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Why is greek such a funny language?
Hello, Halim Bilal
It is nice to have someone as understanding as you in our forum. I hope to see more of your posting in here as your words of wisdom are welcomed anytime.
Hi!
I am Akiko Ichiro from Japan. I salute everybody! I am very happy to participate in this discussion. At this moment I live in USA and I have had the chance to see how all (well, not all, but many) the races and nationalities look like, their customs, culture, music, etc, etc. I am part of a group of students from Japan who are working on a degree in Political Science and we visit many communities with different groups of nationalities and this has given us the possibility to learn and see for ourselves how cultures and people are related and at what degree. USA is the best place to do that because here you can find them all, as they say. I must say that I have noticed myself that Greeks in the US are the only European community that looks as close to arabs or turks. And with that I mean, physical appearance, customs, music, cuisine, etc, etc. I don't know for sure why this is, but I must assume that it has a lot to do with their geenes, as these things can only be explained fully at the genetic base of populations. Here we are not talking about separating nations or groups of people (like Nazis), but only a genetic study like those done everyday in smaller groups of people. People and nations have always moved to and from each other and there are basically no "pure" nations like some might wrongfully assume. Anyway, it is sad that some greeks get upset because they don't look like the other Europeans. This is something normal that shouldn't bother anyone. It matters more how you feel inside. At least, this is what I think. Thank you for your time Bye, bye!
Hello Akiko,
Nice to have you here. You spoke right. There are some people who usually get upset at the beginning because they are not used at the truth, but with time they accept the reality as this is the organic way to go. Once again, thanks for your posting. Hope to see more of your writings in here.
Calliope wrote:
"It doesn't sound strange to me (I am Greek though :-P); however, if I had to guess, I would say it is the lack of intonation, certain sounds that are not common in other languages (at least not all in the same language), the fact that we speak from the front part of our mouth mostly and the lack of substantial common vocabulary with romance/latin based languages (not even mentioning germanic ones). " I must say that greek does sound strage to my ears. I can understand the lack of intonation and the lack of substanitial common vocabulary with romance/latin and germanic based languages that you mention, but I have no information about 'certain sounds that are not common in other language' and the 'fact that we speak from the front part of our mouth mostly' parts of your statement. Can you please be more specific and give us any examples if possible?
I will alway be here to support my greek arab brothers because we share the same geenes and blood.
I will alway be here to support my greek arab brothers because we share the same geenes and blood.
Bogdan wrote:
"I have travelled for some time in the Balkans as part of a "Youth Bicycle Group" and I have noticed some of the things mentioned here. First of all, those albanians mentioned here living in Cameria (Northern Greece) are greeks by now (maybe 1/2 greeks, but it's not upon me to decide, let the European Council or UN decide about it), even though some of them still speak some kind of an albanian dialect called Arvanitas (pronounced Arva-nee-tas) and it is very interesting to study this albanian dialect and its influence in the modern greek as this might give a lot of answers at some issues discussed here regarding Balkanik languages. In this part of Greece people have a lighter complexion than in the other parts of the country and you can even find some blondes (on villages along the albanian border). Second, if you go in Macedonia or in the North-Eastern part of Greece, you will notice that people look almost the same (more like bulgarian) , but different from those greeks who live in the South-Eastern part of Greece (in the border with Turkey), but the greek language they speak is the same, so even though they might belong to a different pool of geenes, the language is the same, so they are greeks no matter what the tone of their skin might be. And on the South-Eastern side of Greece people look almost the same as people across the border (Turkey), but also spoke the same greek spoken at any other part I visited. So, no matter what the skin tone of the greeks I saw, or the gene pool they belonged, albanian, bulgarian, or turkish, I can say that they were basically all greek, so there should be no confusion about it. The language was modern greek and everything around was greek. Maybe you can find the same identical things across the borders but who cares at this point. One day all those lands will be called Europe and these things will not matter that much. I respect very much all those people who live there and their languages. I had the chance to dance and sing (well, maybe just sounds because I knew no words) to greek and turkish music and yes, they sound the same, and I loved them both. Greek language...I don't find it funny, just too hard... This website is great! " I am greek and to be honest this is the best short description I have ever read of greek lands and population ever written on a forum from a non-greek. If we all see things without the nationalistic filters, this is how Greece would really look, we like it or not. Thanks Bogdan for the 'shot of reality'. I cannot say anything about the other postings...it will take much time...
@Stanislav
"I must say that greek does sound strage to my ears. I can understand the lack of intonation and the lack of substanitial common vocabulary with romance/latin and germanic based languages that you mention, but I have no information about 'certain sounds that are not common in other language' and the 'fact that we speak from the front part of our mouth mostly' parts of your statement. Can you please be more specific and give us any examples if possible?" There are sounds like Γ and Δ and Χ that most romance languages don't have (Spanish does, to a point) and I believe germanic languages don't either. Then the R sound is pretty different too - again, quite close to the Spanish "r" sound. When it comes to vowels, we use the basics; "bit" and "beat" are not perceived as sounding differently in Greece, because we use the two sounds interchangeably in Greek. That's probably why some people stated Greek and Spanish sound similar to them - we share some of those "weird" sounds. I'm sure there's a few more, but that's all I can think off the top of my head. The other thing is hard to explain; I have noticed that for example, Americans are more nasal, British people speak more from the lower back part of their mouth, Italians the upper back part etc - Greeks speak from the front part of our mouth. Meaning, that's where most sounds are generated. It is a tiny little thing, but it is enough to make you sound "weird" even if you are flawless in all other aspects. Not sure if I helped at all, I wish I could put it in linguistic terms and symbols, but oh well... On a side note, let me say I also agree with Bogdan's post (quoted above by Leonidas) - I mean, since some people pretend they didn't get it the first oh... five times?
Why do Northern Europeans assume Southern Europeans aspire to look like them, and not Arabs. That has definitely come across in a lot of these messages. It might well be the case, but it might not, but whatever they assume it anyway. I guess you Northern Europeans just feel you loook better than everyone else and assume everyone else on the planet feels the same...
Where is the best greek that we ever had in our forum, Sotiris The Magnificant. I heard about his histories from another forum, and here I am trying to read some more from him. I am waiting for you, Sotiris...
Steve, you came too late...
Calliope said something to him in greek and he left the forum a little angry. I would assume that she told Sotiris to go away or something, because he didn't look very happy. I don't understand people like Calliope and Ion...do they think they are the best and the others, who ever they are, greek or non-greek don't deserve to say a single word... I would also assume that they felt a little embarrased by Sotiris and if so, I can say that they would have been the only ones in this forum, because everybody else loved him...such a shame...such a shame...that's really low...
@Mario
Don't worry, I didn't tell him anything that would justify him being angry. Besides, he posted after I did, but funnily enough, he failed to comment on what I said in Greek. Fairly enough, it was nothing babelfish would translate in a way that would make sense to a non-Greek. You are quick to comment on stuff you don't know, aren't you?
On this topic, I noticed that 92 % (I calculated) of the expressed opinions are are full of bullshit, superficial, closed to stupid.
Then, In their naivety, hopping to make their points, a few individuals are posting many times under different names. Sometimes, they give themselves "authentic" Greeks, another times, they are Iranians, or Arabs, even Norwegians or Germans when in fact they are only Slavs, (Bulgarians, Serbs, Macedonian Slavs). Young fellows, with this attitude, you cannot gain any knowledge and obviously, you suffer of a huge need of such. It is up to you if you want to remain consequent in your hate, narrow minded in you world perception, completely incarcerated in the Middle Age time or to make progresses. If you think that by your opinions you change the reality, the historical truth, you are completely wrong. The reality is known! On this forum, you had the chance to learn something helpfully and easy but if you refuse it, it is your problem, again. Stay tuned to your propaganda emission. The Hellenic people are who they are, ( the result of Fillip the second/Alexander the Great - Macedonian people and the ancient Greeks). They are the creators of Hellenic World if you ever heard about it. The Persians have been conquered by Alexander's armies and after his dead, the solders either return to Ellada, or they remained in Persia, infusing some Hellenic blood into the Persian vines. (and not vice versa). The first Bulgars who migrated into Thracian, south of the Danube, where of Turkic origin. They were later assimilated by the Southern Slavs. Although it is saying that from the original Bulgars (Turkic tribe men), is nothing remaining today but the nation and country name, some blood traces are still to be considered. They the ones having the Turkic DNA and not the Greeks. They have more such traces than even the Turks because the Ottomans have cleansed the original Turkish people in a huge percent by "importing" children from all the conquered or vassal countries, including Romanian provinces. Who are the Southern Slavs? Croatians were tribes of Iranian origin who transformed the Serbs into their Slavs (that's another reason why they cannot get along, not even today), and led them during migration time to Southern part of Europe. The Croatians have chosen the Northern part of the approximate former Yugoslavia territory (I'm using this as indicator to make it easier ,to figure out) while the Serbs have chosen the Southern side. Both these tribes have found here Albanians, people of Illyrian- Thracian origin. In conclusion - Hellenic Nation is a mixture of Thracian (possible)-Macedonian-Antic Greeks. (There are historians who considers that Macedonian, Geto-Dacian, Illyrian, Moesian, Costobocs, Carps, Dardans etc are all related and part of the huge Thracian nation.) - Bulgarian Nation: A Slavic nation resulted from the assimilation by Slavic people of the Bulgars (Turkic tribes). - Serbian Nation - the southern Slavs, slavered by Croatians and brought into this region by force. During the time they mixed themselves with Croatians - Croatians - Iranian origin tribes who adopted the Slavs language and in some points, mixing with Serbs and not only. All these nations, of course during the time, came in contact with each other and influenced themselves, here and there, borrowing from each other cultural elements, vocabulary etc. But all of them, once build as they are today, they became very conscientious of who they are and tried the preserve their actual ethnicity. Coming back to the topic, there is no language in the world to be called Funny. Funny is your perception, funny is your incapability to absorb the Truth. A language has the extraordinary capability to make people easy communicating among each other. It makes people expressing feelings and Greek is doing this with great success. As you can see, or hear, the Greeks are singing, writing books and songs, conducting scientifically researches and most important communicating among them at the highest level possible. What is funny about this language, then? There is only one single truth here, You and your postings are Funny, indeed. Am I a poet? Do you know , at least, what a poet is? What is he doing?
Mario,
Sortiris is not Greek, this is what Calliope said to him: that she believes that he is not Greek. If she only believes it, I'm certain that he is not Greek. He didn't disappeared, he just took another mask. He impersonated another nation, that's all! Maybe, his name is Mario,now! On the other hand, when 92% of you are posting here as you do, why are you accusing me that am not allowing you to say a word. You put 92% of all opinions here and I , Calliope and Augustin717 ( the combatants), only 8% percent: where is the interdiction you are talking about? In the fact that you cannot prove your absurdities? That's not our faults my dear! You want me to disappear and let you aberate on this forum? If Yes, I'm sorry, I cannot. I cannot remain in observation when the subculture tries to take over the real values and to turn it upside-down. It is my obligation as human being to react against destruction. It is a common sense which every individual should posses. |