Ελληνικά
Greek
Hellenic
Also known as: Greek, Hellenic
Modern Greek (Νέα Ελληνικά Néa Elliniká) is a Hellenic language with ~13M speakers — sole official language of Greece and co-official in Cyprus. Direct descendant of Ancient Greek through Koine (4c. BCE-4c. CE) and Byzantine Greek (4-15c.), one of the oldest continuously-attested literary traditions (3,000+ years). Earlier diglossia between katharevousa (formal) and demotic (colloquial) was resolved 1976 in favor of demotic as standard. Greek alphabet (24 letters) since 8c. BCE. Famous for retained polytonic-system spelling (replaced by monotonic 1982).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Greek
Water
νερό
/neˈɾo/
Fire
φωτιά
/foˈtʲa/
Sun
ήλιος
/ˈiʎos/
Moon
φεγγάρι
/feˈŋɡaɾi/
Mother
μητέρα
/miˈteɾa/
Father
πατέρας
/paˈteɾas/
Eat
τρώω
/ˈtɾo.o/
Drink
πίνω
/ˈpino/
Love
αγάπη
/aˈɣapi/
Heart
καρδιά
/kaɾˈðʲa/
Tree
δέντρο
/ˈðendɾo/
House
σπίτι
/ˈspiti/
Dog
σκύλος
/ˈskilos/
Cat
γάτα
/ˈɣata/
Hand
χέρι
/ˈçeɾi/
Eye
μάτι
/ˈmati/
Hello
γεια σου
/ˈʝa su/
Thank you
ευχαριστώ
/efxaɾiˈsto/
One
ένα
/ˈena/
Good
καλό
/kaˈlo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Hellenic languages
| Meaning | Greek | Pontic Greek | Greek (Katharevousa) | Romagnol | Esperanto | Papuan Malay | Emilian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | νερό /neˈɾo/ | νερόν /neˈron/ | ὕδωρ /ˈiðor/ | acua /ˈakwa/ | akvo /ˈakvo/ | air /aer/ | âcua /ˈakwa/ |
| Fire | φωτιά /foˈtʲa/ | φωτία /foˈtia/ | πῦρ /pir/ | fugh /ˈfuɡ/ | fajro /ˈfajro/ | api /ˈapi/ | fôg /ˈfoɡ/ |
| Sun | ήλιος /ˈiʎos/ | ήλιον /ˈilion/ | ἥλιος /ˈilios/ | sòl /ˈsɔl/ | suno /ˈsuno/ | matahari /mataˈhari/ | sôl /ˈsoːl/ |
| Moon | φεγγάρι /feˈŋɡaɾi/ | φέγγον /ˈfeŋɡon/ | σελήνη /seˈlini/ | lónna /ˈlonːa/ | luno /ˈluno/ | bulan /ˈbulan/ | lónna /ˈlonːa/ |
| Mother | μητέρα /miˈteɾa/ | μάνα /ˈmana/ | μήτηρ /ˈmitir/ | mêdar /ˈmeːdaɾ/ | patrino /paˈtrino/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mèder /ˈmɛdɛɾ/ |
| Father | πατέρας /paˈteɾas/ | κύρης /ˈciɾis/ | πατήρ /paˈtir/ | pêdar /ˈpeːdaɾ/ | patro /ˈpatro/ | bapa /ˈbapa/ | pèder /ˈpɛdɛɾ/ |
| Eat | τρώω /ˈtɾo.o/ | τρώγω /ˈtɾoɣo/ | ἐσθίω /esˈθio/ | mâgna /ˈmaɲa/ | manĝi /ˈmandʒi/ | makan /ˈmakan/ | magnèr /maˈɲɛɾ/ |
| Drink | πίνω /ˈpino/ | πίνειν /ˈpinin/ | πίνω /ˈpino/ | bér /ˈbeɾ/ | trinki /ˈtrinki/ | minum /ˈminum/ | bevvre /ˈbevːɾe/ |
| Love | αγάπη /aˈɣapi/ | αγάπην /aˈɣapin/ | ἀγάπη /aɣaˈpi/ | amour /aˈmouɾ/ | amo /ˈamo/ | sayang /ˈsajaŋ/ | amôr /aˈmoːɾ/ |
| Heart | καρδιά /kaɾˈðʲa/ | καρδί /karˈði/ | καρδία /karˈði.a/ | côr /ˈkoːɾ/ | koro /ˈkoro/ | hati /ˈhati/ | côr /ˈkoːɾ/ |
| Tree | δέντρο /ˈðendɾo/ | δέντρον /ˈðendron/ | δένδρον /ˈðenðron/ | arbal /ˈaɾbal/ | arbo /ˈarbo/ | pohon /ˈpohon/ | arbal /ˈaɾbal/ |
| House | σπίτι /ˈspiti/ | σπίτ /spit/ | οἶκος /ˈikos/ | ca /ˈka/ | domo /ˈdomo/ | rumah /ˈrumah/ | cà /ˈka/ |
| Dog | σκύλος /ˈskilos/ | σκύλος /ˈskilos/ | κύων /ˈkion/ | can /ˈkan/ | hundo /ˈhundo/ | anjing /ˈandʒiŋ/ | can /ˈkan/ |
| Cat | γάτα /ˈɣata/ | γάτα /ˈɣata/ | αἴλουρος /ˈeluros/ | gâta /ˈɡaːta/ | kato /ˈkato/ | kucing /ˈkutʃiŋ/ | gât /ˈɡat/ |
| Hand | χέρι /ˈçeɾi/ | χέρ /xer/ | χείρ /çir/ | mân /ˈmaːn/ | mano /ˈmano/ | tangan /ˈtaŋan/ | mân /ˈman/ |
| Eye | μάτι /ˈmati/ | ομμάτιν /omˈmatin/ | ὀφθαλμός /ofθalˈmos/ | ucc /ˈutʃ/ | okulo /oˈkulo/ | mata /ˈmata/ | ucc /ˈutʃ/ |
| Hello | γεια σου /ˈʝa su/ | καλημέρα /kaliˈmera/ | χαῖρε /ˈçere/ | ciô /ˈtʃoː/ | saluton /saˈluton/ | halo /ˈhalo/ | cciô /ˈtʃoː/ |
| Thank you | ευχαριστώ /efxaɾiˈsto/ | ευχαριστώ /efxariˈsto/ | εὐχαριστῶ /efxariˈsto/ | gras /ˈɡɾas/ | dankon /ˈdankon/ | terima kasih /təˈrima ˈkasih/ | gràzie /ˈɡɾaːtsje/ |
| One | ένα /ˈena/ | εν /en/ | εἷς /is/ | ón /ˈon/ | unu /ˈunu/ | satu /ˈsatu/ | un /ˈun/ |
| Good | καλό /kaˈlo/ | καλό /kaˈlo/ | ἀγαθόν /aɣaˈθon/ | bón /ˈbon/ | bona /ˈbona/ | bae /ˈbae/ | bón /ˈbon/ |
Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
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