The Greek language in ancient and modern times

The Greek language is the oldest in Europe. It has existed for 4,000 years and is categorized under the Indo-European language family, even though it’s located on its own branch. Greek is related to the ancient Macedonian language, but Albanian and Armenian are also believed to be related to Greek. Greece and Cyprus are the only two countries in which Greek is spoken as a native tongue.

For modern Europe, the Greek language is of great significance, as literature, philosophy, and science all began with Greek, and many European languages contain loanwords from it. Even today, international scientific and technical vocabulary is borrowed from the Greek language.

If you’re in need of professional translations into or from Greek, we’re happy to be there for you. Our native-speaking translators can translate your documents with speed and pinpoint accuracy! We not only put emphasis on knowing the target and source languages, but also on the relevant subject area. This is how we can offer you high quality translations in many different subject areas including medicine, technology, marketing, sciences, and many others.

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Greek

If you have an official document from Greece like a birth certificate, medical license, or the like, we can translate it into another language, such as English, for presentation to immigration officials or potential employers.

Historical background of the Greek language

The field of linguistics assumes that Greek was influenced by another, unknown Indo-European language that was very similar to the Illyrian language but is no longer in existence. In about 800 B.C., the Greeks adopted the Phoenician writing system and modified it by introducing vowel signs. After Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans, who were tolerant of the Greek language, the first Greek newspaper was written. Greek then became the language of the church.

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In the years 1829-1830, "Katharevousa" was the official language, which was based on classic Attic Greek. After problems with educational policy, the vernacular Demotic Greek became the final language of the federal government, as well as science.

Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek was spoken from 800 B.C. to 600 B.C. in the Eastern Mediterranean region. It was divided into four dialects: Ionic, Aeolic, Doric, and Attic, the last of which has prevailed particularly in literary works, including Plato’s. This ancient Greek dialect is taught in schools and, along with Latin, is considered to be an important language in education.

The Greek script

Before the now common Greek script was implemented, there was the Linear B script in Mycenaean Greek. After the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, this script was never recorded again. In the Hellenistic period, accents and symbols for aspirated consonants were introduced into the language of the Greeks but were abolished at the end of the 20th century. The accents were replaced with a character that designates the stressed syllable.

The Latin and Cyrillic alphabets were based on the Greek alphabet. Even the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language and script.

How much does a translation into Greek cost?

The standard rate for translations from English into Greek is $ 0.13 per word and for translations from Greek into English the industry rate is $ 0.12. If you’re a new customer or have a large text (more than 5,000 words), we may reduce our rates significantly for you. For urgent jobs that need several translators working simultaneously, you can expect a slight surcharge. For a full list of rates per language, please visit Order here.

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