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I am particularly pleased about today's event which is organized jointly with the Deputy Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, responsible for Hellenes Abroad, as part of the celebrations for the Greek Language Day. I warmly welcome the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Andreas Katsaniotis, as well as all of you who are present.
The establishment of the International Day of the Greek Language is a good opportunity for information, awareness-raising and reflection for pupils of all educational levels, students and every Greek citizen, wherever they may be, so that they can understand the greatness and the lexical treasure of our mother tongue, whose central characteristic is its unbroken continuity through time, since it has been developing and enriching itself for 40 centuries.
We believe that the future of the Greek language is identical with the future of Hellenism and that it is the duty of the Greeks and the homogeneous people to support and honour the Greek language and education, especially where linguistic islands and enclaves of Greek-speaking communities, parishes and historical centres of the homogeneous diaspora survive, which maintain this primary element of their cultural identity.
This is why we promote special programmes for the learning and dissemination of the Greek language, as well as our history, among our expatriates, by cooperating with universities and other educational institutions and bodies, as well as with the organisations of our expatriates everywhere.
The main recipients of our programmes are the younger members of our expatriates, whom we must keep close to our roots and pass on to them the principles and values of our history, culture and traditions.
These are the future leaders of our Diaspora and we have an obligation to support them and achieve the above goal.
Of course we are proud of our language.
Of course we are proud of our language. We particularly underline this with this event of ours. There are thousands of languages worldwide and each language has its own history, as well as its own value. But the Greek language is unique and its value is unsurpassed. It is the language with the longest history compared to other European languages. It is the language that for centuries has played an important role in the enrichment of many other languages.
Let us therefore consider the following two specific facts.
- The most widely spoken English language has 490 thousand words. The 490,000 words are the largest in the world, and of these, 41,616 words come from the Greek language.
- The other fact is that the Greek language, with a history of four thousand years, has 90 million words! According to the same study, it also has one and a half million word types and 160 thousand entries.
The value of the Greek language is underlined by its unique virtues: Its expressiveness, its compositional power and its ability to produce and compose new words as needed.
Furthermore, its richness, plasticity and precision allow the speaker to express with simplicity and clarity high concepts, which place Man, his thirst for freedom and dignity, his struggle for moral perfection and redemption, at the heart of the matter.
Furthermore, its richness, plasticity and precision allow the speaker to express with simplicity and clarity high concepts, which place Man, his thirst for freedom and dignity, his struggle for moral perfection and redemption, at the heart of the matter.
It is no coincidence that the language of some of the greatest creations of the human spirit is Greek.
This universal dimension of the Greek spirit, as spread through the Greek language, is recalled and honoured by the establishment of 9 February, the day of memory of Dionysios Solomos, as World Greek Language Day in 2017 by the Greek State.
This universal dimension of the Greek spirit, as spread through the Greek language, is recalled and honoured by the establishment of 9 February, the day of memory of Dionysios Solomos, as World Greek Language Day in 2017 by the Greek State.
'As it was stressed at the time, the establishment of this world day seeks to highlight the fundamental role played by the Greek language throughout the centuries, contributing substantially to the consolidation of both European and global civilization.
In antiquity, the Greek language was fortunate to become the vehicle for the formulation and transmission of important scientific theories, philosophical considerations and literary texts.
The most important texts of Christianity were written in Greek to be disseminated throughout the world. Throughout the centuries, its contribution as a means of storing and disseminating Greek culture has been decisive, and it survives to this day, in its modern version, as one of the longest living languages in the world.
Our language is not just a means of communication. It is the vehicle which encapsulates the ideals and values of our nation. It is the great cohesive and at the same time evidence of what we call Greekness, which exists and lives on uninterruptedly from Homer to the present day.
It is the language in which great philosophers, poets and writers have left us their work: Homer, Plato, Thucydides, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Hippocrates and others. It is the language of the Old and New Testament, the language of the Evangelists and the other Fathers of our Church. [IT IS ALSO THE LANGUAGE OF THE BYZANTINE CHRONICLES, THE LANGUAGE OF SOLOMOS AND KALVOS, PALAMAS, ELYTIS, RITSOS, VASSILIS MICHAELIDES, THE LANGUAGE THAT DOCUMENTS AND REFLECTS THE CONTINUITY OF HELLENISM FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DAY. FOR US, ESPECIALLY THE GREEKS OF CYPRUS, THE GREEK LANGUAGE IS OUR FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC. IT IS WHAT GIVES SPECIAL STRENGTH TO OUR EXISTENCE, OUR HISTORY, OUR TRADITIONS AND VALUES, OUR STRUGGLES AND ASPIRATIONS. IT IS OUR LANGUAGE THAT UNITES US AND ARMS US WITH STRENGTH AND VIGOUR TO MOVE FORWARD.
It is in this context that we have set as a high priority the promotion, promotion and strengthening of the learning and dissemination of the Greek language abroad, not only because the language is a link between the motherland and the diaspora, but also because Hellenism is a living, dynamic and constantly evolving element.
It is in this context that we have set as a high priority the promotion, promotion and strengthening of the learning and dissemination of the Greek language abroad, not only because the language is a link between the motherland and the diaspora, but also because Hellenism is a living, dynamic and constantly evolving element. It is constantly renewing itself, adapting to new circumstances, assimilating new influences, discovering new paths, constantly moving towards progress.
The upgrading and strengthening of the Greek language, both in education and in society at large, is today, more than ever, an objective of the highest priority for our tested homeland and an effective defence against the various dangers that lurk.
Almost 48 years after the catastrophe of '74, Cyprus is still divided. With each passing day our hearts and souls remain committed to our goal of ending the occupation and abolishing the symbol of separation that is engraved on the Pentadaktylus and permeates the bowels of our martyred land. At the same time, Greece is tested daily with various challenges.
We insist on a solution to the Cyprus problem that will vindicate our positions and ensure the survival of the Hellenism of Cyprus in the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean where it was born and rooted.
Together with all Hellenism we fight for our vindication and stand together in facing all the challenges of Turkish neo-Ottomanism. The common history of our national struggles goes hand in hand and is united, always having as its primary goal the struggle to keep our national culture unadulterated and the ideals of the homeland unquenched. The price is heavy and great, because Greek history as a whole has proven that it has worthy and steadfast guardians of its borders and, above all, of its national ideals. Special thanks to our friend Savvas Pavlidis, to the Head of the Cyprus Educational Mission UK Mrs. Vasiliki Kouma, and to the Coordinator of Education of Greek Schools UK Mrs. Irini Veroni.
(PM/EC)
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