Quote of the Month
“He who has music in his soul, is most in love with the lovliest”.
PLATO
“ORIGINS
OF GREEK LANGUAGE”
Article By: Evi Martyn-Founder-
Hellenic Culture Advocacy
Preface:
In my recent research regarding the
Greek language, I was reconfirmed, something I already knew, that the Hellenic
language was, is, and will be forever the pillar of all western language.
Science, medicine, architecture,
philosophy, arts and all the intellectual pursuits are involved with a
fantastic number of Greek terminologies.
Below you will read the origins and the
history and periods of that language.
GREEK LANGUAGE
ORIGINS: A SYNOPTICAL PRESENTATION
Greek language is an independent branch
of the Indo-European family of languages, native to the southern Balkans, the
Aegean island, western Asia minor, and Cyprus. It has the longest documented
history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written
records.
ITS WRITTING system has been the Greek
alphabet for the majority of its History, there are other systems, the Linear B
and the Cypriot syllabary.
The Greek language holds a very
important place in the histories of Europe (commonly the Western world) and
Christianity. Its canon of ancient literature includes works of monumental
importance and influence.
The epic poems, Iliad and Odyssey, the
Platonic dialogues and the works of Aristotle, the New Testament of the
Christian Bible, was written in Koine Greek.
HISTORY AND PERIODS
Its History goes back to the 3rd
millennium B.C.
The Greek language is divided into
three periods.
A.
Ancient Greek (Proto-Greek, Mycenean
Greek)
B. Koine (various ancient dialects, Attic,
dialect of
Athens etc.)
C. Modern Greek (stemming from Medieval
Greek,
up to the demise of the Byzantine Empire)
GREEK DIASPORA
Greek is spoken by 13 million people
today, mainly in Greece, Albania and Cyprus. Also world wide by the large Greek
diaspora.
Many Greek settlements and regions,
like Bulgaria, Turkey, and Black Sea area Ukraine, Russian Romania, Georgia,
Armenia, Southern Italy, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon.
Also it is spoken in immigrant
communities in many Western European countries, England, Germany, Canada, the
U.S.A., Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and others.
Article By: Evi Martyn-Founder- Hellenic Culture Advocacy
Article By: Evi Martyn-Founder- Hellenic Culture Advocacy
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