Learned forms
The legacy of katharevousa lives on in the press, the law and set phrases: fossilised datives, ancient prepositions, register doublets.
Where these forms come from
Until 1976 the official language was katharevousa, an archaising variety. Demotic replaced it, but thousands of learned forms stayed behind — indispensable for reading a newspaper, a contract or an official sign.
Fossilised datives
The dative vanished from the living grammar but survives in ready-made expressions. Learn them as vocabulary — their frequency is formidable.
| έκφραση | σημασία |
|---|---|
| εν τω μεταξύ | στο μεταξύ |
| εν πάση περιπτώσει | όπως και να έχει |
| τοις μετρητοίς | με μετρητά |
| δόξα τω Θεώ | ευτυχώς |
| εν ολίγοις | με λίγα λόγια |
| επί τη ευκαιρία | με την ευκαιρία |
| τοις εκατό (%) | στα εκατό |
| εν τέλει | τελικά |
Ancient prepositions
υπέρ (in favour of) and κατά (against) + genitive; προ (before), περί (about), επί (in the time of, upon), εκ/εξ (out of), διά (through). You meet them mostly in the press and headlines: υπέρ της ειρήνης, κατά της βίας.
Learned nouns and adjectives
Archaic genitives: της πόλεως (beside της πόλης), της κυβερνήσεως. Learned declined participles: ο ενδιαφερόμενος (the interested party), η προϊσταμένη (the superior), το λεχθέν (what was said). The adjective ενδιαφέρων / ενδιαφέρουσα / ενδιαφέρον declines the ancient way — neuter ενδιαφέρον is not a typo.
Register doublets
The same meaning often exists as two words: an everyday one and a learned one. Choosing the right one is exactly the Γ1 skill — a CV in casual language or a friendly email in learned language both ring false.
| καθημερινό | λόγιο |
|---|---|
| λεφτά | χρήματα |
| δουλειά | εργασία |
| σπίτι | κατοικία |
| τώρα | επί του παρόντος |
| γιατρός | ιατρός |
| μαζί με | μετά + γεν. |
| πριν από | προ + γεν. |
| βρίσκω | ανευρίσκω |
Your turn
Which register fits? Choose the suitable form.