The Greek Cypriot Lexicon

A Greek Cypriot Lexicon

By

Reygr Raffeed

Deepthought Electronic Press 1998

Introduction

The Greek language has gone through many stages to reach its current point in linguistic evolution. It reflects not only a method of written & spoken communication but also an attitude to life & to those who co-exist with the individual speaker. Thus learning to speak the language itself is of limited value if in point of fact you wish in truth to learn to communicate. This document is an attempt to bridge this gap in the language student's knowledge.

Greek exists in four major forms.

    1.Ancient Greek. The language of Homer, Socrates & Plato.

    2.Katharevousa – "clean language". This is used chiefly inside Greece itself & for official documents. It is taught in schools although it is usually only spoken outside these institutions in an attempt to impress.

    3.Cypriot Greek. The dialect employed by most Greek Cypriots.

    4."Encoded" Greek. The form to which this lexicon is devoted. It is best described as the Greek art of saying one thing & meaning another which, whilst usually similar, is seldom if ever the same & occasionally wildly different.

Ancient Greek is of limited value as most of the great works of literature in that tongue have long ago been translated & were in truth part of an oral tradition anyway & thus of dubious provenance.

Katharevousa is seldom used outside Greece itself & then only rarely.

Cypriot Greek is learnable if the effort is made by the student but is fraught with peril unless a full understanding of "Encoded" Greek is achieved.

The avoiding of glaringly embarrassing "faux pas" or indeed physical injury is the goal of this study, together with a look into a culture alien to our own.

With this in mind, please read on.

"Ade bamen"

(Let's go)