"It's all Greek to me!"
(Popular saying)

"It is Greek; it can't be read"
[Graecum est; non potest legi]
(Medieval Latin saying)

Greek has been spoken for nearly 4000 years, making it the oldest spoken language in Europe. The Greek alphabet and the semitic alphabet developed from the same pictorial hieroglyphics. By 850 BC the first comprehensive written version of the language appeared.
When Greece first achieved independence in the 19th century, its people were almost universally illiterate, and the language they spoke (demotic/popular), had undergone enormous change since the days of the Byzantine Empire and classical times. The language had assimilated countless borrowings from languages from the various invaders and conquerors - Turks, Slavs, Venetians, and Albanians.

The finance and inspiration for the new Greek state and its early leaders came largely from the Greek diaspora; Orthodox families who had been living in the sophisticated cities of Eastern Europe or Russia. With their European notions about the grandeur of Greece's past, and the lofty conception of Hellenism, they set about obliterating the memory of subjugation to foreigners in every possible field. And what better way to start than purging the language of its foreign accretions and reviving its classical purity!
They accordingly devised what was, in effect, a new form of the language, Katharevoussa (literally, cleansed Greek). The complexities of classical grammar and syntax were re-instated, and classical words were dusted off and resuscitated. Katharevoussa became the language of schools and other prestigious professions, government, business, the law, newspapers and academia. Everyone aspiring to membership of the new elite strove to master it, even though there was no consensus on how many of the words should be pronounced!

The debate about Katharevoussa/demotic has been a highly contentious one throughout much of the twentieth century. Writers have championed demotic as have the political left. Conservative governments have been sympathetic towards Katharevoussa, and during the era of the "Colonels" it was forcibly re-instated. Demotic returned once more after the fall of the "Colonels". The Church and the legal profession are apparently still dragging their feet on the subject.

Greek, though, still seems to have the reputation for being a hopelessly difficult language. What makes the language seem so formidable to foreigners is the odd-looking alphabet. The alphabet, however, is not really all that difficult to master as many of the upper-case and lower-case letters look and behave very much in the way that they do in English. Also, a great many Greek words, once they are translated, are easy to remember as they are from the roots of related English words such as pente - five, octo - eight, micros - small, megalo - large.

If you're going to be a regular visitor to Greece it can make you feel that little bit special if you know a few words. Nicholas Gage says………

"a foreigner who never ventures a word of Greek will miss a great deal. For one thing, he will miss the sensation caused by his stumbling efforts to communicate. Hearing their own language, however mangled, emerging from a foreigner, overwhelms Greeks with delight and appreciation. The stranger is considered a wonder on the order of Dr. Johnson's dog, who could walk on its hind legs: it is not a matter of how he does it, but that he does it at all. Friends and neighbours will be called in to hear this paragon of learning. The Greek host will then trot out his own few words of English to return the courtesy…….Surrounded by good will and ready appreciation, a visitor to Greece should make the effort to dip at least one toe into the language. He will be amply rewarded."

BOTH IN BRITAIN AND IN GREECE THERE ARE NUMEROUS LANGUAGE SCHOOLS, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE TUTORS OFFERING GREEK LANGUAGE LESSONS, FROM BEGINNING THROUGH TO ADVANCED.

For courses in London get in touch with:

THE GREEK INSTITUTE
34 BUSH HILL ROAD
LONDON N21 2DS

TEL/FAX 020 8360 7968

They may also be able to direct you to courses elsewhere in the UK, as well as providing information in respect of private tutors.

In Greece there are numerous institutions which offer year-round courses, as well as summer courses for visitors or holiday-makers to Greece. Try these (click on name to connect to website)

THE ATHENS CENTRE
Language courses in Athens

SPEAK-GREEK
A forum for English-speakers who want to learn modern Greek.

It is also popular nowadays for travel companies to offer special-interest holidays that include a language course module. Here are two examples of such holidays

SO…….there it is! It's never too late to start. Tolstoy, who began teaching himself Greek at forty-two, determined, "Without a knowledge of Greek, there is no education"

HAPPY LEARNING!!!