Yes, we're planning to go to Greece next spring, if it's still there and hasn't sunk beneath the Aegean wave under the weight of debt. I know many Greeks speak English, but that's such a shameful cop-out, one I won't be party to if I can help it. And maybe there's no need...
* * *
...I arrived at the taverna ahead of the other two, and so had the undivided attention of the waiter for a few moments.
"How do I greet people in modern Greek?" I asked him. "How do I say 'Good morning', or just 'Hi'?"
"You say 'Chairete'," he said. (Kye-ray-tay, hard CH, like in 'character'.)
"Chairete?"
"That's right," he went on. "And it's quite acceptable, indeed good manners, to add something else, to include the people you're speaking to. For instance, you can say 'Chairete, persones'."
"Chairete, persones?"
"That's it. 'Greetings, people.' Or you can just as well say 'Chairete, evzones'.
"Chairete, evzones?"
"You've got it. 'Greetings, soldiers'. It doesn't matter if they aren't soldiers, it's perfectly socially acceptable to address people as 'soldiers'. In fact it's an honour.'
The other two arrived. Lesson over. I thanked the waiter. 'My pleasure, soldier,' he replied. I smiled proudly.
"How do I greet people in modern Greek?" I asked him. "How do I say 'Good morning', or just 'Hi'?"
"You say 'Chairete'," he said. (Kye-ray-tay, hard CH, like in 'character'.)
"Chairete?"
"That's right," he went on. "And it's quite acceptable, indeed good manners, to add something else, to include the people you're speaking to. For instance, you can say 'Chairete, persones'."
"Chairete, persones?"
"That's it. 'Greetings, people.' Or you can just as well say 'Chairete, evzones'.
"Chairete, evzones?"
"You've got it. 'Greetings, soldiers'. It doesn't matter if they aren't soldiers, it's perfectly socially acceptable to address people as 'soldiers'. In fact it's an honour.'
The other two arrived. Lesson over. I thanked the waiter. 'My pleasure, soldier,' he replied. I smiled proudly.
* * *
Should you go to Greece and should you wish to avail yourself of these little everyday politenesses, courtesy of Lydian Airs, please feel free. But I'd rather you didn't acknowledge their source, if it's all the same to you: I'm afraid I dreamt all this last night and it may not be absolutely gospel. Far from it, in fact. It' s probably all Greek to the Greeks.
14 comments:
I am glad that your picture was in jpeg format ... have you guessed where I am going with this?
Oh dear. Jpeg. J-cloth. Clothes peg. What-a-fusstanella. El Alamein. Cairo. Chi-ro. Pom-poms. Pommie b******s. Scrooge-type nightcaps. Humbug.
No, dear friend, I'm euchred.
*scratches head. Calls for obliging waiter*
Galli mera, Christos, efgharisto.
Thank you for putting me into your blogroll. Would you make the relationship public, please, by also joining me in my followers column?
It's not obligatory, but it would make this γυναίκα ευτυχής.
Με την ευχαριστηση, στρατιωτης
I can say 'In the beginning was the Word' (and a few more verses from John 1) in NT Greek. I've never found it of any great help when actually in Greece.
You must have been like that Brit character in Captain Corelli's Mandolin whose Classical Greek was represented by the author as Chaucerian English.
If you want to join my dream-club, there are three places still vacant. Bring a guest - or two - if you like.
Alex took his Latin O level (or GCSE, I can't quite remember when the changeover was) a year early, so took up ancient Greek to while away the time. I was very keen, I'd always wanted to learn Greek. Sadly, it was too late. My brain wasn't up to it any more. In my youth, though, I dreamed in fluent Latin. Mind you, when I woke up, I never had any idea what I'd said.
My demotic's chaotic
My Classic's forgot.
That's why I don't speak
Greek.
A lot.
Good for you for making a valiant attempt to not be another gaudy English speaking tourist, and thanks for the tips. I'd definitely like to go there someday myself.
+followed
Z: Nevertheless I hope there are many occasions when you feel stirred to say 'This is the life!' when looking in the mirror.
MIT: If only 'Dinah' rhymed with 'κοινη' I wouldn't be reduced to humming that incantation of struggling juvenile Greek prose translators:
Dinah, Dinah, show us your lex-
Show us your lex-
Show us your lex-
Icon, O Dinah, Dinah,
Show us your lex-
etc., etc.
EMM: Welcome. I see you are a fellow-member of the polysyllabic nomenklatura, but I doubt if this will save you from being locked up if you try using the Greek expressions outlined in this post. It could be like saying 'Hello, Sailor' once bit too often. Never mind, I'm sure I and my modest following will be happy to come and push tzatziki and moussaka through the bars for you.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifs.
I am so sorry.
Please excuse me, Vicus: I may take a moment or two to recover.
The only Greek word I reliably remember is thalassa (thalassa!). My parents had some sort of joke which involved saying it whenever we reached the sea.
I do love the pom-poms.
'Thalassa', yes, I remember, in Xenophon, a bizarre name meaning 'with a foreign accent'. It was what his army shouted back down the line when, having marched northwards across what's now Syria, Kurdistan and eastern Turkey they at last saw the Black Sea.
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