{"id":2743,"date":"2021-08-18T07:17:40","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T07:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/?p=2743"},"modified":"2023-12-20T10:03:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T10:03:23","slug":"turkish-and-greek-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/turkish-and-greek-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish vs Greek Languages: Similarities and Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this article, I will explain the similarities and differences between Greek and Turkish and provide insights only a Turkish local would know.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a native Turkish speaker. I do not speak Greek, but my grandparents were native speakers of Cretan Greek, and I have a basic understanding of the Greek language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkey is geographically and culturally very close to Turkey. In fact, as a Turkish living in the Aegean region, Greece is the only country that makes me feel at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, Greek and Turkish languages are another story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Turkish Language is not similar to the Greek Language. Yet, Greek and Turkish have many common words<\/a> due to centuries of cultural exchange. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkish and Greek languages have different grammar structures because they originated from different parts of the world.<\/strong> For this reason, their grammatical structures are different.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greek is an Indo-European language<\/a>, and Turkish is a Turkic and Altaic language that originated in Central Asia.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I will try to answer the most common questions about Turkish and Greek Languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greek vs. Turkish Language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>Greek<\/strong><\/td>Turkish<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Language Family<\/strong><\/td>Indo-European Language<\/td>Turkic and Altaic<\/td><\/tr>
Similar to<\/strong><\/td>Most Similar to the <\/strong>Armenian language
More broadly similar to<\/strong> Indo-European Languages.<\/td>		Closely related to<\/strong> Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Uzbek, Uyghur, Tatar, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz languages.
More broadly similar to<\/strong> Mongolian, Korean, and Japanese. (Altaic Family Source<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Number of Speakers<\/strong><\/td>
13.5 million native speakers. Source<\/a><\/td>		88 million native speakers Source<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Greek vs. Turkish Language<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in learning the Turkish language, this is the book that most of my friends use. You can check the book on Amazon<\/a>.<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Similarities between Turkish and Greek Languages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most popular academic studies on Turkish and Greek languages was conducted by Maria Damasi and Ahmet Nizam, lecturers at Thessaloniki University, Faculty of Balkan Languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two lecturers wondered to what extent there is a similarity in the languages \u200b\u200bof the two countries. They published their book \u201cTo Kino Leksilogio tis Ellinikis ke tis Tourkikis\u201d or in other words, “Common expressions in Greek and Turkish”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the results of this research, there are 1200 words of Greek origin in the Turkish language and 800 words of Turkish origin in the Greek language. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academics additionally note that after the educational reforms in the two countries in the 19th century, common words decreased by below %10. Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also check my articles on the Turkish language’s relation with Arabic<\/a> and Persian (Iranian Languages).<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.1. Loanwords between Turkish and Greek<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let’s now look at some similar examples of Turkish and Greek words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TURKISH<\/td>  GREEK<\/td>ENGLISH MEANING<\/td><\/tr>
zambak <\/td>\u03b6\u03b1\u03bc\u03c0\u03ac\u03ba\u03b9 [zambaki] <\/td>lily<\/td><\/tr>
yolcu<\/td>\u03b3\u03b9\u03bf\u03bb\u03c4\u03b6\u03ae\u03c2 [yoltzis] <\/td>passenger<\/td><\/tr>
y\u0131ld\u0131z ta\u015f\u0131(safir)<\/td>\u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03bb\u03b4\u03af\u03b6-\u03b4\u03b1\u03c3\u03af [gialdiz-dasi] <\/td>sapphire<\/td><\/tr>
yakut <\/td>\u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03bf\u03cd\u03c4\u03b9 [yakuti] <\/td>ruby<\/td><\/tr>
araba<\/td>\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03bc\u03c0\u03ac\u03c2 [arambas] <\/td>car<\/td><\/tr>
esnaf<\/td>\u03b5\u03c3\u03bd\u03ac\u03c6\u03b9 [esna] <\/td>small business owner<\/td><\/tr>
davac\u0131<\/td>\u03b4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c4\u03b6\u03ae\u03c2 [davtzis] <\/td>plaintiff<\/td><\/tr>
el\u00e7i<\/td>\u03b5\u03bb\u03c4\u03c3\u03ae\u03c2 [eltsiz] <\/td>ambassador<\/td><\/tr>
e\u011flenmek<\/td>\u03b5\u03b3\u03bb\u03b5\u03bd\u03b4\u03af\u03b6\u03c9 [eglendizo] <\/td>To have fun<\/td><\/tr>
yatak<\/td>\u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03ac\u03ba\u03b9 [yataki] <\/td>bed<\/td><\/tr>
al\u0131\u015fveri\u015f<\/td>\u03b1\u03bb\u03b9\u03c3\u03b2\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03c3\u03b9 [alisverisi] <\/td>shopping<\/td><\/tr>
yedek<\/td>\u03b3\u03b5\u03b4\u03ad\u03ba\u03b9 [yedeki] <\/td>Spare part<\/td><\/tr>
d\u00fcrb\u00fcn<\/td>\u03b4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c1\u03bc\u03c0\u03af\u03bd\u03b9 [durmbini] <\/td>binoculars<\/td><\/tr>
kahve<\/td>\u03ba\u03b1\u03c6\u03ad\u03c2 [kafes] <\/td>coffee<\/td><\/tr>
maden<\/td>\u03bc\u03b1\u03b4\u03ad\u03bd\u03b9 [madeni] <\/td>mine<\/td><\/tr>
sincap <\/td>\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd\u03c4\u03b6\u03ac\u03c0\u03b9 [sentzap] <\/td>squirrel<\/td><\/tr>
mangal<\/td>\u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03ba\u03ac\u03bb\u03b9 [mangali]<\/td>barbecue<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Loanwords between Turkish and Greek <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Greek writer Babiniotis\u2019s dictionary \u201cLeksiko tis Ellinikis Glossas’ published in 2012, states that the Greek language has 444 English, 519 French, 867 Italian, and 630 Turkish words. Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other sources claim much bigger numbers, and the number of loanwords between Turkish and Greek is disputable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, one thing to note is that Turkish is one of the major languages that affected Greek Languages.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Differences between Turkish and Greek Languages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Turkish and Greek languages are both quite distinct languages because they evolved in different regions of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
The 9th-century Turkic book of Irk Bitig or “Book of Divination” (Not written with Greek Letters \ud83d\ude42 Source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

2.1 Origins of the Turkish Language<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Linguistically, Turkish is closer to Azerbaijani (Azeri Language) <\/a>and other Turkic languages<\/a>. Turkish is not close to the Greek language because their roots are different. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Map of Turkic Languages Source Wiki<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The language most similar to Turkish is the Azeri language<\/strong> (the language of Azerbaijan). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azeri and Turkish are mutually intelligible and can be identified as different dialects of the same language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azeri and Turkish belong to Turkic Languages, which have different dialects spoken by 108 million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a fun fact about the Turkish Language<\/a>, the Turkish language is grammatically closer to Hungarian, Finnish, Mongol, Korean, and Japanese Languages.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Istanbul Dialect of the Turkish Language is the official language of Turkey. Please read my post about the Turkish Language and its origins<\/a>. You also check these posts to learn more about Turkic Languages<\/a> and similar languages to Turkish.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.2 Origins of the Greek Language<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Indo-European Language Family Source Wiki<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Greek is most similar to Armenian and Indo-Iranian languages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greek is theorized to be related to Armenian and Indo-Iranian languages because these languages share some vocabulary and grammatical features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, Greek is a distinct language among Indo-European Languages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Hellenic Language, Greek is not mutually intelligible with Armenian and Indo-Iranian languages or any other language. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Regions speaking Indo-European Language Family Languages. Greek (Yellow) is one of the Indo-European Languages.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

3. Is Turkish easier than Greek?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The difficulty of learning these languages will depend on your native language and your native language\u2019s grammatical similarity with Greek or Turkish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a native speaker of (Indo-European Languages) English, French, or Persian<\/a>, the Greek language is easier to learn than Turkish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a native speaker of Turkic Languages, Finnish, Estonian, Mongolian, Korean, or Japanese, Turkish will be more similar than the Greek language.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greek Alphabet is unique, and you need to get used to it before learning the language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, the Turkish Alphabet is very easy to read and has no irregularities when reading like English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Turkish letters are read the same way as Latin, Spanish, and Italian alphabets. You can learn to read Turkish easily in an hour by learning some small rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both languages have unique accents, idioms, and cultural richness. For these reasons, both languages will take effort to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check my guides Languages Spoken in Turkey<\/a> and Istanbul<\/a>, to learn more about languages spoken in Turkey.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Is Greek spoken in Turkey?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since Greece used to be a part of the Ottoman Empire, people may wonder if Greek people live in current-day Turkey or how many people speak Greek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, it is estimated that there are around 4.000 native Greek speakers in Turkey. <\/strong>Generally, these people live in Istanbul<\/a> or the islands of Gokceada and Bozcaada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This number only includes Greek native speakers born in Turkey. Ethnic Turkish native Greek speakers who migrated from the Greek-ruled Northern Thrace to Turkey are not included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Romeyka (an ancient Greek Dialect) is spoken in Northeast Turkey among the indigenous Turkish population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greece and Turkey agreed on population exchange<\/a> after the Turkish Independence War in 1923. The number of Greek speakers in Turkey is very low because of the population exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greeks living in Turkey and Turks living in Greece were displaced as a result of this agreement. My grandparents came to Turkey from the island of Crete at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1923, Turkey\u2019s population was 12.4 million, and Greece had a population of 5 million. Each country nearly sent %10 of its population to the other country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.2 million Greeks left Turkey and resettled in Greece, and half a million Turks migrated to Turkey from Greece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suggested Reading: What Do Turkish People Look Like? With Pictures and History<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

ALL MY ARTICLES ABOUT TURKISH LANGUAGE<\/strong> – (Click on the title to read)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origins of the Turkish Language – A Native Speaker Explains<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Languages Similar to Turkish – Explained by a Native Speaker<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Languages Do Turkish People Speak?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Languages are Spoken in Istanbul?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkic Language Family \u2013 A Turkish Explains<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkish vs Persian (Farsi) Language: Similarities and Differences<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkish vs Arabic Languages: Similarities and Differences<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkish vs Greek Languages: Similarities and Differences<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this article, I will explain the similarities and differences between Greek and Turkish and provide insights only a Turkish local would know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[80],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2743"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2743"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9427,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2743\/revisions\/9427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitlocalturkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}