History of Cyprus. What language is spoken in Cyprus What language is spoken in Limassol

When planning a trip to warm Cyprus, it would be a good idea to learn the habits and characteristics of the local residents. In particular, what language is spoken in Cyprus. Let's get acquainted with the popularity rating of the resort's languages.

1 place. Greece

The official language of Southern Cyprus. True, it is difficult to call such an adverb Greek in its pure form; rather, it is a dialect of Greek. In Cyprus, the Greek language exists in two forms:

1. Cypriot dialect of classical Greek. Its morphology is almost the same as the traditional language of the Hellenes.
2. Cypriot Greek. This language has undergone more serious changes to such an extent that the inhabitants of Greece do not understand at all what dialect the Cypriot Greeks speak.

Over time, linguistic forms were modified and transformed, and intermediate word forms appeared. The most ancient Cypriots used one of the varieties of the Cypriot-Arcadian dialect (such a language was common among the inhabitants of the Peloponnese). At that time, Cyprus had its own written language.

• The Cypriot linguistic heritage was ruthlessly supplanted by Greek in the 4th century BC.

But the island dialect was still able to preserve its ancient native language forms (this can be traced by the endings of adjectives, nouns, and hissing consonants). The Cypriot vocabulary contains many words borrowed from the conquering languages ​​of Cyprus (British, Venetians, Ottomans). The real “pure language of Cyprus” can now be heard among the inhabitants of the territory of Paphos.

2nd place. England

What is the next most popular language in Cyprus? English is the second official language of Southern Cyprus. The beginning of his triumph occurred in 1925-1960 (at that time the island was a British colony). English is widely spoken and its study has been introduced in schools. All city residents speak it fluently. The menu in many cafes, restaurants, bars, where there are a lot of vacationers, is written in Greek and English at the same time.

3rd place. Russia

Modern Cyprus is fascinated by the country of Lermontov and Pushkin. Almost all major tourist centers, the vast majority of modern hotels and cafes have staff who speak Russian. These are mainly immigrants from the CIS countries and union republics.

Recent polls show that the Russian language is actively gaining momentum in Cyprus. It is studied everywhere. Even without knowing a foreign language, our compatriots will not experience difficulties in communication.

Numerous tourist Cypriot restaurants offer menus published in Russian, which include traditional dishes of Rus'. The most common of them are borscht, okroshka, chicken broths, vinaigrette, Olivier. Cyprus offers our tourists Russian-language magazines and newspapers published on the island.

People from all over the world want to holiday in Cyprus. In hotel complexes, in addition to common languages, staff can communicate fluently in German, French and a number of oriental languages ​​(in particular Libyan and Syrian).

Advice. When leaving for a long-awaited vacation in Cyprus, remember at least a couple of phrases in the language of the local inhabitants. Residents of the Republic of Cyprus are sympathetic and very fond of foreigners who try to communicate in Greek. Let's say a simple greeting: “kalimera” (“good morning”) or “yasas” (“hello”).

Northern region of the island

The official language of the northern part of Cyprus is Turkish. All papers are kept on it, official contracts are written. However, most residents here speak English. British is the second official language in Northern Cyprus.

The rich history of Cyprus has left its mark on its current traditions and way of life. For example, on the island you can hear many different languages, but the main ones are 4 languages, two of them are state languages.

English language

Since Cyprus was under the rule of the British Empire for more than half a century, this could not but leave its mark. In particular, one of the state official languages ​​is English. It is spoken by almost all native Cypriots and many naturalized foreigners.

English is taught to children from an early age: it is taught in all educational institutions, starting from kindergartens. It has taken root well in Cyprus due to its simplicity and prevalence. Today it is difficult to meet a Cypriot who does not speak English. Of course, everyone’s language level is different, but if you speak to a native Cypriot in English, he will understand and give an answer.

Interestingly, English is spoken in both territories of Cyprus - northern and southern. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots equally actively use this language to communicate with foreigners. By the way, representatives of the two communities communicate with each other in English, since Greek Cypriots do not know Turkish, and Turkish Cypriots do not know Greek.

Almost all signs in both Northern and Southern Cyprus are duplicated in English. The same applies to documents, and films in cinemas are often shown with English subtitles.

Greek language

The second official language in the Republic of Cyprus is Greek. For official communication, in books and documents, on signs and when speaking with Greeks and foreigners, Cypriots use Modern Greek. But in general, there is a special Cypriot dialect on the island, in which native Cypriots communicate with each other.

The Cypriot dialect of Greek is distinguished by the pronunciation of some words, as well as the presence of other names for objects and phenomena. That is, the lexical composition is several

differs from modern modern Greek. However, nothing prevents people who have learned ordinary Greek from understanding the Cypriots, since the differences are not so noticeable.

The Greek language is predominantly used by members of the Greek Cypriot community. At one time, during the migration of the Hellenes, Greek replaced the Cypriot language, from which distant echoes remained. Therefore, Greek remained the main language for several thousand years for people living in Cyprus.

Turkish language

The self-proclaimed TRNC considers Turkish to be its official language along with English. Since Northern Cyprus has separated from Southern Cyprus, the Greek language is not recognized there. All names of settlements and natural objects are translated, if possible, into Turkish. So, Nicosia (Lefkosia) is called Lefkosa, Kyrenia - Girne, Famagusta - Gazimagusa, Pentadaktylos ridge - Beshparmak ridge, etc.

Representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community communicate with each other in Turkish. The TRNC also has close relations with Turkey, so all documents and agreements, as well as communication with guests from this country, take place in Turkish. Turkish Cypriots mostly speak English with foreigners.

Russian language

Russian is not the official language of Cyprus, but, nevertheless, it is very common to find signs, advertisements and menus in restaurants written in three languages: Greek (Turkish), English and Russian. Why is so much attention paid to the Russian language?

The fact is that Cyprus has a large Russian-speaking population. These are not only Russians, but also citizens of the countries of the former Union: Armenians, Georgians, Ukrainians, Moldovans, Baltic people, etc. They all speak Russian, and there are a lot of them. There is no exact data on the number of Russian-speaking people in Cyprus, but sources put the figure at 8 to 10% of the total population.

Limassol is considered a “Russian” city. There, as well as in Nicosia, there are Russian centers, Russian shops, Russian kindergartens and schools. That is, a Russian-speaking person

even without knowledge of English and Greek he can easily live in Limassol. Many hotels have staff who can speak Russian.

What is the language in Cyprus? What language do tourists speak in Cyprus? Are there Russian-speaking staff in Cyprus in hotels, cafes and tour desks?

What language is spoken in Cyprus

If we consider the Republic of Cyprus, then the official language here is Greek. Modern Greek and Cypriot dialects are spoken on the island, so often “mainland” Greeks do not understand Cypriots at all. In Northern Cyprus the language is Turkish. The second official language in Cyprus is English. Almost all Cypriots speak English very well and study it at school and university. This is due to the influence of Great Britain, as well as the fact that Cyprus is a former British colony (1925-1960). From this country, Cypriots inherited not only the language, but also driving on the left and power sockets.

What is the language in Cyprus for Russian tourists?

The Russian language is very common in Cyprus. If you do not know any other language, then there will be no language barrier for you here. Almost every hotel, tavern, bar and store has Russian-speaking staff. In addition, a large number of Russians live in Cyprus. In Limassol alone there are only 40,000 of them, not to mention the tens of thousands of Russian tourists who literally flood the resorts.

In Limassol, there are posters around the city with concerts of Russian pop stars. They perform here as often as in Moscow. Who’s here – “Bi-2”, “Hands Up”, Yulia Savicheva, Evgeny Petrosyan.

There are vacancies in cafes and bars, and everywhere the requirements include knowledge of the Russian language. So when you come to any large establishment, most likely there will be a Russian menu and at least one Russian-speaking employee.

Street signs in Cyprus are often duplicated in English and Russian. It seems that every second person in Cyprus speaks Russian. But this applies specifically to beach resorts; only locals live in the Troodos Mountains, and no one speaks Russian there. But in English, please.

If you want to relax without Russian tourists, then in Cyprus it is extremely difficult. There are a lot of Russians in Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca and Limassol. The only resort where there are more Europeans than our compatriots is Paphos. But this is temporary, Russian tourists will also get to Paphos :)

Will it be difficult to ask for breakfast in your hotel room? Maybe you need to take a phrasebook with you or at least write down a few common phrases in everyday life?

Cyprus is an island of ancient culture, myths and legends. They speak here... no, not Cypriot, of course. The official official languages ​​of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. The first language is spoken by almost 80% of the entire population of the island republic.

Although the Cypriot dialect sometimes changes its pronunciation so much that Greeks from Greece and Turks from Turkey may not immediately understand a Cypriot. More precisely, not quite like that. Cyprus has a Cypriot dialect of the traditional language of Greece. But there is also Cypriot Greek. The latter is difficult for Greek residents to understand. Many words from different languages ​​have taken root in the island dialect since the conquest of the island.

Turkish Cypriots live mainly in. It is there that Cypriot Turkish is used in everyday life. This language is spoken, office work is conducted and official documents are drawn up in it. True, English, which is more familiar to our ears, is more popular.

Welcome to Cyprus

Don't worry, you don't need to take a crash course in Greek before your holiday. English can rightfully be called the second native language of communication in Cyprus. And another official one. If you master it at least at a conversational level, you will not be lost. You can explain yourself almost everywhere, with the exception of small remote villages.

In schools in Cyprus, children begin to learn English from primary school. And everyone involved in the service and tourism sectors also knows him at a decent level. In any cafe, souvenir shop or tour desk they speak it without problems. English language has been popular here since the island was a British colony for several decades in the middle of the century.

If you decide to go to the cinema to see an American or English film, you will watch it in its original dubbing. Cypriots only add subtitles in the state language. It is also interesting that most of the literature in bookstores is also in English.

Are there Russian speakers in Cyprus?

There is good news for those who cannot even speak English. Due to the great interest in the island among post-Soviet tourists, Cypriots themselves began to study the Russian language. So today there are many cafes, entertainment venues and hotels on the island with Russian-speaking staff. As well as menus and price lists in this language, newspapers, magazines and radio stations. There are many of our former compatriots from the CIS countries in the service sector.

In many catering establishments you can also find our traditional dishes. For example, borscht, dumplings, okroshka or vinaigrette. A modern Russian-speaking tourist will have almost no problems communicating in.