Katharevousa
Katharevousa is a form of the Greek language that was conceived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a compromise between Ancient Greek and the Modern Greek vernacular, known as Demotic Greek. Here are key points about Katharevousa:
History and Development
- Katharevousa was primarily formulated by Adamantios Koraes, a scholar who sought to purify the Greek language by removing foreign influences, particularly from Ottoman Turkish, and to revive the prestige of classical Greek.
- It was intended to serve as an educated and formal language, used in literature, education, government, and the church, thereby preserving the cultural heritage of Ancient Greece.
- After the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece in 1830, Katharevousa was adopted as the official language for state and formal purposes.
Characteristics
- Katharevousa incorporated elements from various stages of Greek, including Ancient Greek, Hellenistic Greek, and Medieval Greek, while avoiding many of the features of Demotic Greek which were considered vulgar or colloquial.
- It used an archaic vocabulary and grammar, often reviving ancient forms that were no longer in common use, to create a language that was seen as purer and more dignified.
- The syntax of Katharevousa was often more complex than that of Demotic Greek, mimicking the structure of classical texts.
Usage and Impact
- Over time, Katharevousa became the standard for formal writing, legal documents, and official communications. It was taught in schools, and its mastery was seen as a mark of education and culture.
- However, this created a divide between the educated and the uneducated, as Katharevousa was not the spoken language of the common people.
- The tension between Katharevousa and Demotic Greek led to the Greek language question or Γλωσσικό ζήτημα, a debate that lasted for over a century about which form should be used in official contexts.
Decline
- The use of Katharevousa began to decline in the mid-20th century, particularly after the Greek military junta (1967-1974), when there was a push towards modernization and simplification of the language.
- In 1976, post-junta reforms in education led to the adoption of Demotic Greek as the language of instruction, effectively ending the official use of Katharevousa in schools.
- Today, Katharevousa is mostly found in older legal documents, some ecclesiastical contexts, and in the works of 19th and early 20th-century literature.
Sources
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