Cypriot Dictionary

Throughout history, Cyprus has been home to many civilizations — from the Phoenicians to the Byzantines, from the Venetians to the Ottomans — and has long served as a crossroads in the heart of the Mediterranean. This multicultural past has deeply influenced the languages and everyday lives of the island's communities. Following the Ottoman Empire's conquest of Cyprus in 1571, Turkish and Greek speakers lived side by side for centuries, leading to a rich exchange of vocabulary between the two languages.

This interaction extended beyond just Turkish and Greek, with words from Italian, French, and Arabic also finding their way into Cypriot vernaculars. This linguistic exchange reflects how profoundly the communities of Cyprus have influenced one another in their daily lives and cultural practices. While making visible the island's rich linguistic heritage and the natural interactions between its peoples, this dictionary hopes to offer — through shared words and shared experiences — a contribution that is perhaps small, but we hope, meaningful!