Modern Greek ( or , lit. 'Neo-Hellenic', historically also known as Ρωμαίικα, lit. 'Romaic') refers to the fifth stage of the evolution of the
Greek language, i.e. the varieties of Greek spoken in the modern era. Greek is spoken today by approximately 14-17 million people, mainly in
Greece and
Cyprus but also by minority and immigrant communities in many other countries. The start of the period of the Greek language known as "Modern Greek" is symbolically assigned in the fall of the
Byzantine Empire (
1453), although strictly speaking it has been shaped since at least the 11th century. During much of this time, the language existed in a situation of
diglossia, with regional spoken dialects existing side by side with learned, archaic written forms. Most notably, during much of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was known in the competing varieties of popular Demotic and learned
Katharevousa. Today, Standard Modern Greek, a standardised form of Demotic, is the official language of both Greece and Cyprus.
See more at Wikipedia.org...
Free Download Now!
