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Greek Cypriot Alphabet
1. Alphabet
- Αα: [a]∼[ɐ]
- Ββ: [v]
- Γγ: [ɣ] / [ʝ] before front vowels
- Δδ: [ð]
- Εε: [e̞]
- Ζζ: [zː]
- Ηη: [i]
- Θθ: [θ]
- Ιι: [i]
- Κκ: [k] / [c] before front vowels
- Λλ: [l]
- Μμ: [m]
- Νν: [n]
- Ξξ: [ks]
- Οο: [ɔ]∼[o̞]
- Ππ: [p]
- Ρρ: [ɾ] / [r] in some consonant clusters
- Σσς: [s]
- Ττ: [t]
- Υυ: [i]
- Φφ: [f]
- Χχ: [x] / [ç] before front vowels
- Ψψ: [ps]
- Ωω: [ɔ]∼[o̞]
2. Digraphs
- ◦◦ (consonants): [◦ː]
- Αι αι: [e̞]
- Αυ αυ: [av] / [af] before voiceless consonants
- Γγ γγ and Γκ γκ: [ŋɡ] / [ŋɟ] before front vowels
- Γχ γχ: [xː] / [çː] before front vowels
- Γι γι: [ʝ] ∗
- Ει ει: [i]
- Ευ ευ: [e̞v] / [e̞f] before voiceless consonants
- Ζι ζι: [ʒː] (not always)
- Ηυ ηυ: [iv] / [if] before voiceless consonants
- Κι κι: [c] ∗
- Κκ κκ: [khː] / [chː] before front vowels
- Κκι κκι: [chː] ∗
- Λι λι: [ʎː] ∗
- Μι μι: [mɲ] ∗
- Μπμπ: [mb]
- Νι νι: [ɲː] ∗
- Ντ ντ: [nd]
- Ξι ξι: [kʃ] ∗
- Οι οι: [i]
- Ου ου: [u]
- Ππ ππ: [phː]
- Ρρ ρρ: [r]
- Σι σι: [ʃ] ∗
- Σσι σσι: [ʃː] ∗
- Τζι τζι [dʒ] ∗
- Τσι τσι: [tʃ] /[tʃhː] ∗
- Ττ ττ: [thː]
- Χι χι: [ç] ∗
- Ψι ψι: [pʃ] ∗
∗ Only when unstressed and before vowels, minus some exceptions
3. A Brief Phonological Overview
3.1 Word-final [n]
The realization of the word-final [n] depends on what follows:
- If nothing follows, the [n] is elided, while the preceding vowel is articulated with an altered tongue position (in the same position an alveolar [n] would be realized).
- If it is followed by a vowel, it is realized as an alveolar [n].
- If it is followed by a voiceless stop consonant, it either stays [n] (before [t]) or becomes the other nasals [m] (before [p]) and [ŋ] (before [k] and [c]), while the stop consonants become voiced.
- If it is followed by any other consonant, the [n] is elided and said consonant is geminated.
- If it is followed by a consonant cluster that isn't a nasal+voiced stop consonant combination or it doesn't include a liquid consonant, the [n] is elided or there is an epenthetic [i] between the [n] (which is now realized) and the consonant cluster.
The last four points also generally apply to consonant clusters involving [n] within words or single utterances.
3.2 Stress
Cypriot Greek has dynamic stress, with a minor elongation and elevation in pitch. It only occurs once per word, and words can be stressed up to the fourth syllable from the end (the one before the antepenultimate syllable), contrasting with the antepenultimate syllable of Standard Modern Greek.
3.3 Yeísmo
[ʎː] in some people's idiolect is realized as [ʝː].
3.4 Fricative fluidity
Cypriot Greek exhibits some regular and irregular allophonic fricative changes in a variety of environments, depending in part in regional sub-variety and a person's idiolect:
- ɣ → x
- ð → θ
- v → f
devoicing before voiceless consonants
- f → x/ç before front vowels
- θ → x/ç before front vowels
- v → ɣ/ʝ before front vowels
- v → ð
- ð → v
- ɣ → v (very rare)
- ð → ɣ/ʝ before front vowels
- c → tʃ
- s → z (before voiced consonant)
- s → h
- x → h
- ɣ → ∅
- ð → ∅
- v → ∅
rare case instead of elision
intervocalic elision
- ʃ → ç (region-specific for words that etymologically derive from χ + front vowel)
The following consonant cluster allophones also appear occasionally:
- θc → cː
- fc → cː
Language Genealogy
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This chart maps the historical development of the Greek language from its ancient roots to its modern varieties. You'll find "Cypriot Greek" listed under the southeastern dialects, showing how it's related to other dialects like Dodecanesian and Southern Peloponnesian.
Deep History:
Cypriot Greek is grouped under Southeastern varieties, specifically under Southern and Eastern dialectal lines — alongside Dodecanesian and parts of the Peloponnese.
Isolated Evolution = Unique Identity:
Since Cyprus is geographically isolated, its version of Greek has preserved older features (like gemination and vowel quality) that were lost in Standard Greek.
Contact with Other Languages:
Cyprus's history of contact with Turkish, English, Italian, and French also influenced the phonology and vocabulary — something you can tie into both your pronunciation and idioms pages.
Phonetic Features
Greek Cypriot dialect features several distinctive phonetic characteristics:
- Preservation of ancient Greek double consonants
- Unique gemination patterns
- Distinctive vowel qualities
- Special consonant clusters
Phonemic Inventory
This phonetic chart shows all the consonant and vowel sounds used in Cypriot Greek. It uses the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to represent each sound based on its place and manner of articulation (e.g., bilabial, dental, palatal). This system is useful because it removes ambiguity — if you know how the symbol is pronounced, you can speak the sound correctly even if you've never seen the word before.
Gemination Focus:
Cypriot Greek retains geminate consonants/doubled consonants like (e.g., [tt], [kk], [pp]), which have been lost in Standard Modern Greek. These longer, stronger sounds influence the rhythm and stress of speech, making Cypriot Greek sound more deliberate or emphatic in certain words.
Rich Consonant System:
Cypriot Greek has a richer set of consonants than Standard Modern Greek. It includes sounds like aspirated plosives (e.g., [pʰ], [tʰ]), post-alveolar fricatives (like [ʃ] and [ʒ]), and rare consonants such as [ʎ] and [ç]. These features give the dialect a sharper and more textured sound — something learners often notice immediately.
Vowel Placement:
The vowel system includes front, central, and back vowels, similar to other Greek varieties. However, in Cypriot Greek, vowels may be rounded or unrounded depending on the surrounding sounds and stress, especially in fast or casual speech. This adds nuance to pronunciation and helps distinguish regional variations.
IPA = International Clarity:
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of symbols used to represent the exact sounds of speech in any language. Unlike normal spelling — which can be misleading or inconsistent — the IPA shows you how a word is actually pronounced, sound by sound. For example:
English word "cat" → IPA: /kæt/
Greek word "καλός" → IPA: /kaˈlos/
Cypriot Greek word "κούζα" (jug) → IPA: /ˈkuːza/
These sounds often aren't shown in writing, but the IPA lets us clearly capture and teach them. This makes it easier for learners to:
- Understand the real pronunciation
- Learn dialect-specific features
- Preserve the sound of Cypriot Greek with accuracy