Modern Greek, referred to by speakers as Greek, is a part of the Indo-European language family and derives from the Koine Greek that arose around the Byzantine period and has evolved over millennia from its classical and Hellenistic forms. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, Greece came under Ottoman rule, and for several centuries, the Greek language was influenced by Turkish and other foreign languages. During this period, the spoken language, known as Demotic Greek, diverged significantly from the formal, archaic language of the ancient texts, known as Katharevousa. Katharevousa was artificially constructed in the 19th century to revive and preserve Classical Greek elements, despite being distanced from the everyday spoken language.

In the 20th century, efforts to modernize and simplify the language culminated in the official adoption of Demotic Greek as the national language in 1976, after decades of political and cultural struggle. Demotic Greek, which was spoken by the majority of Greeks, became the standard in both formal and informal settings, replacing Katharevousa. This shift marked a significant step towards a more inclusive language, reflecting the people's lived experience and connecting the modern Greek identity to its historical roots. Today, Modern Greek is the official language of Greece and Cyprus, spoken by millions of people worldwide, and continues to evolve with influences from both the local culture and global trends.

 

Today, there are many dialects of Greek, most of which are mutually intelligible, and during most of the Modern period, Greek as existed as diglossia with spoken dialects existing alongside a more "pure" form of written Greek - Katharevusa. Modern Greek is spoken by around 13.4 million native speakers in around Greece, Cyprus, and a few other Greek centers around the world.

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To read more about this really neat language, Click Here, and Here.

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To hear the 1st paragraph of the 1st book, Click Here.