Cyprus-Forum.com

[Stephanie77]

Actually, I don't think learning two dialects is so difficult: I actually speak American English, British English, and Indian English (Tamil) but I wanted to hear from you guys. I have had conflicting reports. Sotos, it is easier for children to learn languages. Once we reach adolescence, we become self-conscious about making funny sounds, and then most of us have to learn a foreign language academically. Only one out of twenty can continue to learn like a child. I've studied Applied Linguistics too.

[Stephanie77]

I'm a Greek Speaker and often can't understand the Cypriot Language as I speak Kalamaristika. Cypriots call me Kalamara or Squid in English. Cypriot has a lot of foreign external influences from the British and the Italian Language from the Venetian period. These influences are quite good, but there is the odd Turkish/Ottoman word in the Cypriot Language. But thankfully, thanks to the British influence, the Ottoman Psyche seems to be more confined to Greece.

It's not like the Brits and Americans who can understand each other despite the accents. Cypriot is more like Australian and no the Brits and Americans can't understand Australian too well. No one understands Cypriots or Australians.

I have a Sicilian background and I'm trying to learn Greek. I knew the word "kalamara" and kept using that to say "Good Morning."

[Sotos]

I'm a Greek Speaker and often can't understand the Cypriot Language as I speak Kalamaristika. Cypriots call me Kalamara or Squid in English. Cypriot has a lot of foreign external influences from the British and the Italian Language from the Venetian period. These influences are quite good, but there is the odd Turkish/Ottoman word in the Cypriot Language. But thankfully, thanks to the British influence, the Ottoman Psyche seems to be more confined to Greece.

It's not like the Brits and Americans who can understand each other despite the accents. Cypriot is more like Australian and no the Brits and Americans can't understand Australian too well. No one understands Cypriots or Australians.

I have a Sicilian background and I'm trying to learn Greek. I knew the word "kalamara" and kept using that to say "Good Morning."

Good Morning is "Kalimera" ... Kali (Good) mera (day)

[Stephanie77]

καλημερα!

[GreekIslandGirl]

Sotos, it is easier for children to learn languages.

I thought prevailing ideas suggested otherwise. Whilst babies/children may take several years to 'learn' their first language, adults can usually 'learn' a second language in several months.

- But it depends exactly which skills you are talking about here.

[GreekIslandGirl]

Kalamaras doesn't mean squid. "Kalamari" in the old times meant "pen". Hence Kalamaras actually means a person doing mental work.
The mainland Greeks started been called Kalamaras because the main interaction of Cypriots with them was through educated mainland Greeks coming to Cyprus-usually as teachers.

That's spot on. Ironically, it sill manages to highlight the uneducated who think it means 'squid'.

[RichardB]

Well both of you are almost right... The kalamaras term came about because the teachers used the ink from the squid for their writings.

Morning all

Does no one read my posts

[GreekIslandGirl]

Well both of you are almost right... The kalamaras term came about because the teachers used the ink from the squid for their writings.

Morning all

Does no one read my posts

Sorry my darling. Good effort. But, it's ancient.

For example, Plato's Phaedrus - uses ' o kalamos' to mean 'the pen'.

And, 'the ink' was/ is 'to melan' (as in melanin).

Anything else?

[tsukoui]

καλημερα!

Na bou ti fun wa si lo! See it's easy Stephanie, not that I'm expecting any of these country bumpkins to understand...

[GreekIslandGirl]

Well both of you are almost right... The kalamaras term came about because the teachers used the ink from the squid for their writings.

Morning all

Does no one read my posts

Sorry my darling. Good effort. But, it's ancient.

For example, Plato's Phaedrus - uses ' o kalamos' to mean 'the pen'.

And, 'the ink' was/ is 'to melan' (as in melanin).

Anything else?

And finally (if tsukoui can stop interrupting) - "reed", which is what old pens were made from, is from the ancient Greek 'o kalamos' - again!