Does The Path Of The Greek Language Mirror Our Odyssey?
Many people tell me that it is remarkable that the Greeks still speak their language despite so many influences from other cultures, invasions and most importantly the Ottoman Occupation for 400 years.
Well… the truth, as in everyone’s personal story, is more complicated.
Unlike the mind of many people, language is a living organism that has grown and is constantly growing, has evolved and changed over the centuries.
In the beginning of the story, the creation of the first common Greek language (koine) caused the ancient dialects of the Greek tribes to disappear, but on the basis of this common Greek language new dialects were created which were also radically affected by invasions and conquests, such as those of the Roman Empire and then the Ottoman Empire.
The part the Ottoman Empire is not something easy to overcome, we now had a language with infinite Turkish words and we now had to redefine our identity after 4 centuries. Was this possible, after so many years of the Occupation of the Byzantine Empire?
Let’s be honest, this was not done mainly in the homes of ordinary people and this is absolutely normal. It had to be done by scientific knowledge, by literary scholars, like Adamantios Korais (Αδαμάντιος Κοραής) who sat down with care and love and cleaned up the language and created the katharevousa Greek language. The “clean” language (καθαρίζω=I clean).
In the picture below: Adamantios Korais
But as the centuries passed, the katarevousa language not only didn’t help people but it was a barrier to communication because it wasn’t the language spoken by the common people.
Either people couldn’t understand it and were excluded from conversation and education or people ended up arguing about what was correct or wrong in the etymology instead of communicating. And these two are definitely not the reasons of the existence of a language.
There, again, there had to be a change, because language is alive and whatever is alive, changes.
People, like for example the linguistic Ioannis Psycharis, persevered with knowledge and kindness and influenced so that we now speak can a simpler language spoken by the common people, the demotic Greek Language, the language of the everyday people (demo- the first part of the word democracy, every day people hold the power).
Today we speak demotic, the New Greek language, which again is changing, because of the technology, the gadgets and the new age tools we use and direct, in real time, interaction with English speakers from all the around the world which affects not only the vocabulary but also the syntax of the expressions we use!
The language, once again, isn’t being destroyed, it changes.
Think about it. Languages, are the only “thing” on this planet that, while they are not breathing, they have life. They have life only because they take breath through a living creature, this magnificent animal, the humans. (Yes, we are mainly and also magnificent).
Whatever is alive changes. All these changes in the journey of the Greek language came with arguments and small or big uncomfortable revolutions. People with knowledge also came for help.
Things just not “happen”.
Now let’s change the conversation to another level.
Can you relate your personal journey in life with the journey of the Greek language?
With Respect,
Teacher, Podcaster & CopyWriter @ MyGreekTeacher.com
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- “Learn Greek without a Teacher” podcast, if you want to be a self-taught learner. It is perfect for complete beginners and those who want material to revise.
