The Greek language is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It is the official language of Greece, and one of the main languages spoken in Cyprus and the European Union. Apart from that, the Greek is identified as a minority language in various other countries around the globe including Turkey, Albania, Canada, and Italy to name a few.
Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the Greek language and what makes it popular around the world.
Greek Literature holds a special place in the history of the world–especially Europe. Two monumental works of Homer such as Iliad and Odyssey have played a significant role in the history of Greek literature, while Greek alphabets are used as a base for forming other writing systems in the world. The Phoenician script and the foundation of Latin, Cyrillic, Coptic and other writing systems known to the world today are based on the Greek alphabets.
History of the Greek Language
The Greek language has a vast history that can be divided into six major periods. Every period introduced some changes to the language and played a part in making it one of the world’s most eternal languages. These periods can be listed as:
- Proto-Greek
- Mycenaean Greek
- Ancient Greek
- Koine Greek
- Medieval Greek (Byzantine Greek)
- The Modern Greek
The Koine Greek holds special place for people who are the follower of religious origins. It is in this era where the origins of Christianity can be found. This form of the language was used by the Apostles to preach in Greece as well as in other Greek speaking parts of the world.
The Greek Alphabet
The Greek alphabet is made of 24 letters with 17 consonants and 7 vowels. It was created by modifying the Phoenician alphabet about 3,000 years ago. Greek is the first language of the world that used distinct letters for consonants and vowel sounds.
Writing Style
Originally Greek was predominantly written from right to left, the style it inhabited from Phoenician, but now it is written in the classical pattern from left to right just like English.
Usage of Greek Words in Other Languages
Today a lot of Greek words have been borrowed widely by other languages including English. The words include astronomy, athletics, biology, democracy, electricity, geography, marathon, mathematics, politics, and technology, among others. Some of the terms derived from Greek language are, ‘meta’ became ‘metaphor,’ ‘tele’ became ‘telescope,’ ‘autos’ became ‘autograph, automatic, & authentic,’ and many more.
In the End
The Greek language has a huge influence on the world languages. If you are planning a business or leisure trip to any Greek speaking country, it is better that you avail the service of Greek translator because you would not want to start your business with inappropriate usage of words and your half knowledge about the language. For more information about our translation service, call at 888-670-3369.