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'''Greek''' is the most ancient continuously written language in human history. It dates as a written language from 800 BC as the language of [[Homer]] and continues continuously to the present day, as four to five different language forms through time.

'''Greek''' is the most ancient continuously written language in human history. It dates as a written language from 800 BC as the language of [[Homer]] and continues continuously to the present day, as four to five different language forms through time.

Homeric Greek, or simply ''Homeric'' is the earliest literary language, a form of Attic-Ionic. There is late Archaic Greek, which follows Homeric, and culminates in Classical Greek, with [[Aeschylus]] and [[Sophocles]], and then later Classical Greek, with [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]], into the plays of [[Euripides]] and [[Aristophanes]].  

Homeric Greek, or simply ''Homeric'' is the earliest literary language, a form of Attic-Ionic. There is late Archaic Greek, which follows Homeric, and culminates in Classical Greek, with [[Aeschylus]] and [[Sophocles]], and then later Classical Greek, with [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]], into the plays of [[Euripides]] and [[Aristophanes]].  

The Greek spread by [[Alexander the Great]] was literary. By the 1st century AD it was ''koine'', 'common' Greek, the sort of Greek that can be compared to well-spoken illegal immigrants from Central American in the United States. Accented, using slang, etc.  This was the Greek in use in [[Palestine]] at the time of [[Jesus]] and was the language of the [[New Testament]]. Greek was the common trade language of the [[Roman Empire]].

The Greek spread by [[Alexander the Great]] was literary. By the 1st century AD it was ''koine'', 'common' Greek, the sort of Greek that can be compared to well-spoken illegal immigrants from Central American in the [[United States]]. Accented, using slang, etc.  This was the Greek in use in [[Palestine]] at the time of [[Jesus]] and was the language of the [[New Testament]]. Greek was the common trade language of the [[Roman Empire]].

Some centuries before, the Jews of Alexandria rendered a version of the [[Old Testament]] into Greek, the [[Septuagint]] (LXX), ('the seventy' or 'seventy-two' based on the number of translators). This version of the Old Testament differs from that used by most [[Protestants]] who use the [[Masoretic Hebrew]] text, but continues to be used by the [[Catholics]] (in [[Latin]]) and by the Greek [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] (untranslated).

Some centuries before, the [[Jews]] of Alexandria rendered a version of the [[Old Testament]] into Greek, the [[Septuagint]] (LXX), ('the seventy' or 'seventy-two' based on the number of translators). This version of the Old Testament differs from that used by most [[Protestants]] who use the [[Masoretic Hebrew]] text, but continues to be used by the [[Catholics]] (in [[Latin]]) and by the Greek [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] (untranslated).

The Greek language is divided up into three moods and three voices; the three moods being the indicative, subjunctive and optative, and the three voices being the active, passive and middle. Greek syntax and linguistic structure is similar to Latin, with several words sharing intrinsically profound links with one another (for example, the word "pater"). Ancient Greek is notorious for having a large proportion of irregular verbs; the scholar LA Wilding has calculated that most verbs show some degree of inconsistency.

The Greek language is divided up into three moods and three voices; the three moods being the indicative, subjunctive and optative, and the three voices being the active, passive and middle. Greek syntax and linguistic structure is similar to Latin, with several words sharing intrinsically profound links with one another (for example, the word "pater"). Ancient Greek is notorious for having a large proportion of irregular verbs; the scholar LA Wilding has calculated that most verbs show some degree of inconsistency.

The early Greek language no longer exists in a spoken form today, modern Greek being as different from Classical Greek as Old English is from current English.  

The early Greek language no longer exists in a spoken form today, modern Greek being as different from Classical Greek as Old English is from current English.  

Modern Greek is the modern variety of the Greek language, but separate from ancient Greek. It is the primary language of Greece and Cyprus.

Modern Greek is the modern variety of the Greek language, but separate from ancient Greek. It is the primary language of Greece and Cyprus.

===See Also ===

===See Also ===

[[Mycenaean language]]

 

*[[Mycenaean language]]

 

 

[[Category:Languages]]

[[Category:Languages]]