Cyprus-Forum.com

[Plato]

Hello everyone!

I am trying to learn Greek and just have a few questions I am hoping you bright lot can help me with!

Firstly, can a Greek (say from Athens) understand a Greek Cypriot, and vice versa? Basically, are the Attic and Cypriot dialects mutually intelligible?

Also, can a native Greek speaker really understand ancient Greek, i.e. that used to write the New Testament?

Thanks guys in advance!

I am fascinated by the Greek language and look forward to your replies!

[gomesilva]

well.. i`m portuguese but my girlfriend (cypriot) told me that a cypriot can understand a greek without any problem... but the vice versa isn`t the same... am i right?

[Sotos]

Firstly, can a Greek (say from Athens) understand a Greek Cypriot, and vice versa?

Yes. The Cypriot will understand easily, but the Athenian will have to make an effort and might still miss a few words.

Also, can a native Greek speaker really understand ancient Greek, i.e. that used to write the New Testament?

Not fully unless he studied ancient Greek separetely. Cypriot dialect kept more elements from ancient than the mainland dialects.

[Plato]

Thanks for the responses.

Sotos, you say that the Athenian will need to make an effort, but can I presume from this that he will understand the Cypriot well enough to hold a conversation? Or will the conversation simply break down due to misunderstandings?

Further, if the Cypriot can fully understand the Athenian, would he not then be able to speak in the Athenian's dialect himself, or is this beyond his normal competency?

Also, do the leaders of Cyprus in a formal setting speak in the Cypriot dialect or the Standard Greek dialect? As I have been told that Standard Greek is used in Cyprus in formal settings.

Thanks

[DT.]

Thanks for the responses.

Sotos, you say that the Athenian will need to make an effort, but can I presume from this that he will understand the Cypriot well enough to hold a conversation? Or will the conversation simply break down due to misunderstandings?

By my experience it will break down. Words used every day in Cypriot are completely foreign to Greeks. (Thoro...instead of Vlepo. Vourro...instead of treho)

Further, if the Cypriot can fully understand the Athenian, would he not then be able to speak in the Athenian's dialect himself, or is this beyond his normal competency?

Nearly all Cypriots under 75 can speak in the Athenian dialect. Its something we all do when we're in formal conversation.

Also, do the leaders of Cyprus in a formal setting speak in the Cypriot dialect or the Standard Greek dialect? As I have been told that Standard Greek is used in Cyprus in formal settings.

Standard Greek with the occassional Tjai instead of the Kai thrown in.

[bill cobbett]

Spent a few days in Athens a couple of years ago. I was very worried that I wouldn't get by with my pretty bad conversational CY dialect, but I managed OK. Spent some time on Rhodes and a couple of other gr islands where the locals spoke something pretty close to the CY dialect.

If in doubt remember the golden rule for converting CY to GR - just add -aki to the end of words!

[Oracle]

Spent a few days in Athens a couple of years ago. I was very worried that I wouldn't get by with my pretty bad conversational CY dialect, but I managed OK. Spent some time on Rhodes and a couple of other gr islands where the locals spoke something pretty close to the CY dialect.

If in doubt remember the golden rule for converting CY to GR - just add -aki to the end of words!

.... except for angouraki, for some obscure reason

[Xybadog]

What's the aki for?

[Sega]

What's the aki for?

some people chose to put it on the end. It can mean small.... so, the if the word is panteloni (trousers), then placing aki on the end of it... pantelonaki... means shorts.

[bill cobbett]

What's the aki for?

I think it's a sort of reference to "small", but I may be wrong. Anyone else have a view on - aki ?