Greek | |
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ελληνικά | |
Pronunciation | [eliniˈka] |
Region | Greece, soothren Mediterranean |
Ethnicity | Greeks |
Native speakers | 13.4 million (2012)[1] |
Indo-European
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Early form | |
Dialects | |
Offeecial status | |
Offeecial leid in | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Recognised minority leid in | |
Leid codes | |
ISO 639-1 | el |
ISO 639-2 | gre (B) ell (T) |
ISO 639-3 | Variously:ell – Modren Greekgrc – Auncient Greekcpg – Cappadocian Greekgmy – Mycenaean Greekpnt – Pontictsd – Tsakonianyej – Yevanic |
Glottolog | gree1276 [4] |
Linguasphere |
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Greek (Greek: ελληνική γλώσσα or semply ελληνικά — "Hellenic") haes a documentit history o 3,400 year, the langest o ony single naitural leid in the Indo-European leid faimily. It is ane o the earliest attestit Indo-European leids an aw, wi fragmentary records in Mycenaean datin back tae the 15t or 14t century BC, makkin it the warld's auldest recordit leevin leid. The day, it is spoken bi aboot 17–25 million fowk in Greece (offeecial), Cyprus (offeecial), Albanie, Bulgarie, North Macedonie, Italy, Turkey, Armenie, Georgie, Ukraine, Moldovae, Romanie, Roushie, Egyp, Jordan an emigrant communities athort the warld, includin Australie, Unitit States, Canadae, Germany an ithergates.
Greek haes been written in the Greek alphabet (the auldest conteenasly uised alphabet, an the first tae introduce vouels) syne the 9t century BC in Greece (afore that in Linear B), an the 4t century BC in Cyprus (afore that in Cypriot seelabary). Greek literature haes a conteenas history o near-haund three thoosand year.