcadia in the central Peloponnese and in Cyprus. Its resemblance to Mycenaean Greek, as it is known from the Linear B corpus, suggests that Arcadocypriot is its descendant...
dialect, but evolved from Koine
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
; it belongs to the Southeastern group of Modern Greek dialects, along with the dialects of the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
and Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
(with which it shares phonological phenomena such as gemination and intervocalic lenition). Cyprus was cut off from the rest of the Greek-speaking world from the 7th to the 10th century A.D due to Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
attacks. It was reintegrated in the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in 962 to be isolated again in 1191 when it fell to the hands of crusaders
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
. This isolation developed a lot of linguistic characteristics distinct from Byzantine Greek.
The legislation of the Kingdom of Cyprus
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus in the high and late Middle Ages, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.-History:...
in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
was written in the dialect. Other important medieval works are the chronicles of Leontios Makhairas
Leontios Makhairas
Leontios Machairas or Makhairas was a medieval Cypriot historian.The main source of information on him is his chronicle, written in the medieval Cypriot dialect. The chronicle documents events from the visit of Saint Helena to Cyprus until the times of the Kingdom of Cyprus...
and George Boustronios, as well as a collection of sonnets in the manner of Francesco Petrarca.
In the past hundred years, the dialect has been used in poetry, major poets being Vasilis Michaelides
Vasilis Michaelides
Vasilis Michaelides is considered by many and often referred to as the national poet of Cyprus.He was born in Lefkoniko, a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, between 1849 and 1853. In 1862 he moved to Nicosia to attend Secondary School. His first contact with the arts came in the form of...
and Dimitris Lipertis
Dimitris Lipertis
Dimitris Theophani Lipertis is a Cypriot born Greek poet and is considered as one of the most prominent poets of the island.-Biography:...
. It is also traditionally used for folk songs and poetry, including τσιαττιστά (battle poetry, a form of Playing the dozens) and the tradition of ποιητάρηες (bards). In the late 70ties Minister of Education Chrysostomos A. Sofianos
Chrysostomos A. Sofianos
Dr. Chrysostomos A. Sofianos is a Cypriot educator who became known because of his role in advocating and strategizing the educational reform of Cyprus in the eighties from the post of the Minister of education, and of a party leader.-Positions held:...
upgraded the status of the Cypriot dialect by introducing it in education. More recently it has been used in Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
by Hadji Mike and rap by several Cypriot hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
groups. DNA (Dimiourgoi Neas Antilipsis), a hiphop group from Cyprus, released an album named "sihnotites" with 2 tracks in Cypriot. (See also Music of Cyprus
Music of Cyprus
The music of Cyprus includes a variety of classical, folk and popular genres. Cypriot folk music is similar to the folk music of Greece, and includes dances like sousta, syrtos, Kalamatianos, zeimbekiko, and Rebetika.-Medieval music:...
).
Locally produced television shows, usually comedies or soap operas, make use of the dialect. For example Vourate Geitonoi (βουράτε instead of τρέξτε), Oi Takkoi (Τάκκος being a uniquely Cypriot name), and Istories tou Horkou (χωρκού rather than χωριού). Cypriot Greek is closer to classical Greek, in some respects, such as vocabulary and grammar, than standard Greek is.
The 2006 feature film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...
features actor Jimmy Rousanis arguing in the Greek Cypriot dialect with another crew member speaking Gibrizlidja about a captain's hat they find in the sea.Peter Polycarpou
Peter Polycarpou
Peter Polycarpou is a British stage and TV and film actor, best known for playing Chris Theodopolopoudos in the television comedy series Birds of a Feather.-Career:...
routinely spoke in the Greek Cypriot dialect in his role as Chris Theodopolopoudos in the British television comedy series Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather was a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1989 until 1998. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers.The first episode sees sisters...
.
Phonology
- Double consonants preserved the stressed pronunciation of Ancient GreekAncient GreekAncient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
.- Double unvoiced plosives (‹ττ›, ‹ππ›, ‹κκ›) are pronounced aspiratedAspiration (phonetics)In phonetics, aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies either the release or, in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents. To feel or see the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, one can put a hand or a lit candle in front of one's mouth, and say pin ...
([tʰ], [pʰ], [kʰ] or [cʰ] depending on the succeeding vowel). - The rest of the double consonants are pronounced as geminates. (e.g. ‹λλ› as [lː], ‹μμ› as [mː], etc.)
- Double unvoiced plosives (‹ττ›, ‹ππ›, ‹κκ›) are pronounced aspirated
- Extreme "palatalizationPalatalizationIn linguistics, palatalization , also palatization, may refer to two different processes by which a sound, usually a consonant, comes to be produced with the tongue in a position in the mouth near the palate....
" of Greek velars to palato-alveolars when followed by the front vowelFront vowelA front vowel is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The defining characteristic of a front vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far in front as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant. Front vowels are sometimes also...
s [e] and [i] and the semivowelSemivowelIn phonetics and phonology, a semivowel is a sound, such as English or , that is phonetically similar to a vowel sound but functions as the syllable boundary rather than as the nucleus of a syllable.-Classification:...
[j], very similar to how standard ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
developed from Latin. It should be noted that Standard Greek pronunciation exhibits true palatalization of velars to palatals ([k] > [c] and [x] > [ç]). The palato-alveolars in Cypriot Greek can be found both as affricates ([tʃ]) and fricatives ([ʃ]):- The "palatalization" of kappaKappaKappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
, i.e. κ > κ- Standard Greek [c] becomes a soft affricate [tʃ]. This sound is usually represented with ‹τζι› or ‹κ›. For example, Standard Greek "καί" [ce] meaning 'and' becomes Cypriot Greek "τζιαί" or "καί" [tʃe]. Also Standard Greek "εκείνος" [eˈcinos] becomes "κείνος" [ˈtʃinos]. Note, however, that this is not a hard and fast rule (counter-examples include loans from Standard Greek: κηδεία, κέρδος, άκυρο, ρακέττα).
- The "palatalization" of kappaKappaKappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
after a sigmaSigmaSigma is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, and carries the 'S' sound. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 200. When used at the end of a word, and the word is not all upper case, the final form is used, e.g...
, ‹σκ›. Standard Greek [sc] becomes the double fricative [ʃː]. - The "palatalization" of double kappaKappaKappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
, ‹κκ›. Pronounced in standard Greek as single [k], in Cypriot it becomes an aspirated affricate [tʃʰ]. - The "palatalization" of chiChi (letter)Chi is the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, pronounced as in English.-Greek:-Ancient Greek:Its value in Ancient Greek was an aspirated velar stop .-Koine Greek:...
, ‹χ›. Standard Greek [ç] becomes [ʃ] in Cypriot, and it can be written as ‹σι› or ‹χ›. For example, Standard Greek "χέρι" [ˈçeri] ('hand') becomes "σιέρι" or "χέρι" [ˈʃeri].
- The "palatalization" of kappa
- Voicing of ‹φ›, ‹θ› and ‹χ› (aspirated consonants in Ancient GreekAncient GreekAncient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
) before liquids and nasals, to ‹β›, ‹δ› and ‹γ› respectively. (e.g. Cypriot "γρόνος" instead of "χρόνος" ('year'), "άδρωπος" (man) instead of "άνθρωπος" ('human'). In Cypriot dialect, άδρωπος means man and not human, while human is called πλάσμα. This process is partially reversed in younger speakers due to the influence of Standard Greek. - Deletion of ‹β›, ‹δ›, ‹γ›, voiced intervocalic fricatives; e.g. κοπελλούδιν > κοππελούιν "little child". In linguistic texts, the deleted fricative is sometimes put in brackets for clarity: κοππελού(δ)ιν.
- /x/ > /θ/: e.g. άνθρωπος > άχρωπος "human"
- Defrication of [ʝ]/[ç] that function as semi-vowels in Modern Greek to [c] with most of the time modification of the preceding consonant. (e.g. "ποιός" [pços] in Cypriot Greek would be pronounced as "πκοιός" [pcos], and "σπίτια" [ˈspitça] as "σπίθκια" [ˈspiθka]). This is carried further in some parts of Cyprus where speakers use e.g. "πσοιός" [pʃos].
- External sandhiSandhiSandhi is a cover term for a wide variety of phonological processes that occur at morpheme or word boundaries . Examples include the fusion of sounds across word boundaries and the alteration of sounds due to neighboring sounds or due to the grammatical function of adjacent words...
rules for word-final nasal consonantNasal consonantA nasal consonant is a type of consonant produced with a lowered velum in the mouth, allowing air to escape freely through the nose. Examples of nasal consonants in English are and , in words such as nose and mouth.- Definition :...
s:- /n/ before bilabials becomes [m]: e.g. "το μωρόν" [to moron] the baby (acc.).
- /n/ before velarVelar consonantVelars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the velum)....
s becomes [ŋ]: e.g. "την κρατικήν" [tiŋ ɡratiˈcin] ('governmental', acc.). - Standard Greek sandhi rules for word-final [n] do not apply to Cypriot Greek; the /n/ is used much more frequently in Cypriot Greek.
- The vowel eta ‹η› is in some words pronounced which according to the "ErasmianAncient Greek phonologyAncient Greek phonology is the study of the phonology, or pronunciation, of Ancient Greek. Because of the passage of time, the original pronunciation of Ancient Greek, like that of all ancient languages, can never be known with absolute certainty...
" understanding is ancient Greek. A basic common example would be "μην", in Cypriot "μεν".
Morphology
- Present participles ending in -οντα instead of Modern Greek -οντας.
- Archaisms such as the use of infinitives as nouns (e.g. το δειν, the gaze)
- In slangSlangSlang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
. the TurkishTurkish languageTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
derivationalDerivation (linguistics)In linguistics, derivation is the process of forming a new word on the basis of an existing word, e.g. happi-ness and un-happy from happy, or determination from determine...
suffixSuffixIn linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
-lik, added as -λίκκι(ν), is used to transform a concrete noun to an abstract noun as noted here. For example: "ο πρόεδρος" ('president') yields "το προεδριλίκκι" ('presidency').
Note: The incorporation of this particular type of Turkish morphology is also found in Standard Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
, however as the suffix -λίκι.
Cypriot Greek used two κ to phonologically imitate the aspirated k of Turkish.
- The suffixes -ούης/-ούα/-ούι(ν) for masculine, feminine and neuter respectively, are used to derive diminutives of nouns, in place of Standard Greek -άκης/-ίτσα/-άκι. The Cypriot Greek suffixes derive from the original -ούδης/-ούδα/-ούδι(ν) with the drop of intervocalic ‹δ›. For example, "καττούιν" would be a heavily Cypriot version of "γατούδι" ('kitty').
Vocabulary
- The Modern Cypriot lexicon contains loanwords mostly from Old FrenchOld FrenchOld French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
, ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Provençal, and few words from other languages. Additionally, non-Muslim speakers use standard Muslim Arabic expressions such as mashalla(h)Masha'Allah' is an Arabic phrase that expresses appreciation, joy, praise or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. Towards this, it is used as an expression of respect, while at the same time serving as a reminder that all accomplishments are so achieved by the will of God...
and halalHalalHalal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
i, which have become part of the vocabulary, while Muslim speakers use Christian expressions form Greek such as "a, panayia mou!" - The Cypriot lexicon also contains Ancient GreekAncient GreekAncient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
vocabulary which is no longer used in Standard GreekStandard GreekStandard registers of the Greek language*Attic Greek *Koine Greek *Katharevousa*Standard Modern Greek...
, for instance: Συντυχάννω/λαλώ (talk), or Αρέσκει μου (I like) with the κ in tact from classical, and πλάσματα (people). - Different names for foodstuff to standard modern Greek. For example prickly pears are commonly found both on CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. In GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
including CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
they are known as "φραγκόσυκα" (i.e. "Frankish figs"), and in Cyprus they are known as "παπουτσόσυκα" (i.e. "shoe figs").
Syntax
- The verb is: ένι and εν instead of είναι (Modern GreekModern GreekModern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
). εν is ambiguous between the negative particle (Standard Greek δεν), in front of a verb (e.g. εν πειράζει = δεν πειράζει "it doesn't matter"), and the copula (e.g. εν καλά = είναι καλά "he/she/it is well"). - "έννα" used as the Future particle, in contrast to standard Greek "θα" (each of these being a different contraction from θέλει νά)
- Personal pronouns
strong weak Nom. Acc. Gen. Acc. Gen. 1st Person Sg.
Pl.εγιώ / εγιώνι / εγώνι
εμείςεμένα(ν)
εμάςμε
μαςμου
μας2nd Person Sg.
Pl.εσού / εσούνι
εσείςεσένα(ν)
εσάςσε
σαςσου
σας3rd Person Sg. m.
f.
n.τούτος
τούτη(ν)
τούτο(ν)τούτο(ν)/τούντο(ν)
τούτη(ν)/τούντη(ν)
τούτο(ν)/τούντο(ν)τούτου/τούντου
τούτης/τούντης
τούτου/τούντουτο(ν)
τη(ν)
τοτου
της
τουPl. m.
f.
n.τούτοι
τούτες
τούτατούτους/τούντους
τούτες/τούντες
τούτα/τούντατούτων/τούντων
τούτων/τούντων
τούτων/τούντωντους
τες
τατους
τους
τους
Note: εγιώ/εγιώνι and εσού/εσούνι are currently not in use as much as standard Greek εγώ and εσύ. Τούντο is a contraction of Τούτον το etc. Both forms can be used e.g. Τούτον το πράμαν = τούντο πράμαν.
Besides τούτος as a generic demonstrative, there is also the more specific spatial demonstrative pronoun τζείνος, -η, -ο ('him/her/that there'). (From Standard Greek εκείνος).
- Order of personal pronoun-verb is different than modern Greek, example:
"(He) told me" in Cypriot is "Είπεν μου" instead of standard modern Greek "μου είπε"
Spelling
While the σι spelling is commonly used to represent [ʃ], it presupposes a following vowel, e.g. σιέρι. When [ʃ] is found at the end of the word or before a consonant (in loan words), the σι spelling cannot be used. For example the word /paʃ/ < the Turkish baş meaning "main"(or "head"), cannot be spelled as πάσι, since that will be interpreted as [ˈpasi]. Since diacritics are not used outside linguistics, Cypriots will frequently double σ as σς or recourse to the English spelling instead: πασς or παsh.Metathesis
Sometimes two-syllable words are inverted. For example κλάτσες instead of κάλτσες (socks).Names
- Cypriot Greeks may have standard Greek patronyms, like Papadopoulos, but there are some which are clearly Cypriot Greek. There are some names which indicate place of birth or origin, e.g. Παφίτης being from PaphosPaphosPaphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
, or Καϊμακλιώτης being from KaimakliKaimakliKaimakli is a large North Eastern suburb located within the Municipality of Nicosia since 1968. The population of the area was 10864 inhabitants in 2001.-History:...
, or professional occupation e.g. Σκαρπάρης (shoemaker), Κωμοδρόμος (smith) etc. As most cypriots used patronymics until independence (1960) when surnames became officially used in public registers, a similar process of creation of surnames took place to that of other Greek speaking populations outside the Hellenic Republic e.g. the Pontians . A good example would be Ευσταθιάδου (bearing the also commonly Pontian -άδης (masc.)/ -άδου (fem.) ending). Additionally, Cypriot patronymy includes a couple of semi-diphthongs in some names, i.e. beginning with Ττ or Κκ marking aspirated unvoiced plosives, e.g. Ττοφή .
- Cypriot first names include: Γιωρκής, Στυλλής, Αλισαβού, Πκιερής.
- Also there are names which, whilst normal names elsewhere, are unusual except in Cyprus where they are more highly concentrated. Examples include: Βαρνάβας, Βερεγγάρια, Δωμέτιος, Μάμας, Μάριος and Νεόφυτος.
- In keeping with older traditions of Greeks, Cypriots often have as their patronym, literally, the name of the father. At the same time the first-born son may take as a first name his paternal grandfather's name (sometimes a second-born son taking as his name the maternal grandfather's name) leading to repetition. For example a grandfather being called Γεώργιος Αργυρού, his son being named Σάββας Γεωργίου, and the grandson called Γεώργιος Γεωργίου(/Σαββίδης).
Insults
Whereas in Greece the imperative "μαλάκαMalakas
Malakas is a Greek slang word, whose literal translation is wanker but the usage of the term varies. Common alternative meanings include arsehole or jerk, and the contrasting dude, or mate depending on the context. It derives from the Greek word malakos , which means "soft" or "spoilt, well-used to...
!" now is more often used in jest, and comes close to meaning something like "mate!", in Cyprus it remains highly offensive and literally "wanker!". Cypriots also use a Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
word for pimp namely "(ρε) πεζεβέγκι!"