Greek (Modern)

Modern Greek is the official language of Greece and Cyprus, and is spoken across the world by the sizeable Greek diaspora, such as in Australia. It is a distant relative of most European languages, including English and French. It uses its own alphabet of 24 letters, which has changed little since ancient times. Although many English words have Greek origins, the structure of the language is very different.
The Greek community is large and well-established in Australia and many Australians of Greek descent continue to speak Greek. Greek migration to Australia peaked in the 1950s and 60s when the Australian Government provided assisted passage to thousands of Greeks. Community language schools were quickly established, and with government support Modern Greek also began to be introduced into schools and universities.

Number of people in Australia who speak this language at home: 252,211 (ABS Census Data, 2011)

Language Category: European Languages

Choose another Language

Top