A person who is going to go abroad will not hurt to get acquainted with the habits and lifestyle of the population of the country of destination in advance. What language in Cyprus interests most of the travelers planning to visit the sunny Mediterranean island.
What languages are official
As of 2021, the island's territory remains divided between the two states. The Republic of Cyprus is located in the southern part, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is located in the northern part. Answering the question about which language is the official in Cyprus, it should be indicated: in the first of the named countries, Greek is considered the state one, and in the second - Turkish.
Greek and its local characteristics
So, in South Cyprus there is a population that uses Greek in official business and everyday life. However, it is not such in its purest form. The state uses two of its types:
- Modern Greek (Cypriot dialect of traditional Greek). This language of Southern Cyprus differs slightly from that which is used on the territory of mainland Greece. It contains a small number of so-called island words, the meaning of which is incomprehensible to the Greeks. The pronunciation is also somewhat different. Cypriots, unlike the Greeks on the mainland, speak with a whisper: instead of the sound "x", they pronounce a sound close to "sh".
- Cypriot Greek. It is characterized by significant differences from classical Greek. The people of mainland Greece do not understand him at all.
The use of two intermediate forms of the same language in a particular area is called diglossia. This phenomenon is also typical for Southern Cyprus.
Turkish and its specifics
On the territory of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the population speaks mainly Turkish. In general, it is used by 1/5 of the inhabitants of the island. Turkish as the official language of communication in Cyprus is a mixture of two dialects: firstly, it is Ottoman Turkish, and secondly, the Yörük Turkmen dialect, which is still used in everyday communication by the inhabitants of southern Turkey.
What is the Cypriot dialect
Over the course of five centuries, the Turkish language on the island has been somewhat transformed. Its Cypriot version appeared, which differs from the official language of Turkey.
In particular, due to historical circumstances, the Turkish language of Northern Cyprus succumbed to the influence of local Greek dialects, somewhat less - English and Italian, which are widely used in everyday communication here today.
The Cypriot dialect differs from the classical Turkish in the basic order of words in sentences, the rules for constructing questions, and lexical stock (it also has specific “island words” that are incomprehensible to the Turks).
The pronunciation has also changed. For example, the Cypriot dialect is characterized by stunning and voicing of stop sounds, the use of a voiced "z" instead of a voiceless "s" in some words, and other features.
How representatives of national minorities speak
When asked what language is spoken in Cyprus, mention should be made of linguistic minorities. The most numerous among them are Armenians and Arabs-Maronites (immigrants from Lebanon and Syria). They use their native speech to communicate.
The Cypriot authorities support these National Societies in the preservation and development of their languages. For example, there are schools in which teaching is conducted in Armenian and Arabic. They also publish magazines and newspapers.
There are many French, British, Romanians, Poles, Filipinos, Russians, Georgians, Bulgarians and citizens of other countries on the island. Despite the fact that the official language of the Republic of Cyprus is Greek, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is Turkish, there are private English, Italian, French and even Russian schools for children from foreign families temporarily residing on the island.
How popular are English and Russian in Cyprus
The second most important language on the island is English. It is most widely used by the people of southern Cyprus. English began to spread here in 1925, when Cyprus joined the list of British colonies. This state of affairs continued until 1960. And during this time, English has managed to take root here well.
Despite the fact that it is not the main language of the country of Cyprus, most of the locals speak it fluently. Even the signs and menus of many bars, cafes, restaurants, entertainment establishments are duplicated in English.
One of the most popular languages in Cyprus is Russian. Therefore, those tourists who do not know either Greek, English or Turkish will not face a language barrier here. In the resorts, almost every hotel, bar, shop is provided with Russian-speaking staff. In many institutions, candidates applying for vacant positions are required to know Russian.
The Russian language in Cyprus is also quite popular because, in addition to tens of thousands of Russian tourists who flood local beaches and hotels, a large number of citizens of the Russian Federation (RF) live here on a permanent basis. According to statistics, there are about 40,000 of them in Limassol alone. There are many of them in Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca.
Only in Paphos there are more Europeans than Russians. Therefore, the state language of the Russian Federation is spoken here much less often.
Output
Summing up, it should be said that there is no such thing as the Cypriot language. On the territory of the island there are two states, whose inhabitants use different Greek and Turkish in official office work and everyday communication.
English and Russian are also very common in Cyprus. Therefore, foreign tourists wishing to visit the island do not need to study the national language of Cyprus before the trip. If the traveler has at least basic knowledge of English or Russian, he will not experience difficulties in communication.
