Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

The Maronites of Cyprus
Cyprus is not far from the Lebanon, and the Maronites have had colonies in Cyprus ever since the seventh century. From writers such as William Dandini.

A chief difference between Cypriot Maronites and the others is their language. In spite of the efforts to the monks who are in charge of the parishes, many of whom were not born in Cyprus, to revive and sustain the use of Arabic, the local faithful speak Greek, and the epistle at the Liturgy is read in Greek. A different language tends to engender a foreign mentality and the opposition to Greek is strong amongst the monks, but one would rather see more interest taken in their ancient national language Syriac, which is still spoken in one or two remote Lebanese villages.

In common with the rest of their race the Cypriot Maronites are unwilling to admit that their church has ever strayed from orthodoxy, but the facts of history are against this contention and there is a submission of Maronites in Cyprus recorded so late as 1445.

[denizaksulu]

I can't tell Armenians or Maronites apart from Hellenic Cypriots .... Their Greek is indistinguishable from GCs. No accent or dialect and no strange habits.

I knew a Maronite for a few years and just thought he was a regular GC until something cropped up.

Whereas TCs ... Lordy, lordy lord

I hope you are not surprised Oracle. Had you known any TCs who had lived among GCs all there lives, you would also been unable to tell the difference. Maybe only by their old fashion village attire.

Wrong sweetie. I can tell TCs apart from GCs .... if there is any confusion in looks (unlikely) then when they open their mouths, it's a dead give-away.



I don't object, there is room for all RoC-respecting types, but I will not deny what I know in practice. The easiest to distinguish are the London TCs (rough lot ... apart from you I am sure ).

Oh, sweetie, I am talking pre-1963, before you were a mere twinkle in your fathers eye perhaps. Well nearly. You would not be able to tell my father and uncle apart from any GC.

That goes same for my late father and uncles..
Having born/raised in a neighbourhood populated mainly with GC's in Limassol they could speak the lingo as good if not better than GC's..

Yes, to your untrained ears.

Really iceman, things like that don't matter and may even complicate things. Let's just accept we have different backgrounds but all want to live in Cyprus and some of us our entitled to, because we love the RoC .... and others are not because they are traitors!

Traitors are those who steered us into this impasse. A better word is 'victims' of the misdeeds of misguided politicians. They come in all colours.

I agree ...

......... but?

No Buts CBBB. For once we are in agreement. Unless you are talking of BUTTS.

[CBBB]

I can't tell Armenians or Maronites apart from Hellenic Cypriots .... Their Greek is indistinguishable from GCs. No accent or dialect and no strange habits.

I knew a Maronite for a few years and just thought he was a regular GC until something cropped up.

Whereas TCs ... Lordy, lordy lord

I hope you are not surprised Oracle. Had you known any TCs who had lived among GCs all there lives, you would also been unable to tell the difference. Maybe only by their old fashion village attire.

Wrong sweetie. I can tell TCs apart from GCs .... if there is any confusion in looks (unlikely) then when they open their mouths, it's a dead give-away.



I don't object, there is room for all RoC-respecting types, but I will not deny what I know in practice. The easiest to distinguish are the London TCs (rough lot ... apart from you I am sure ).

Oh, sweetie, I am talking pre-1963, before you were a mere twinkle in your fathers eye perhaps. Well nearly. You would not be able to tell my father and uncle apart from any GC.

That goes same for my late father and uncles..
Having born/raised in a neighbourhood populated mainly with GC's in Limassol they could speak the lingo as good if not better than GC's..

Yes, to your untrained ears.

Really iceman, things like that don't matter and may even complicate things. Let's just accept we have different backgrounds but all want to live in Cyprus and some of us our entitled to, because we love the RoC .... and others are not because they are traitors!

Traitors are those who steered us into this impasse. A better word is 'victims' of the misdeeds of misguided politicians. They come in all colours.

I agree ...

......... but?

No Buts CBBB. For once we are in agreement. Unless you are talking of BUTTS.

I thought the "..." indicated O hadn't quite finished and if you go back a couple of posts, you will see I was right!

[denizaksulu]

I can't tell Armenians or Maronites apart from Hellenic Cypriots .... Their Greek is indistinguishable from GCs. No accent or dialect and no strange habits.

I knew a Maronite for a few years and just thought he was a regular GC until something cropped up.

Whereas TCs ... Lordy, lordy lord

I hope you are not surprised Oracle. Had you known any TCs who had lived among GCs all there lives, you would also been unable to tell the difference. Maybe only by their old fashion village attire.

Wrong sweetie. I can tell TCs apart from GCs .... if there is any confusion in looks (unlikely) then when they open their mouths, it's a dead give-away.



I don't object, there is room for all RoC-respecting types, but I will not deny what I know in practice. The easiest to distinguish are the London TCs (rough lot ... apart from you I am sure ).

Oh, sweetie, I am talking pre-1963, before you were a mere twinkle in your fathers eye perhaps. Well nearly. You would not be able to tell my father and uncle apart from any GC.

That goes same for my late father and uncles..
Having born/raised in a neighbourhood populated mainly with GC's in Limassol they could speak the lingo as good if not better than GC's..

Yes, to your untrained ears.

Really iceman, things like that don't matter and may even complicate things. Let's just accept we have different backgrounds but all want to live in Cyprus and some of us our entitled to, because we love the RoC .... and others are not because they are traitors!

Traitors are those who steered us into this impasse. A better word is 'victims' of the misdeeds of misguided politicians. They come in all colours.

I agree ...

......... but?

No Buts CBBB. For once we are in agreement. Unless you are talking of BUTTS.

I thought the "..." indicated O hadn't quite finished and if you go back a couple of posts, you will see I was right!

Ok, Ok, lets see Oracles 'butts' then.

[Oracle]

I can't tell Armenians or Maronites apart from Hellenic Cypriots .... Their Greek is indistinguishable from GCs. No accent or dialect and no strange habits.

I knew a Maronite for a few years and just thought he was a regular GC until something cropped up.

Whereas TCs ... Lordy, lordy lord

I hope you are not surprised Oracle. Had you known any TCs who had lived among GCs all there lives, you would also been unable to tell the difference. Maybe only by their old fashion village attire.

Wrong sweetie. I can tell TCs apart from GCs .... if there is any confusion in looks (unlikely) then when they open their mouths, it's a dead give-away.



I don't object, there is room for all RoC-respecting types, but I will not deny what I know in practice. The easiest to distinguish are the London TCs (rough lot ... apart from you I am sure ).

Oh, sweetie, I am talking pre-1963, before you were a mere twinkle in your fathers eye perhaps. Well nearly. You would not be able to tell my father and uncle apart from any GC.

That goes same for my late father and uncles..
Having born/raised in a neighbourhood populated mainly with GC's in Limassol they could speak the lingo as good if not better than GC's..

Yes, to your untrained ears.

Really iceman, things like that don't matter and may even complicate things. Let's just accept we have different backgrounds but all want to live in Cyprus and some of us our entitled to, because we love the RoC .... and others are not because they are traitors!

Traitors are those who steered us into this impasse. A better word is 'victims' of the misdeeds of misguided politicians. They come in all colours.

I agree ...

......... but?

No Buts CBBB. For once we are in agreement. Unless you are talking of BUTTS.

I thought the "..." indicated O hadn't quite finished and if you go back a couple of posts, you will see I was right!

I am never going to talk to you again!

[Tim Drayton]

Last week, I was speaking to an elderly Turkish Cypriot who grew up in a Paphos village inhabited only by Turkish Cypriots but where everybody spoke Cypriot Greek, and Turkish was unknown. Cypriot Greek is his native language and he only learnt to speak Turkish later in life. A lot of the older generation of Turkish Cypriots are perfectly bilingual and speak Cypriot Greek like natives.

They are fewer in number, but some elderly Greek Cypriots speak Turkish as well. I used to go to a very elderly Greek Cypriot barber in Limassol who could, as far as I could judge, speak Turkish like a native language. He has unfortunately passed on.

[iceman]

Ok, Ok, lets see Oracles 'butts' then.

ermmm................no thank you..

[Tim Drayton]

I notice that CyBC radio broadcasts in Armenian for one hour per day. I wonder to what extent Armenian Cypriots use the Armenian language in their daily lives. Do any Armenian families in Cyprus regularly use their own language at home?

[Nikitas]

It is great fun to see professor Niyazi Kizilyuerek intereviewed on Greek TV together with a GC. The GC has an accent in Greek, the typical Cypriot accent that Greeks like to make fun of, Kizilyurek does not and that causes a certain look of consternation on Greek interviwers' faces. I enjoyed that look a lot during the days leading to the Annan referendum.