The Greek language question (Greek: γλωσσικό ζήτημα, short: το γλωσσικό) was a dispute discussing the question whether the language of the Greek people (Demotic Greek) or a cultivated imitation of Ancient Greek (katharevousa) should be the official language of the Greek nation. It was a highly controversial topic in the 19th and 20th centuries and was finally resolved in 1976, when demotic was made the official language. The language phenomenon in question—which occurs elsewhere in the world—is called diglossia. This term was coined in 1885 by Emmanuel Rhoides and popularized internationally by Ioannis Psycharis, a leading participant in the Greek controversy.
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