Bilingualism among Turkish Cypriots

[Bullika]

I recently was in the great city, Istanbul. Whilst shopping for some sports clothes, I confess I was feeling a little lazy so I asked the attendant to look for something, but half way I kept changing to Turkish as I do with mum and dad. To my astonishment the girl (what a nasty piece of work) said to me, sen delimisin? nicin yari ingilizce yari turkce konusuyorsun? "are you mad, why are talking half english half turkish? talk one language or the other for christ sakes" (did not use that exact expression but something like that)


Do any of the other Turkish Cypriots or indeed Greek Cypriots do this (talk half English half Greek/Turkish)???


I must confess I do it unconsciously, its why my turkish has never really developed too much.

[Dhavlos]

Yeh, dont worry, i think anyone who is not a 'native', ie were born/raised elsewhere from cyprus, speak like that.

My mums generation, and my generation all speak half english half greek. Sometimes it just sounds right!

[brother]

Guilty here aswell on that one.

[Leon]

Mehmet, which country were you raised in?

My Greek teacher, who has lived in England for about three years now, also does this sometimes. Us English-Cypriots do this a lot (its good to avoid, but sometimes I do it on purpose to get a better meaning or to make it sound funnier depending on what I'm talking about). I have been thinking about this quite a lot, recently, and I was thinking how in Greek you automatically know if an English word would sound right there, for example, there is no Greek word for the verb 'bully', and I believe the nearest correct words are: 'enohlo' /'pirazo' ('annoy'; 'bother'), or 'enohlo'/pirazo me via' ('annoy/bother with violence'), but we say 'kano bully' ('do/make bully(ing)'). The word 'kano' ('make/do') is perhaps the most common word used followed by the English term, and it doesn't sound wrong. It always fits. I think sometimes even to Cypriots (teachers especially) who have moved to England from Cyprus would even feel 'kano bully' is better that 'enohlo me via', and the latter would sound more 'essay-type' anyway. It's difficult to explain (I don't know if there is something similar in Turkish), but maybe you'll understand.

We also switch languages mid-sentence, or just add a few words/phrase in English. My teacher always does this, and an example could be something like this: "Diladi, de tous pirazei katholou. To kanoun only for their own good and what they can get out of it kai ine toso selfish pou ..." ("That is to say/in other words, it doesn't bother them at all. They do it only for their own good and what they can get out of it and they are so selfish that...").

The correct term for this is Grenglish (a portmanteau of Greek and English), and other similar things that exist are Franglais (Francais (French) and Anglais (English)), Germish (German and English) and so on. So I guess the thing you guys speak is probably Turklish .

Leon.

[cannedmoose]

Brilliantly explained Leon...

[Khan]

Yes be annem! I think all Cypriots in England do this.

[Dhavlos]

when i speak 'gringlish', it is usually to replace a noun in greek that we dont know. For example:

na baw na kamw da homework mou -im going to do my homework

[Leon]

Thanks, moosey .

I say 'homework' too. The correct word(s) is/are 'mathimata (apo to sholio)' ('lessons (from school)'), but I suppose even to the ears of Greeks and Cypriots who have emigrated here 'homework' sounds perfectly fine in Greek. All of my teachers use this.

Thinking about a few weeks back on Novemnber 5th, I was walking home with the three Greek teachers at the Greek school to one of them's flat (where I have private lessons), and one asked me why the English celebrated this day. I tried to explain about Guy Fawkes but I forgot some words : "O Guy Fawkes prospathise na blow up tin Vouli me gunpowder" ("Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Parliament with gunpowder") .

In some respects it can be seen as lazy, but sometimes I do it (often jocularly) even when I know the correct Greek word. Now if we were in Cyprus talking to somebody I would not use any English words unless I was really, really stuck.

It's just natural I guess. It's who we are .

Leon.

[Bullika]

[city]

[Bullika]

[Cyprus rules!]

Yep, me too guilty as charged!! Greeklish as I call it, or Gringlish...is what I speak all the time!! It's great!!