Article published In:
Three Factors and Beyond: Socio-syntax and language acquisitionEdited by Kleanthes K. Grohmann
[Linguistic Variation 14:1] 2014
► pp. 161–178
Edited by Kleanthes K. Grohmann
[Linguistic Variation 14:1] 2014
► pp. 161–178
How mixed is a ‘mixed’ system?
The case of the Cypriot Greek koiné
Cypriot and Standard Greek still stand in a diglossic relationship; however, recent work on Cypriot Greek points to ongoing processes of levelling of local sub-varieties and the emergence of a pancypriot koiné. This paper explores patterns of structural mixing between Standard and Cypriot Greek in the Cypriot koiné. The data indicate that structural mixing is mostly achieved through morphological choices, while Cypriot phonology and syntax remain largely intact. The fact that morphology has this capacity of a ‘buffer’ between two presumably competing grammatical systems provides a strong parallel to interlanguage phenomena and a potential account of why the two systems are prevented from merging. Keywords: competing grammars; Cypriot Greek; diglossia; koiné; levelling; Standard Greek
References
Agouraki, Y.
2006 The Perfect category: A comparison of Standard Greek and Cypriot Greek. In M. Janse, Β. D. Joseph & A. Ralli (eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Modern Greek Dialects and Linguistic Theory (Mytilene, 30/9–3/10 2004), 42–57. Patras: University of Patras.
Arvaniti, A.
2010 Linguistic practices in Cyprus and the emergence of Cypriot standard Greek. Mediterranean Language Review 171. 15–45.
Arvaniti, A. & B.D. Joseph
2004 Early Modern Greek /b d g/: Evidence from rembetika and folk songs. Journal of Modern Greek Studies 221. 73–94. 
Auer, P.
1999 From code-switching via language mixing to fused lects: Toward a dynamic typology of bilingual speech. International Journal of Bilingualism 31. 309–332.
Beck, M.-L.
1997 Regular verbs, past tense and frequency: Tracking down a potential source of NS/NNS competence differences. Second Language Research 131. 93–115.
1998 L2 Acquisition and obligatory head movement: English-speaking learners of German and the local impairment hypothesis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 201. 311–348.
Benincà, P. & C. Poletto
2006 Phrasal verbs in Venetan and regional Italian. In F. Hinskens (ed.), Language variation-European perspectives. Selected Papers from the 3rd International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 3), University of Amsterdam, 23–25 June 2005, 9–22. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Braunmüller, K.
2009 Converging genetically related languages: Endstation code mixing? In K. Braunmüller & J. House (eds.), Convergence and divergence in language contact situations [Hamburg Studies on Multilingualism 8], 53–69. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2007 Receptive multilingualism in Northern Europe in the middle ages: A description of a scenario. In J.D. ten Thije & L. Zeevaert (eds.), Receptive multilingualism [Hamburg Studies in Multilingualism 6], 25–47. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Contossopoulos, N.
1969 Συμβολή εις την μελέτην της κυπριακής διαλέκτου [A contribution to the study of the Cypriot dialect]. Επετηρίς του Κέντρου Επιστημονικών Ερευνών [Yearbook of the Scientific Research Center] 31. 87–109.
De Graff, M.
2002 Relexification: A reevaluation. Anthropological Linguistics 441. 321–414.
Eubank, L.
1994 On the transfer of parametric values in L2 development. Language Acquisition 31. 183–208.
1996 Negation in early German-English interlanguage: More valueless features in the L2 initial state. Second Language Research 121. 73–106.
Ferguson, C.A.
1959 Diglossia. Word 151. 325–340.
Fotiou, C.
2009 Focusing strategies in Cypriot Greek. In K.K. Grohmann & P. Panagiotidis (eds.), Selected papers from the 2006. Cyprus Syntaxfest, 63–91. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Grohmann, K.K.
2009 Focus on clefts: A perspective from Cypriot Greek. In A. Tsangalides (ed.), Selected Papers from the 18th International Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics – Thessaloniki 4–6 May 2007, 157–165. Thessaloniki: Monochromia.
Grohmann, K.K. & E. Leivada
2012 Interface ingredients of dialect design: Bi-X, socio-syntax of development, and the grammar of Cypriot Greek. In A.-M. Di Sciullo (ed.), Towards a biolinguistic understanding of grammar: Essays on interfaces. [Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today], 239–262. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Grohmann, K.K., P. Panagiotidis & S. Tsiplakou
2006 Properties of wh-question formation in Cypriot Greek’. In M. Janse, B.D. Joseph & A. Ralli (eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Modern Greek Dialects and Linguistic Theory (Mytilene, Greece: 30 September-3 October 2004), 83–98. Patras: University of Patras.
Gryllia, S. & M. Lekakou
2007 Clefts in Cypriot Greek. Μελέτες για την Ελληνική Γλώσσα [Studies in Greek Linguistics] 271, 136–148. Thessaloniki: Institute for Modern Greek Studies – Manolis Triantafyllidis Foundation.
Kerswill, P. & A. Williams
2005 New towns and koinéisation: Linguistic and social correlates. Linguistics 431. 1023–2048.
2000 Creating a new town koiné: Children and language change in Milton Keynes. Language in Society 291. 65–115.
Kroch, A. & A. Taylor
1997 Verb movement in Old and Middle English: dialect variation and language contact. In A. van Kemenade & N. Vincent (eds.), Parameters of Morphosyntactic Change, 297–325. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kroch, A.S. & A. Taylor
2000 Verb-complement order in Middle English. In S. Pintzuk, G. Tsoulas & A. Warner (eds.), Diachronic Syntax: Models and Mechanisms, 132–163. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lardière, D.
2006 Attainment and acquirability in second language acquisition. Second Language Research 221. 239–242.
1998a Case and tense in the fossilized steady state. Second Language Research 141. 1–26.
1998b Dissociating syntax from morphology in a divergent L2 end-state grammar. Second Language Research 141. 359–375.
Lefebvre, C.
1998 Creole Genesis and the acquisition of grammar: The case of Haitian. Creole. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Legate, J. & C. Yang
2007 Morphosyntactic learning and the development of tense. Language Acquisition 141. 315–344.
Melissaropoulou, D., C. Themistocleous, S. Tsiplakou & S. Tsolakidis
2013 The present perfect in Cypriot Greek revisited. In P. Auer, J. Caro Reina & G. Kaufmann (eds.), Studies in Language Variation – European Perspectives IV. Selected Papers from the 6th International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 6), University of Freiburg, 27 June – 1 July 2011, 159–172. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Menardos, S.
1925 Κυπριακή Γραμματική. Γ΄. Ρήματα [Cypriot Grammar. C: Verbs]. Athena 371. 35–79. Reprinted in Menardos, S. 1969. Γλωσσικαί Mελέται [Language Studies]. Nicosia: Cyprus Centre for Scientific Research.
Montrul, S.
2004 Subject and object expression in Spanish heritage speakers: A case of morpho-syntactic convergence. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 71. 125–142.
Newton, B.
1972 Cypriot Greek: Its phonology and inflections. The Hague: Mouton.
Panagiotidis, P. & S. Tsiplakou
2004 What I said this time? Οι ερωτήσεις μερικής αγνοίας κατά την κατάκτηση της αγγλικής ως δεύτερης γλώσσας [What I said this time? The acquisition of wh questions in English L2]. In G. Catsimali, A. Kalokairinos, E. Anagnostopoulou & I. Kappa (eds.), Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Greek Linguistics. Rethymno: Linguistics Lab. CD-Rom.
Papapavlou, A. & A. Sophocleous
2009 Language attitudes and folk perceptions towards linguistic variation. In S. Tsiplakou, M. Karyolemou & P. Pavlou (eds.), Studies in Language Variation – European Perspectives II. Selected Papers from the 4th International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 4), University of Cyprus, 17–21 June 2007, 179–190. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Prévost, P. & L. White
2000 Missing surface inflection or impairment in second language acquisition? Evidence from tense and agreement. Second Language Research 161. 103–133.
Rowe, C. & K.K. Grohmann
2013 Discrete bilectalism: Towards co-overt prestige and diglossic shift in Cyprus. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2241. 119–142.
Siegel, J.
2010 Second dialect acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Silva-Corvalán, C.
1994 Language contact and change. Spanish in Los Angeles. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Sitaridou, I. & M. Terkourafi
2009 On the loss of the masculine genitive plural in Cypriot Greek: Language contact or internal evolution? In M. Dufresne, F. Dupuis & E. Vocaj (eds.), Historical Linguistics 2007. Selected Papers from the 18th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Montréal, Québec, 6–11 August 2007, 161–173. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Sorace, A.
2011 Pinning down the concept of interface in bilingualism. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 11. 1–33.
2005 Selective optionality in language development. In L. Cornips & K.P. Corrigan (eds.), Syntax and variation. Reconciling the biological and the social, 55–80. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2000 Syntactic optionality in non-native grammars. Second Language Research 161. 93–102.
Sorace, A. & L. Serratrice
2009 Internal and external interfaces in bilingual development: Beyond structural overlap. International Journal of Bilingualism 131. 195–210.
Sprouse, R.A.
1998 Some notes on the relationship between inflectional morphology and parameter setting in first and second language acquisition. In M.-L. Beck (ed.), Morphology and its interfaces in second language knowledge, 41–68. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Terkourafi, M.
2005 Understanding the present through the past. Processes of koineisation in Cyprus. Diachronica 221. 309–372.
Themistocleous, C. & S. Tsiplakou
2013 High rising terminals in Cypriot Greek: Charting urban intonation. In M. Janse, B.D. Joseph, A. Ralli & M. Bagriacik (eds.), Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Modern Greek Dialects and Linguistic Theory, 445–462. Patras: University of Patras. [URL].
Tsimpli, I.-M.
1995 Focusing in modern Greek. In K.É. Kiss (ed.), Discourse configurational languages, 176–206. Oxford studies in comparative syntax. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tsiplakou, S.
1998 Focus in Greek: Its structure and interpretation. Ph. D. dissertation, University of London.
2006a Cyprus: Language situation. In K. Brown (ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics, 2nd edn., 337–339. Oxford: Elsevier.
2006b The emperor’s old clothes: Linguistic diversity and the redefinition of literacy. The International Journal of Humanities, 21. 2345–2352.
2009a Code-switching and code mixing between related varieties: Establishing the blueprint. The International Journal of Humanities 61. 49–66.
2009b Γλωσσική εναλλαγή, ανταγωνιστικές γραμματικές και διαγλώσσα: ακόμα μια διάσταση του «κυπριακού» [Language alternation, competing grammars and interlanguage: another facet of the “Cyprus problem”]. In G.K. Giannakis, M. Baltazani, G.J. Xydopoulos & A. Tsangalidis (eds.), Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Greek Linguistics (Ioannina, 30/8–2/9/2007), 1195–1209. Ioannina: University of Ioannina.
In press. Does convergence generate stability? The case of the Cypriot Greek koiné. In K. Braumüller, S. Höder & K. Kühl (eds.) Stability and divergence in language contact: Factors and mechanisms Amsterdam John Benjamins
Tsiplakou, S. & E. Ioannidou
2012 Stylizing stylization: The case of Aigia Fuxia. Multilingua 311. 277–299.
Tsiplakou, S., P. Coutsougera, & P. Pavlou
Forthcoming. A grammar of contemporary Cypriot Greek. München: Lincom Europa.
Tsiplakou, S., P. Panagiotidis & K.K. Grohmann
2007 Properties of Cypriot Greek wh-question formation. In G. Tsoulas & A. Galani (eds.), Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Greek Linguistics, York: University of York, Department of Language and Linguistic Science. [URL].
Tsiplakou, S., A. Papapavlou, P. Pavlou & M. Katsoyannou
2006 Levelling, koineization and their implications for bidialectism. In F. Hinskens (ed.), Language variation – European perspectives. Selected Papers from the 3rd International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 3), University of Amsterdam, 23–25 June 2005, 265–276. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Vainikka, A. & M. Young-Sholten
1996 Gradual development of L2 phrase structure. Second Language Research 121. 7–39.
1998 Morphosyntactic triggers in adult SLA. In M.-L. Beck (ed.), Morphology and its interfaces in second language knowledge, 89–113. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Vainikka, A. & M. Young-Scholten
2007 The role of literacy in the development of L2 morpho-syntax from an organic grammar perspective. In N. Faux (ed.), Low-educated second language and literacy acquisition. Research, policy and practice, 123–148. Richmond: The Literacy Institute.
Yang, C.
2000 Internal and external forces in language change. Language Variation and Change 121. 231–250.
Zobl, H. & J.M. Liceras
2005 Accounting for optionality in nonnative grammars: Parametric change in diachrony and L2 development as instances of internalized diglossia. In L. Dekydtspotter, R.A. Sprouse & A. Liljestrand (eds.), Proceedings of the 7th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (GASLA 2004), 283–291. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla.
Cited by
Cited by 16 other publications
Ayiomamitou, Ioli & Androula Yiakoumetti
2017. Skewed Sociolinguistic Awareness of a Native Non-standard Dialect: Evidence from the Cypriot Greek Writing of Greek Cypriot Students. Frontiers in Psychology 8 
Fotiou, Constantina & Ioli Ayiomamitou
2021. “We are in Cyprus, we have to use our language, don't we?” Pupils’ and their parents’ attitudes towards two proximal linguistic varieties. Linguistics and Education 63 ► pp. 100931 ff.
Fotiou, Constantina & Kleanthes K. Grohmann
2022. A Small Island With Big Differences? Folk Perceptions in the Context of Dialect Levelling and Koineization. Frontiers in Communication 6
Grohmann, Kleanthes K. & Maria Kambanaros
2016. The Gradience of Multilingualism in Typical and Impaired Language Development: Positioning Bilectalism within Comparative Bilingualism. Frontiers in Psychology 7
Grohmann, Kleanthes K., Maria Kambanaros, Evelina Leivada & Charley Rowe
2016. A developmental approach to diglossia: Bilectalism on a gradient scale of linguality. Poznan Studies in Contemporary Linguistics 52:4
Grohmann, Kleanthes K., Maria Kambanaros, Evelina Leivada & Natalia Pavlou
2021. On “free” grammatical variation in a mixed lect: Clitic placement in Cypriot Greek. Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft 39:3 ► pp. 275 ff.
Grohmann, Kleanthes K., Elena Papadopoulou & Charalambos Themistocleous
2017. Acquiring Clitic Placement in Bilectal Settings: Interactions between Social Factors. Frontiers in Communication 2
Karatsareas, Petros
2018. Attitudes towards Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek in London’s Greek Cypriot community. International Journal of Bilingualism 22:4 ► pp. 412 ff.
Karatsareas, Petros
2021. From village talk to slang: the re-enregisterment of a non-standardised variety in an urban diaspora. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 42:9 ► pp. 827 ff.
Karpava, Sviatlana
2020. Dominant Language Constellations of Russian Speakers in Cyprus. In Dominant Language Constellations [Educational Linguistics, 47], ► pp. 187 ff.
Leivada, Evelina, Elena Papadopoulou & Natalia Pavlou
2017. Functionally Equivalent Variants in a Non-standard Variety and Their Implications for Universal Grammar: A Spontaneous Speech Corpus. Frontiers in Psychology 8
Taxitari, Loukia
2021. Early grammatical development in Cypriot Greek. Journal of Monolingual and Bilingual Speech 3:1
Tsiplakou, Stavroula
2017. Imperfect Acquisition of a Related Variety? Residual Clefting and What It Reveals about (Gradient) Bilectalism. Frontiers in Communication 2
Tsiplakou, Stavroula
2019. Pratiques d’alternance linguistique ou pédagogie du translanguaging ? Une étude de cas dans deux classes à Chypre. Cahiers internationaux de sociolinguistique N° 16:2 ► pp. 95 ff.
Tsiplakou, Stavroula, Elena Ioannidou & Xenia Hadjioannou
2018. Capitalizing on linguistic variation in Greek Cypriot education. Linguistics and Education 45 ► pp. 62 ff.
Tsiplakou, Stavroula, Maria Kambanaros & Kleanthes K. Grohmann
2022. Literacy Development in Cyprus: Exploring the Effects of Diglossia and Bilectalism. In Handbook of Literacy in Diglossia and in Dialectal Contexts [Literacy Studies, 22], ► pp. 51 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 1 december 2023. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.