Cyprus Passion

Cyprus is a historical melting pot, rich in an ancient history. This melting pot of history is reflected through out every part of Cyprus from architecture, food, language and so much more. Whilst the two official languages of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish, most Cypriots speak the Greek Cypriot dialect. It is estimated that the Greek Cypriot dialect is spoken by more than seven hundred thousand people in Cyprus and several hundred thousand abroad. This dialect is a reflection of our ancient history and the different foreign invaders Cyprus has endured.

The Cypriot dialect retains many features of Ancient Greek and is considered to be a dialect of Koine Greek. Although our island has endured foreign influencers, the Cypriot dialect has remained not only Greek but Ancient Greek at the core.

The Greek Cypriot dialect is the “lingua franca” for all the multicultural communities in Cyprus thus representing the unity and the bridges built between all the communities of Cyprus (Greek, Turkish, Maronite, Armenian and Latin). This is also reflected in the Greek Cypriot dialects’ vast vocabulary, that borrows from the languages of all these communities.

Social studies indicate that language shapes thought and so when a language or a dialect of a language dies, so does the way the people of that language think. It is for the importance of cultural preservation that we continue to teach language, so our Cypriot dialect and our way of thinking is passed onto future generations!

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