1 - 18 of 18 Posts

dpappas87

Active member
This is some cool info I found out about katharevousa.

Greek is the official language and is spoken by nearly all the citizens. It is an Indo-European language that has been used in this area since the second millenium B.C.E. , although it has undergone considerable change. A major division exists between the ordinary spoken language known as demotic and a formal version known as katharevousa, which was developed in the eighteenth century to revive elements of ancient Greek and develop a national language that did not favor any regional dialect. Katharevousa spread quickly among political leaders and the intelligentsia. Writers initially embraced it, although most turned back to demotic Greek by the twentieth century. Katharevousa was used for most state documents, in many newspapers, and in secondary school instruction until the 1970s but has been displaced by demotic Greek since that time.

Source: https://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Greece.html#ixzz717YSfPBy
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hash
Thanks so much for sharing this great information!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hash and kcixcy
It's a real shame this is not taught in school anymore. Most people can't speak it anymore...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry s and Hash
Hmmmm.....interesting I've never heard of this before
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hash
Is this a more formalized version of the Greek language? I think I may have seen it written in some older Greek writings...
 
Is this a more formalized version of the Greek language? I think I may have seen it written in some older Greek writings...
You have definitely seen it in older writings. Until about the 1930s (I think) they used to teach katharevousa in school. Today, almost no one speaks it and people will laugh at you if you speak it; although, some words are still used. For example, the technical terms for "red blood cell" and "white blood cell" are erythrocyte and leukocyte. In katharevousa erythros means red and leukos means white.

Greek is getting g dumbed down and it's a shame. The younger generation wants to simplify things (e.g. getting rid of dipthongs) - e.g. In the past the word "train" was spelled "τραίνο" and now people spell it as "τρένο".
 
You have definitely seen it in older writings. Until about the 1930s (I think) they used to teach katharevousa in school. Today, almost no one speaks it and people will laugh at you if you speak it; although, some words are still used. For example, the technical terms for "red blood cell" and "white blood cell" are erythrocyte and leukocyte. In katharevousa erythros means red and leukos means white.

Greek is getting g dumbed down and it's a shame. The younger generation wants to simplify things (e.g. getting rid of dipthongs) - e.g. In the past the word "train" was spelled "τραίνο" and now people spell it as "τρένο".
Sometimes simple is good, but you lose a lot of history and culture with it. I find Greek very hard to spell and learn, and i’ve heard a lot of native speakers struggle with the spelling. The rules are pretty hard to follow. I’m not sure if that has much to do with katharevousa though
 
Sometimes simple is good, but you lose a lot of history and culture with it. I find Greek very hard to spell and learn, and i’ve heard a lot of native speakers struggle with the spelling. The rules are pretty hard to follow. I’m not sure if that has much to do with katharevousa though
Greek grammar is very difficult to learn, especially for a foreigner. Up until the 70's ancient Greek was taught at high schools. Just like English they made it simpler and easier to learn. They even had two different accents, oxia and perispomeni, that's gone. What about pneumata they don't exist now either.
I don't know where you I'm guessing USA. American English is simpler than UK English. As an example they replace "gh" in the word light with a T .
 
Greek grammar is very difficult to learn, especially for a foreigner. Up until the 70's ancient Greek was taught at high schools. Just like English they made it simpler and easier to learn. They even had two different accents, oxia and perispomeni, that's gone. What about pneumata they don't exist now either.
I don't know where you I'm guessing USA. American English is simpler than UK English. As an example they replace "gh" in the word light with a T .
Ancient Greek is still taught in high school and middle school.
 
Sometimes simple is good, but you lose a lot of history and culture with it. I find Greek very hard to spell and learn, and i’ve heard a lot of native speakers struggle with the spelling. The rules are pretty hard to follow. I’m not sure if that has much to do with katharevousa though
Learning to spell in Greek is no different than other languages. The people in Greece who can't spell are the same as English speakers who can't spell - they aren't trying hard enough to learn.

Grammar isn't that hard to learn in Greek, but you will pick it up over time and start to sound more like a native as you practice.
 
Learning to spell in Greek is no different than other languages. The people in Greece who can't spell are the same as English speakers who can't spell - they aren't trying hard enough to learn.

Grammar isn't that hard to learn in Greek, but you will pick it up over time and start to sound more like a native as you practice.
Hmm that's a pretty good point
 
Hmm that's a pretty good point
When it comes to spelling and phonetics, English is far harder language than Greek because English is a language made up of several different languages. When it comes to grammar, English is a complete joke, except for the prepositions "in, at, on, and to". Most languages only have one word for these prepositions, and in Greek that word is se (σε). Eimai sto (se + to) spiti sou = I am at/in your house, Eimai sto (se + to) nisi = I'm on the island, thelw na paw sti (se + ti) thalasa = I want to go to the beach. Greek people will use these prepositions incorrectly when speaking English (e.g. I am to your house), and it's hard to teach them exactly when to use them because there are specific rules on when to use them.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: auroracoor1
When it comes to spelling and phonetics, English is far harder language than Greek because English is a language made up of several different languages. When it comes to grammar, English is a complete joke, except for the prepositions "in, at, on, and too". Most languages only have one word for these prepositions, and in Greek that word is se (σε). Eimai sto (se + to) spiti sou = I am at/in your house, Eimai sto (se + to) nisi = I'm on the island, thelw na paw sti (se + ti) thalasa = I want to go to the beach. Greek people will use these prepositions incorrectly when speaking English (e.g. I am to your house), and it's hard to teach them exactly when to use them because there are specific rules on when to use them.
This is true, Ive heard many people say that English is pretty hard in terms of getting the grammar perfect, but because there is no verb conjugations its actually pretty easy to communicate when you don't know it perfectly
 
It's a real shame this is not taught in school anymore. Most people can't speak it anymore...
I'm in no position to make a judgment on the utility of this formalized Greek language, but I just learned from Wikipedia that it does, or tries to do, away with the ancient Greek vowel diphthongs; I suppose it retained Xi [ks] and Psi [ps]. That is a pity, because many diphtongs are not mere diction phenomena, but significant grammatical forms, as in "Zeus huei". Furthermore, one reason I think that Greeks, not Phoenicians, invented the alphabet is precisely that the Greek language had an abundance of vowel sounds which had to be represented in writing. (The fact that some Semites used only consonants in their writings does not imply that the original alphabet consisted of only consonants; it was syllabic, as in the Linear B script and in Greek metric poetry. Syllables require vowel accuracy.)
 
I'm in no position to make a judgment on the utility of this formalized Greek language, but I just learned from Wikipedia that it does, or tries to do, away with the ancient Greek vowel diphthongs; I suppose it retained Xi [ks] and Psi [ps]. That is a pity, because many diphtongs are not mere diction phenomena, but significant grammatical forms, as in "Zeus huei". Furthermore, one reason I think that Greeks, not Phoenicians, invented the alphabet is precisely that the Greek language had an abundance of vowel sounds which had to be represented in writing. (The fact that some Semites used only consonants in their writings does not imply that the original alphabet consisted of only consonants; it was syllabic, as in the Linear B script and in Greek metric poetry. Syllables require vowel accuracy.)
What exactly is a dipthong?
 
What exactly is a dipthong?
To begin with, a single, simple, and distinct sound of the human voice is called a phoneme. Two phonemes, uttered one immediately after another, are called a diphthong. English,too, has many diphthongs, but they are not written down. E.g. : "Night" is not written as n-a-i-t. "No" is not written as n-o-u, where u is a mere sound-flair/twist of o. // Since it is difficult to utter consonants without vowels, Greek has/had few consonantal dightongs. Typical example: PSykhE, which in English becomes S-a-i-ki. // My view: The earliest Greek writing was syllabic, that is, it reflected singing such as it is done to this day, that is, by breaking down whole words into syllables, utterable groups of consonant(s) + vowel(s). [Oh, dont for-get me, O my dar-ling on this my wed-ding day, ...] Gary Cooper was starring in the movie.
 
Last edited:
What exactly is a dipthong?
It's a combination of letters to make a new sound that they would not make on their own.

For example, in Greek ε=eh and υ=ee but when combined ευ=ef like in the word euharistw (sometimes written efharistw)
 
  • Like
Reactions: nm1999
It's a combination of letters to make a new sound that they would not make on their own.

For example, in Greek ε=eh and υ=ee but when combined ευ=ef like in the word euharistw (sometimes written efharistw)
Hmmm, so interesting! Everyone on here knows so much about Greek which is super helpful because Im trying to learn some Greek so that I can learn to speak with my husbands family and have an easier time when I visit Greece. Thanks for your info
 

Ideas for Celebrating the New Month - Kalo Mina

Growing up, I heard my family say this all the time when there was a new month. I finally started paying attention to the tradition and ritual of saying it.

Kalo Mina actually means "Good Month" but my family took it a step further. We developed the habit of doing something special as a family to celebrate.It depends which day it falls. Some things we've done:

- Brunch - We do this if it falls on a weekend.
- Dinner - Going out to dinner is great any time of the year!
- Journaling - We've done family journaling parties, sitting together reflecting on the month. Sometimes we read aloud what we write (depends how the month went LOL)
- Goals - No matter if we do anything, like go out to dinner or brunch, we always sit and review our goals for the month together.

Thinking about the Greek way of hospitality...

I thought I would ask your thoughts oh Philoxenia - or the Greek way, or art, of hospitality. I noticed this when I travel in Greece. People are so kind, they often go out of the way for us, when I feel that they don't have to! How can one describe this to someone?

From what I understand, Philoxenia is not merely a practice but a deeply ingrained value within Greek culture that extends far beyond the simple act of hosting. It reflects a genuine, heartfelt welcome to strangers, treating them with the same respect and generosity one would show to a dearly beloved friend. This beautiful tradition, passed down through generations, turns the act of hosting into an art form, embodying warmth, respect, and a profound sense of human compassion. There have been so many stories I can think of...

This thought process was triggered because we were watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 - someone in the village had taken on a Syrian refugee. Is this a Greek hospitality thing? Philoxenia?

When does Orthodox lent start this year?

I noticed our Easter is late - May 5th - but Western Easter is at the end of March. Has Lent already started for them? When does our Lent start?

This year, I plan to do a stricter Lenten fast, so I want to plan some things out in advance.

Lent is a time for introspection, repentance, and spiritual growth. Through the dedicated practice of fasting, prayer, and charity, believers seek not only to grow closer to God but also to better understand themselves in relation to God’s will.

Navigating Greek Lenten Fasting - Advice?

Lent is here and all my friends and family have been asking "what are you doing for lent this year?" They're all "giving something up" but I decided I wanted to fast. I would love your help and advice because this is the first time I am doing things in a stricter way. I resolve to see it through!

It's supposed to be a a time of reflection, purification, and preparation for the celebration of Easter, and the diet plays a significant part in this spiritual journey. I don't want to get so obsessed with the "rules" that I lose myself in them and forget why I am fasting int he first place.

Thanks in advance!

List of Cretan Dances?

I will be attending a Cretan wedding and am curious about the traditional Cretan dances! I know the dances are slightly different and I want to learn some. I don't know the names of the dances so that I can look them up. I did some research, though. Are any of these dances common at these weddings?
  • Pentozali
  • Sousta
  • Siganos
  • Chaniotis
There's a dance the wedding party typically does in Crete. Which dance is that?
Share and discuss Greek traditions related to Greek weddings, christenings, dance & holidays!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top