Demotic and "Standard Modern Greek"
Demotic is often thought to be the same as the modern Greek language, but these two terms are not completely synonymous. While Demotic is a term applied to the naturally evolved colloquial language of the Greeks, the modern Greek language of today (Standard Modern Greek; Νεοελληνική Κοινή) is more like a fusion of Demotic and Katharevousa. It is not wrong to call the spoken language of today Demotic, but such a terminology ignores the fact that modern Greek contains - especially in a written or official form - numerous words, grammatical forms and phonetical features that didn't exist in colloquial speech and only entered the language through its archaic variety. Besides, even the most archaic forms of Katharevousa were never thought of as ancient Greek, but were always called "modern Greek", so that the phrase "modern Greek" applies to Demotic, Standard Modern Greek and even Katharevousa.
Read more about this topic: Demotic Greek
Famous quotes containing the words standard, modern and/or greek:
“This unlettered mans speaking and writing are standard English. Some words and phrases deemed vulgarisms and Americanisms before, he has made standard American; such as It will pay. It suggests that the one great rule of compositionand if I were a professor of rhetoric I should insist on thisis, to speak the truth. This first, this second, this third; pebbles in your mouth or not. This demands earnestness and manhood chiefly.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)
“... in the fierce competition of modern society the only class left in the country possessing leisure is that of women supported in easy circumstances by husband or father, and it is to this class we must look for the maintenance of cultivated and refined tastes, for that value and pursuit of knowledge and of art for their own sakes which can alone save society from degenerating into a huge machine for making money, and gratifying the love of sensual luxury.”
—Mrs. H. O. Ward (18241899)
“Whats the Latin name for parsley?
Whats the Greek name for Swines Snout?”
—Robert Browning (18121889)