Kypriaki Dialectos

[Crash Test Dummy]

AVGOLEMONI after school MMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Dhavlos]

Mine wasnt as good asit should have been...wasnt very lemony....but it was my first go....so it werent soooo bad...


i 'll ask my yiayia to help when i get back home at xmas

[Crash Test Dummy]

i always add extra lemon, mmmmmm

[CY]

i had keftedes today!
(lol my yiayia and pappou are staying with me because parentals are in Cyprus).
hmmm and this nice rice/bean soup with potato and leek, tho i dont think it has a name. just homemade yumminess!

[Crash Test Dummy]

[Dhavlos]

I cant wait to go home....my yiayiais stayin with us....so its gooood cypriot food all day long!!

Im gonna be huuuuge before i get back to uni! lol

[Leon]

'K' followed by an 'e' or 'i' sound in Greek usually becomes 'j' (as in 'jam') in Cypriot (of course many stay the same, and a few become 'ch' (as in 'church', but I think this is from Cretan Greek (i.e. 'kokkino' ('red') -> 'kochino')), i.e. 'ke' ('and') -> 'je', 'kalokeri' ('summer') -> 'kalojeri', and even 'Kypros' ('Cyprus') -> 'Jypros', but this is very villagey and rarely heard now.

'H' followed by an 'e' or 'i' sound in Greek usually becomes a 'sh' sound in Cypriot (with exceptions of course), i.e. 'himonas' ('winter') -> 'shimonas', 'psyhi' ('soul') -> 'psyshi'.

Some sounds are generally 'shortened' as in the following cases:

'Ts' followed by an 'e' or 'i' sound in Greek usually becomes 'ch' in Cypriot (of course, with exceptions), i.e. 'papoutsia' ('shoes') -> 'papoucha'.

'Tz' followed by an 'e' or 'i' sound in Greek usually becomes 'j' in Cypriot (with exceptions).

'Z' followed by an 'e' or 'i' sound in Cypriot usually becomes a French 'j' (like 'je suis', or like the 'su' in the English 'pleasure'). I will represent this as 'jh'. I.e. 'trapezia' ('tables') -> 'trapejha'.

'D' or 't' in Greek followed by an 'e' or 'i' sound often become 'thk' in Cypriot (exceptions of course), i.e. 'louloudia' ('flowers') -> 'loulouthkia', 'spitia' ('houses; homes') -> 'spithkia'.
____________

Word order is usually the same, but in the Greek present tense, the personal pronoun comes before the verb, i.e. 'to vlepo' ('I see it', with 'to' meaning 'it' and 'vlepo' 'I see'), but in Cypriot this is often swapped around (thus following the English order), producing 'vlepo to'. This is only correct in present and past, not future (it would always be 'tha to do' ('I will see it') and never 'tha do to').

There are many words that are completely different in Cypriot than to the Greek words, i.e. 'tsepi' ('pocket') -> 'pounga', 'louloudi' ('flower') -> 'fkioro' (although this is very villagey and rarely heard'), 'dangono' ('I bite') -> 'akkano'. The translatum dictionary is the best one I think.

Also, diminutives in neuter in Greek end in 'aki' (i.e. 'poulaki' (from 'pouli', meaning 'bird' (so 'poulaki' = 'little bird')), although in Cypriot it's common to hear 'oui' instead.

Leon.

[Dhavlos]

OMG!!! is there anything about languages you dont know!?!? That is brilliant. I really am in awe of the amount you know, and how clearly you explain it! I think you are the resident knowledge base on cypriot-greek!, or even greek in general!

[Crash Test Dummy]

Leon is a Multi-Lingual Ace

[Leon]

Thanks Dhav and Crash .

Without meaning to sound big-headed, all of what I wrote is from what I have personally noticed myself.

I suppose from the way I have been taught, and just general methods I am used to comes the way I give over my information. I try to make my explanations "understandable of technical rules but in a non-technical manner" if that's possible. I'm glad what I write is clear .

The thing is, I don't think I'm really so fanatical about languages, I just find them easy and I think that if somebody lives in a different country to their native, then their original language should be taught to them (Cypriots in England have no excuse to speak English to their children). It's part of their identity and culture, and is one of the most important things in a culture in my opinion.

Dhav are you second generation Cypriot? Milas ellinika stous goneis sou?

Giorgio how good is your Greek? Do you make many mistakes?

I'm just interested that's all.

Leon.

[Crash Test Dummy]

My biggest regret is bunking/gettin expeled from Greek Schools.

I can understand pretty much everything people say, Even the news, but my speaking is not that great. And as for writing thats a no no. Neat handwriting for what its worth

[Dhavlos]

Leon, my grandparents came to england in the 40's, and both my parents were born here in england...so i think that makes me a second generation.


I dont really speak greek to my parents, but i do to my grandparents,and the rest of their generation in greek.

i went to greek school, but after not so good teachers, it took me a while to really start learning it properly. I got a B in my Greek GCSE (which i did in less than a year ) , but since finishing greek school, my greek has diminished somewhat! What i will try to do is either take up a course here at uni for greek, to 'revise' my knowledge, or when i finish uni, to take a night course or something.

hope that helps answer your post

[Leon]

Second generation Cypriots' Greek does tend to go downhill. One thing you could (and should) do is speak Greek with your parents. Practice is the best way to learn.

Most England-raised Cypriots would say the same as Giorgio: understanding a lot more than speaking.

Leon.

[DigenisAkritas]

Also reading, things like newspapers, books.. Is good for learning a language.