Cypriot Greek
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| History of the Greek language (see also: Greek alphabet) |
| Proto-Greek (c. 2000 BC)
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| Mycenaean (c. 1600–1100 BC)
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| Ancient Greek (c. 800–300 BC) Dialects: Aeolic, Arcadocypriot, Attic-Ionic, Doric, Pamphylian; Homeric Greek. Possible dialect: Macedonian. |
| Koine Greek (from c. 300 BC)
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| Medieval Greek (c. 330–1453)
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| Modern Greek (from 1453) Dialects: Cappadocian,Cretan, Cypriot, Demotic, Griko, Katharevousa, Pontic, Tsakonian, Yevanic |
- This article is about the modern Greek dialect of Cyprus. For the ancient Greek dialect, see Arcadocypriot.
The Cypriot dialect of Greek (Cypriot Greek (Greek: Κυπριακή διάλεκτος) or Kypriaka (Greek: Κυπριακά)) is spoken by more than half a million people in Cyprus and several hundreds of thousands abroad.
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[edit] Usage and settings
It is the spoken everyday language of most Greek Cypriots. It is also the first language of older Turkish Cypriots from specific villages (e.g Louroudjina and the Tylliria/Dillirga region) and most other older Turkish Cypriots would speak it as a second language. 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 Greek-speaking foreigners. Cypriot Greek is common on the internet and on phone text messages.
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 villager (χώρκατος) or of an uneducated and poor background. This can be particularly stigmatizing within formal and upper class circles. On the other hand the overavoidance of dialect (closer to the Standard Greek acrolect) can be stigmatizing in other circles where it is considered fake or posh.
[edit] History and literature
The modern Cypriot dialect is not an evolution of the ancient Arcadocypriot dialect, but evolved from Koine. 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 the 10th century 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 mainly 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) and the tradition of ποιητάρηες. More recently it has been used in Reggae by Hadji Mike and rap by several Cypriot hip hop groups. (See also Music of Cyprus).
Locally produced television shows, usually comedies or soap operas, make use of the dialect.
[edit] Technical characteristics
[edit] Phonology
- Double consonants preserved the stressed pronunciation of Ancient Greek.
- Extreme "palatalization" of Greek velars to palato-alveolars when followed by the front vowels [e] and [i] and the semivowel [j]. 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 "palatalalization" of kappa (κάππα), i.e. κ > κ̌: Standard Greek [c] becomes a soft affricate [tʃ]. This sound is usually represented with τζι or the more correct κ̌. For example, Standard Greek καί [ce] meaning and becomes Cypriot Greek τζιαί or κ̌αί [tʃe]. Also Standard Greek εκείνος [e'cinos] becomes Cypriot Greek κ̌είνος ['tʃinos]. Note however this is not a hard and fast rule (counter-examples: κηδεία, κέρδος, άκυρο, ρακέττα).
- The "palatalalization" of chi (χι), i.e. χ > χ̌: Similarly Standard Greek [ç] becomes [ʃ]. This sound is usually represented with σι or the more correct χ̌. For example, Standard Greek χέρι ['çeri] meaning hand becomes Cypriot Greek σιέρι or χ̌έρι ['ʃeri].
- While the σι spelling is common, it presupposes a following vowel: σιέρι = <sjeri>. Word-finally and before a consonant (in loan words), σι cannot be used: /paʃ/ < Turkish baş, "main", cannot be spelled as πάσι, since that will be interpreted as [pasi]. Since diacritics are not used outside linguistics, Cypriots will frequently recourse to English sh instead: παsh.
- Devoicing of φ, θ and χ (aspirated consonants in Ancient Greek) before liquids and nasals, to β, δ and γ respectively. (e.g. γρόνος (Cypriot dialect) instead of χρόνος (Modern Greek) (= year), άδρωπος (Cypriot dialect) instead of άνθρωπος (Modern Greek) (= human)).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 Standard Greek would be pronounced as πκοιός [pcos], σπίτια [spi'tça] in Standard Greek would be pronounced as σπίθκια [spi'θca]). This is carried further in some parts of Cyprus where speakers use e.g. πσοιός [pʃos]
- External sandhi rules for word-final nasal consonants:
- /n/ before bilabials becomes [m]: e.g. τον παπαγάλον [tom bapa'ɣalon] the parrot (acc.).
- /n/ before velars becomes [ŋ]: e.g. την κρατικήν [tiŋ grati'kin] the 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.
[edit] 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 slang the Turkish derivational suffix -lik, added as -λίκκι(ν), is used to transform a concrete noun to an abstract noun as noted here.
For example: "ο πρόεδρος" (the president) becomes "το προεδριλίκκι" (the presidency).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 immitate 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.
[edit] Vocabulary
- The Modern Cypriot lexicon contains loanwords mostly from Italian, Provençal, Turkish and English, and other languages, as well as words unique to Cyprus. Thus typically non muslim speakers use standard muslim expressions such as i(n)shalla(h) or mashalla(h) which have become part of the vocabulary.
- The Cypriot lexicon also contains Ancient Greek vocabulary which is no longer used in Standard Greek. Example: Συντυχάννω/λαλώ (talk).
[edit] Syntax
- The verb is: ένι and εν instead of είναι (Modern Greek). When εν is used in front of a verb, it acts like Standard Greek δεν (e.g. εν πειράζει = δεν πειράζει). When it is in front of a noun or adjective it acts like Standard Greek είναι (e.g. εν καλά = είναι καλά).
- "εν να" used as the Future particle (in contrast to Modern Greek "θα")
- Personal pronouns
| strong | weak | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | Acc. | Gen. | Acc. | Gen. | |||
| 1st Person | Sg. Pl. |
εγιώ / εγιώνι / εγώνι εμείς |
εμένα(ν) εμάς |
με μας |
μου μας |
||
| 2nd Person | Sg. Pl. |
εσού / εσούνι εσείς |
εσένα(ν) εσάς |
σε σας |
σου σας |
||
| 3rd 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/τούντου |
το(ν) τη(ν) το |
του της του |
| Pl. | m. f. n. |
τούτοι τούτες τούτα |
τούτους/τούντους τούτες/τούντες τούτα/τούντα |
τούτων/τούντων τούτων/τούντων τούτων/τούντων |
τους τες τα |
τους 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"
[edit] References
Beaudouin, M. 1884: Étude du dialecte chypriote moderne et medieval (Paris)
Horrocks, G. 1997: Greek: A History of the Language and its Speakers (London), ελλ. μτφ. υπό Μ. Σταύρου & Μ. Τζεβελέκου (Αθήνα 2006)
Thumb, A. 1909: Handbuch der griechischen Dialekte (Heidelberg)
Κοντοσόπουλος, Ν. 1994(2): Διάλεκτοι και Ιδιώματα της Νέας Ελληνικής (Αθήνα)
Μενάρδος, Σ. 1969: Γλωσσικαί Μελέται (Λευκωσία)
Μηνάς, Κ. 1987: «Αφομοίωση του ερρίνου με τους άηχους κλειστούς φθόγγους στην ελληνική γλώσσα» ― Πρακτικά Β΄ Διεθνούς Κυπριολογικού Συνεδρίου, τόμ. 3, σελ. 253-283 (Λευκωσία)
Μηνάς, Κ. 2000: «Φωνητικά και ετυμολογικά τής Κυπριακής διαλέκτου» ― Νεοελληνική Διαλεκτολογία 3, σελ. 151-188
Newton, B. 1972: Cypriot Greek. Its phonology and inflexion (The Hague: Mouton)
Παντελίδης, Χ. 1929: Φωνητική των Νεοελληνικών Ιδιωμάτων Κύπρου, Δωδεκανήσου και Ικαρίας (Αθήνα)
Χατζηιωάννου, Κ. 1996: Ετυμολογικό Λεξικό τής Ομιλουμένης Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου (Λευκωσία)
Χατζηιωάννου, Κ. 1999: Γραμματική τής Ομιλουμένης Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου (Λευκωσία)
Χριστοδούλου, Μ. 1970: "Περί των διαλεκτικών ζωνών εν τη νέα Ελληνική γλώσση και της θέσεως της κυπριακής διαλέκτου εν αυταίς" - Επετηρίς Κέντρου Επιστημονικών Ερευνών Κύπρου, τόμ. 3, σελ. 119-138
