"Τα ελληνικά ομιλούνται."

[JamesTWils]

Is the language always plural?

[troll1995]

Yes, τα Ελληνικά, Γαλλικά (French), Γερμανικά(German), Αραβικά(Arabic), Κινέζικα (chinese) etc, languages are always plural

[teopap2]

Alternatively, you can say η ελληνική γλώσσα (the Greek language), η αγγλική γλώσσα (the English language), etc, but it's more formal.

[sgibbon1]

Isn't ομιλοὐμαι a Katharevousa form? (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1%CE%B9#Greek)

Should this instead be 'Τα ελληνικά μιλιούνται'?

[troll1995]

It may be a "Katharevousa" form, but definitely right. Modern Greek uses both "Katharevousa" forms and forms of "Dimotiki".

[sgibbon1]

But does Modern Greek use Katharevousa forms in everyday writing and conversation? I've only heard of it being used in Orthodox liturgy and a few other exceptional contexts. If it does, why aren't we learning probably more useful words like, for example, Katharevousa pronouns (συ,υμείς/ημών/ημάς, υμείς/υμών/υμάς)?

[troll1995]

The fact that modern Greek use "katharevousa" forms and vocabulary does not mean that it uses every katharevousa form. It is illogical to say that when demotic became the official language, katharevousa died in an instance. Part of it was integrated into what we call today Modern Greek. Those forms are sophisticated and definitely used when you want your speech to be refined. Personal pronouns are basic things, so they did not make it into modern Greek. But many verbs also have sophisticated forms and every complete dictionary includes them (and define them with the word λόγιο). For example, the verb ομιλώ in the Greek wiktionary: https://el.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/ομιλώ. Τα ελληνικά μιλιούνται (especially this sentence) sounds very colloquial.

[gpbalis]

I couldn't agree more.

Ironically I had a hard time learning to speak and write in katharevousa when I attended University in Athens in the 60's after speaking Greek my entire life until then taught to me by my grandparents from the village with no education.

Now I have to unlearn much of what I learned.

We are definitely in a transition as far as the language is concerned(then again the world is in transition).

I have another question about this sentence. I was marked wrong for translating the Greek into " Greek is BEING spoken". Shouldn't that be an acceptable translation alternative?

Thanks in advance. Keep up the great work.

[troll1995]

Yes, "Greek is being spoken" is added now!

[jaye16]

I think you are confusing Modern and Katherevousa with Koine which is also known as New Testament Greek. (NT).

[Meowe3]

Why the omikron?

[jaye16]

There is an explanation for it on this page just a little above your comment. Actually, there are two comments my mizinamo including a helpful link.

[ShaoxuanLi]

is ομιλούνται the passive of ομιλω; or the passive of μιλάω; what is the difference between μιλάω and ομιλάω;

[kirakrakra]

ομιλιούνται is the passive form of the sophisticated verb (see troll1994) ομιλώ. Sophisticated verbs have only the ending -ώ in first person sing. Present time whereas the unsophisticated verbs usually have both -ώ and -άω, μιλώ/ μιλάω I speak.The difference between μιλάω and ομιλώ? well, maybe ομιλώ is more solemn. A speaker is ομιλητής and his speech is ομιλία whereas μιλιά is speech/ words that drop out from the mouth (μιλητής does not exist, only ομιλητής)

[GGosseyn]

Many thanks, it's quite helpful !

[MattHaythem]

Where did that omicron come from?

[mizinamo]

ομιλώ is the original word -- μιλώ, μιλάω are truncations on the way into modern Greek, which preserved the older form as well.

See also the thread started by ShaoxuanLi and the response by kirakrakra in that thread.

[MattHaythem]

Thanks. I'm posting the link to that thread here for others who have the same question.

https://www.duolingo.com/comment/18063154

[mizinamo]

That's just the link to this entire discussion page.

The link to the individual thread is https://www.duolingo.com/comment/18063154$comment_id=19530547 .

[DarrenReiley]

I take it ομιλούνται is derived from μιλάω? Are there any predictable reasons for the o prefix or the -ούνται ending ? Do all --αω verbs take this ending in passive?

[mizinamo]

ομιλούμαι and μιλάω are both derived from ομιλώ, a contracted form of even earlier ομιλέω.

It's a bit of an irregular case.

Most -άω verbs form a passive in -ιέμαι, e.g. απαπώ/αγαπάω -- αγαπιέμαι, and the third person plural is αγαπιούνται.

[kirakrakra]

For regular verbs. If the 2:nd person sing active present ends in

1 -άς then pass. pres. follows the -ιέσαι - conj:

-ιέμαι, -ιέσαι, -ιέται, -ιόμαστε, -ιέστε, -ιούνται

2 -είς then the -είσαι -conj:

-ούμαι, -είσαι, -είται, -ούμαστε, -είστε, -ούνται

Group 2 is usually older

μιλώ medieval Greek fr. ancient ομιλέω

ομιλώ Hellenistic koine fr. ancient ομιλέω

[Pat769088]

Can someone please explain to me the difference between; 'ομιλούνται' and 'μιλιούνται' ?

[GGosseyn]

Why is "τα ελληνικά μιλιούνται" not correct ?

[kirakrakra]

It is correct, both μιλιούνται and ομιλούνται are correct

[Contemno_I]

Why neuter plural? Why not η ελληνικά?

[kirakrakra]

It comes from the adjective ελληνικός with a noun tacitly understood. For the Greek language one can use η Ελληνική with η γλώσσα/ language tacitly understood or τα Ελληνικά with τα λόγια/ words tacitly understood

[CristinaAdvAdv]

Η λέξη «Ελληνικά» στην προκειμένη δε λειτουργεί ως επίθετο, οπότε πρέπει να διορθωθεί το έψιλον σε κεφαλαίο.

[TristanRya1]

καθαρεύουσα είναι;;; θα ήταν μιλιούνται ;

[AniruddhaJ20]

Why do we have the plural form (Τα Ελληνικά) here? Is it the same for any other language? E.g. Will it be correct to say 'Τα αγγλικά ομιλούνται'?

[kirakrakra]

Yes. All languages are the neuter plural of the adjective.