• News

Greeklish To Greek 2023 - Using The Greek Alphabet Or Writing Greeklish

3Shares
336Views

The Greek alphabet is one of a kind. It's been around for thousands of years and hasn't changed much. It survived the eras of Omiros and Platonas, Byzantine, and Kavafis, and ended up in our day with little modifications. The Omilo instructors are delighted to assist you in learning this lovely alphabet!

And, believe it or not, it's a lot simpler than you think! Most of the letters will be familiar to you since Greek letters are used in mathematics, science, and other fields in most European languages. You may be asking why you should learn the Greek Alphabet since you can already write in Greeklish. Let’s find out!

What Exactly Is Greeklish?

Greeklish, for those who are unfamiliar, is a Hellenic language written in English or Latin letters.

Because of the ease and appropriateness that Greeklish provides, it has now become part of the daily experience of Greek Internet users. Since their introduction in the 1960s, they have caused a slew of issues with young people's spelling and writing.

Because it was simpler and faster to write with Latin letters, the trend of adopting "Greeklish" began with mobile phones and the internet:

  • There are fewer letters utilized, resulting in greater writing space;
  • There are no grammatical requirements, resulting in quicker message writing. Of course, younger generations began this trend, but older generations are now using Greeklish as well.

The question of whether the Greek language is endangered as a result of Greeklish has sparked heated discussion.

On the one hand, many people believe that the risk is great since the language's unique characteristics are being lost. They claim that the spelling of each word reveals much about the term's origins and meaning.

On the other hand, proponents of Greeklish argue that a language should be designed to meet the requirements of the people who speak it. The internet necessitates fast actions and a simple writing style. Furthermore, language is a living creature that is always changing, and we must watch it without becoming trapped in the past.

According to a previous survey conducted by the University of West Macedonia's Section of Preschool Education, 9 out of 10 high school pupils speak Greeklish. This technique is used by the majority of them to prevent spelling mistakes and save time.

This usage will further exacerbate lexipenia since pupils will feel it unnecessary to acquire the precise spelling of words, especially when they can easily converse using English characters.

Furthermore, according to the research, 58.5 percent of pupils believe that the usage of Greeklish endangers the Greek language.

However, only 64.3 percent of philologists believe that the Hellenic language is under danger from Greeklish, despite the fact that 53.6 percent of them have seen a rise in spelling mistakes in pupils who had previously shown better written word ability.

Today, it seems that a large number of Greek pupils prefer Greeklish over Greek. Despite the fact that today's computer systems can support a wide range of languages (including Greek), and Greeks may readily communicate on the Internet in their own tongue, we can see that people have endorsed Greeklish for good.

However, others believe that Greeklish not only complicates communication, but also makes it worse. Texts composed in this writing system have been found to be illegible and unintelligible at times. Many Internet users avoid reading lengthy documents written in Greeklish because they find it tedious.Greeklish on websites obstructs basic tasks like searching. Furthermore, a webpage's authority and worth are diminished if it is written entirely in Greeklish.

Learning The Greek Alphabet Has Its Advantages

As you know, you can write in Greeklish, but you won't be able to read anything written to you in Greek, and you won't be able to read anything written to you in Greek if you visit Greece.

Wouldn't it be great to be able to read a Greek menu card, street names, a bus's destination, or just have a decent Greek pronunciation while in Greece?

You will know precisely how to pronounce each word as soon as you learn the Alphabet.

Share: Twitter|Facebook|Linkedin

About The Authors

Christoforos Karahaliidis

Christoforos Karahaliidis- Christoforos is always engaged in the Greek community and promotes the local economy. Chris just recently quit his job from finance to be a father to his new born baby. Casino and sport betting are the topics of interest for Chris since he was very young.

Featured Articles

Recent Articles