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Glite Dictionary
Modern Greek

Modern Greek

1 4.5
The Greek language spoken and written since the late Middle Ages
  • noun
translation icon : griego moderno
  • Modern Greek folk culture decries emigration and refers to foreign land as "criminal" precisely because such a large proportion (41 percent) of the Greek population lives outside Greece.

I don't know what it is in modern Greek, homo, in Latin.

Examples

  • I opened the door of the Modern Greek classroom.

  • An accent in Modern Greek is a short line that is written only above vowels to indicate the way they are pronounced in the word.

    Academic text (2008)

  • I opened the door of the Modern Greek classroom.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • But for those who do not speak Modern Greek, do not fret.

    Blog text (29)

  • Even so, those who wish to study Modern Greek can certainly build some fluency while abroad!

    Blog text (29)

  • "This was to be an experiment, to see if anyone was interested in Modern Greek," Mrs. Mastrapas looked at the slide projector.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • While knowledge of Modern Greek may help students communicate better with citizens in more remote areas, most people in tourism-dense locations, such as Athens, can also communicate in English.

    Blog text (29)

  • I drank my second cup of coffee hastily and gave my phone number to Mrs. Mastrapas in case she ever arranged to teach Modern Greek again.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He teaches Modern Greek history in the ILEAD program at Dartmouth College.

  • Those who wish to study Modern Greek can certainly build some fluency while abroad!

Synonyms

New Greek language
vsModern Greek
4.9

The Greek language spoken and written from the Middle Ages to today, also called Modern Greek

is the standard modern name rather than an alternative phrase
Modern Greek language
vsModern Greek
4.2

The form of Greek spoken and written in Greece and Cyprus today

is the concise, widely used label for that language
New Greek
vsModern Greek
5.7

The Greek language people speak and write today

focuses more on historical continuity from the late medieval period
Romaic
vsModern Greek
  • Archaic
9.9

A modern everyday form of the Greek language used instead of ancient Greek

is the standard modern designation rather than an older label
Romaic language
vsModern Greek
  • Archaic
9.9

A common form of Greek spoken since the late Middle Ages

is the current preferred name replacing this historical term

How Formal

Katharevusa
  • Archaic
9.9
Modern Greek
1 4.5
vernacular
  • Formal
6 6.5

Surface Forms

Modern Greek singular
Modern Greeks plural

Morphology

modern + Greek

A B1 learner who knows 'modern' (present/recent) and 'Greek' (the Hellenic language) can directly infer that 'Modern Greek' refers to the current form of the Greek language. The compound follows a common cross-linguistic adjective + language pattern and requires no idiomatic or metaphorical interpretation.

Etymology

Modern Greek means the form of Greek that grew after 'Ancient Greek' and during the middle ages. So, Modern Greek is the version of the language people speak and write 'today'.