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Lesson Transcript

Maria:_All About Greek lesson 1. An introduction to the Greek Language
Maria: Geia sas, I’m Maria, your friendly neighborhood non-Greek guide to everything Greek…
Iro: And I’m here in this lesson to bare a part of my Greek soul with you!
Maria: That’s right, this lesson is all about your home and native land, Iro.
Iro: And yours too, Maria!
Maria: Yes, I’m sort of more a wanna-be Greek person.
Iro: Don’t worry, we’ll let you be.
Maria: Yeah, but there are so many Greek people already, can you really afford to add honorary members?
Iro: (laughs) Hmm, I guess there should be some kind of initiation right of passage at least.
Maria: Yes, like drinking olive oil or something.
Iro: Haha, yeah!
Maria: Okay, well that does it for me; no way I can get in.
Iro: Well, fortunately you can speak Greek, so you can impersonate a Greek person anyway.
Maria: Yes, Greek is a poetic, beautiful language… well, okay, maybe in a crowded tavern with a bunch of Greeks throwing plates it may not seem so…
Iro: Maybe but it’s truly a beautiful language
Maria: Yes, with an ancient history and intriguing culture to match. That’s where the plate throwing comes in…
Iro: (laughs)…Intriguing…yes. Olive oil and plates are just the very beginning. Stick with us, and we’ll introduce you to a side of Greece that only an insider gets to see.
(sound effect – sound of noisy Greek restaurant chatter)
[Linguistics section]
Iro: What is it about this language, anyway?
Maria: So this ancient language, has really survived through the ages, Iro!
Maria: Approximately 14 million speakers make for a lot of good conversation.
Iro: Plus, Greek is everywhere!
Maria: Tell me, Iro, where have you spoken Greek in your life, besides Greece?
Iro: All over the world! I mean, I can hear Greek in any country.
Maria: My favorite thing is listening for Greek outside of Greece. I get to eavesdrop on conversations all the time.
Iro: Yeah, Greek immigrants are everywhere in the world. It’s a language you don’t even need to travel to use.
Maria: So how come we can hear Greek around the world?
Iro: Well, that is mainly a result of the great influence Greece has had on other European languages!
Maria: Yeah, I hear Greek in English, French, and even in Italian!
Iro: And, another thing that we Greeks are very proud of is our written language.
Maria: Yes, it’s very stoic! But I feel like it’s so hard, can’t they make it easier?
Iro: They already did! Greek used to be very similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs, but developed into the Greek we know now around the fifteenth century BC.
Maria: That’s true. I guess people got too tired of scribbles every time they wanted to write a great drama!
Iro: Did you know that Greek is the first and oldest alphabet to use vowels?
Maria: Whoa…when does that take us back to?
Iro: About 1200 BC.
Maria: So the amazing thing about this is that Greek actually is the model for many modern languages today!
Iro: Exactly. Twelve percent of modern English vocabulary is estimated to be of Greek origin.
Maria: Wow, no wonder Greeks are so proud of their language.
Iro: Yes, but that’s only the beginning of the Greek language. It is in fact one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn! But don’t let that scare you off because is it also one of the most useful!
Amber: Yes, and it is used in many languages today as well as within science and astronomy.
Iro: Yep, Greek is so special, it’s in its own class altogether
Maria: Greek is an independent language family within the Indo-European language branch. And it has many dialects.
Iro: The most common dialect today is standard Greek, which is spoken in all the big cities.
Maria: Great!
(Sound effect of a Greek gong)
About the Motherland
Iro: Greece, and Greek, date as far back as the third millennium.
Maria: (laughs) Okay, that has to be in the top five most common things you hear a Greek person say! That and yelling at the driver in front of them!
Iro: Yes but it’s true!
Maria: Yes and I guess you do get bragging rights for that, no other nation today can really say that.
Iro: Yes, you know, for Greek people, we really think we are the center of the world.
Maria: Greek history gives a lot of insight into the reason for the nationalism of the Greek people as well as their strong cultural identity.
(Sound effect of some iconic Greek melody)
Iro: It’s Everywhere.
Where is it spoken?
Maria: So, did you know that not only Greece, but also Cyprus, has Greek as the official language?
Iro: Um, yes I think I knew.
Maria: So, as a native speaker, the second someone opens their mouth, can you tell where they are from?
Iro: Pretty much, at least a general idea.
Iro: Some of the Greek communities in other countries are made up of second, third, or even fourth generation immigrants, so over time the language evolves.
Maria: Yes, the Greek spoken in Cyprus, for example, can be quite different in pronunciation from the Greek in Greece.
Iro: Yes, as you may know, Cyprus consists of two parts - the Greek side and the Turkish.
Maria: Yes, there have been many disputes about Cyprus over the years between Greece and Turkey, and whom it belongs to.
Iro: Indeed. This is one of the reasons Cyprian Greek has slightly different phonology.
Maria: So what about classical Greek? Is it understandable even if you only speak modern Greek? I always wanted to read original Homer!
Iro: The biggest difference is that ancient Greeks divided themselves into Dorians, Aeolians, and Ionians (including Athenians), each with their own defining and distinctive dialects. After the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late 300s BC, a new international dialect known as Koine (or Common Greek) developed, largely based on Attic Greek but with influences from other dialects.
Maria: Maybe I should rethink learning classical…
(sound effect of that rap song that says: ‘Y’all gotta go learn Greek’)
Maria: Who can resist the lure of Greek
Okay, top five list!
Iro: The top five reasons to learn this lovely language!!!
Maria: Number five.
Iro: To know Greek is to know one of the oldest and most useful languages in the world.
Maria: Number four.
Iro: The Greek alphabet is the base for the Romanized alphabet and is uniquely structured.
Maria: Number three.
Iro: By learning Greek, you can get a deeper understanding of European history and culture.
!
Maria: Number two.
Iro: Knowing Greek will help you learn other European languages such as French and English, without having to cheat on the tests! An estimated twelve percent of the English vocabulary has Greek origins.
Maria: And…the number one reason you should learn Greek.
(drum roll sound effect)
Iro: Learn Greek and you will gain an understanding and an appreciation for its myths, its history, and its culture – a culture and a tradition that has remained a part of Western Civilization for over 2500 years. A culture and a tradition that you can explore, and someday pass down, to a new generation. A culture and a tradition that is already your own.
Maria: Phew…this is big.
Iro: Yes, it is. Okay, everybody, you know what to do now. Get out your chisel and stone, and your iPod, and suit up with GreekPod101 for some made in divine Greek lessons.

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