GREEK FAQ
What you may want to know about Greek
Below we try to answer briefly some questions about the Greek language.
Is Modern Greek the same as Classical Greek?
This is asked frequently. Modern Greek is the descendant of the language of Homer and the great classical dramatists but has radically changed. Suffice it to say that although the pace of change has been slower in Greek than in many other languages, there is no more point in speaking Classical Greek in Athens today than in addressing today's Londoner in Chaucer's 14th Century English. The difference in both cases is much the same! See The Greek Language.
Where is Greek spoken apart from Greece?
As an official language, only in Cyprus where some 80% of the population is Greek speaking. However there are substantial Greek communities in many parts of the world where Greek is used between family and friends including Australia, the United Kingdom and the USA.
How does Greek in Cyprus differ from Greek in Greece?
So far as the standard written language is concerned there is little difference. Like the regions of Greece, or indeed as in virtually any country one cares to name, there is a local dialect as well as a regional accent but these do not affect the written language.
What the person commissioning Greek translations should perhaps be more aware of is the different legal system and system of government in Cyprus, which, for historical reasons, is based on the British model rather than the continental, Franco-German approach adopted in Greece. See also The Greek Language.