View source for Greek language

{{Infobox language
| name             = Greek
| altname          = ''elliniká''
| nativename       = {{lang|el|Eλληνικά}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA-el|eliniˈka|}}
| region           = [[Greece]], southern [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]]
| speakers         = 13 million
| date             = 2012
| ref              = e18
| refname          = Greek<!--name as shown at Ethnologue reference-->
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Hellenic languages|Hellenic]]
| ancestor         = 
| dia1             = [[Ancient Greek dialects|Ancient dialects]]
| dia2             = [[Varieties of Modern Greek|Modern dialects]]
| stand1           = 
| script           = {{ublist|class=nowrap |[[Greek alphabet]]<br />
[[Greek Braille]]}}
| nation           = {{GRE}}<br>{{CYP}}<br>{{EU}}
| minority         = {{ALB}}<br>{{ARM}}<br>{{HUN}}<br>{{GER}}<br>{{ITA}}<br>{{ROM}}<br>{{UKR}}<br>{{POR}}<br>{{flag|Turkey}}<br>{{flag|Croatia}}<br>{{flag|Serbia}}<br>{{flag|North Macedonia}}

<ref name=CouncilofEurope>{{cite web|url=http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ListeDeclarations.asp?NT=148&CM=8&DF=23/01/05&CL=ENG&VL=1|title=List of Declarations Made with Respect to Treaty No. 148|publisher=[[Council of Europe]]|accessdate=8 December 2008|archive-date=26 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226070540/https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/search-on-treaties/-/conventions/treaty/148/declarations|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| iso1             = el
| iso2b            = gre
| iso2t            = ell
| lc1              = ell
| ld1              = [[Modern Greek]]<!-- main ISO 639-3 code, list first -->
| lc2              = grc
| ld2              = [[Ancient Greek]]
| lc3              = cpg
| ld3              = {{nowrap|[[Cappadocian Greek]]}}
| lc4              = gmy
| ld4              = [[Mycenaean Greek]]
| lc5              = pnt
| ld5              = [[Pontic Greek|Pontic]]
| lc6              = tsd
| ld6              = [[Tsakonian language|Tsakonian]]
| lc7              = yej
| ld7              = [[Yevanic]]
| glotto           = gree1276
| glottorefname    = Greek<!--name as shown at Glottolog reference-->
| lingua           = {{ublist|class=nowrap |56-AAA-a |<tt>56-AAA-aa</tt> {{small|to}} <tt>-am</tt> {{small|(varieties)}} }}
| map              = 
| mapcaption       = 
| notice           = IPA
}}
[[File:Seferisrede.ogg|thumb|Spoken Greek]]

The '''Greek language''', also referred to as the '''Grecian language''', is an [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European language]]. It is the [[official language]] of [[Greece]] (Hellas) and [[Cyprus]]. It was first spoken in Greece and was also once spoken along the coast of [[Asia Minor]] (now a part of Turkey) and in southern [[Italy]]. It also used to be widely used in [[Western Asia]] and Northern Africa. In Greek, the language is called ''Ελληνικά'' (''elliniká'').

Greeks write their language using the [[Greek alphabet]]. The Latin [[alphabet]], which used to write [[English language|English]] and many other languages, came indirectly from the Greek alphabet by the [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] alphabet. Many other alphabets around the world also came from the Greek alphabet.

Greek has an unbroken history of being a written language for over 3,000 years. Thats is longer than any other Indo-European language spoken today. Its history is often divided into three parts, [[Ancient Greek]], [[Medieval Greek]], and [[Modern Greek]]. Medieval Greek is also called Byzzantine Greek because it was spoken in the [[Byzantine Empire]].

Over 13 million people in the world speak Greek as of 2021, mostly live in Greece (almost 11 million) and Cyprus (over 1 million). There are also people in other countries around the world who speak the language, largely because people left Greece and Cyprus and [[Emigration|emigrated]] to other countries. The [[United States]] and [[Australia]] have a large Greek [[diaspora]].

== Related pages ==
* [[Greek numbers]]
* [[Ancient Greek language]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Other websites ==
{{InterWiki|code=el}}
{{Wikibookspar||Modern Greek}}
* [http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/Greek/ Greek Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223164907/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/ |date=2012-02-23 }}, from [http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org Webster's Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223164907/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/ |date=2012-02-23 }}.
* [http://greek-language.com/lexical.aids/ Ancient Greek Dictionaries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429031138/http://www.greek-language.com/lexical.aids/ |date=2009-04-29 }}, descriptions of both online dictionaries (with appropriate links) and Greek.

[[Category:Greek language| ]]