katharevousa
(ˌkæθəˈrɛvəsə)
Also katharevoussa, katharevusa.
[mod.Gr. καθαρεύουσα, fem. of καθαρεύων, pres. pple. of Anc.Gr. καθαρεύειν to be pure, f. καθαρός pure.]
The purist form of Modern Greek; the ‘official’ language as opposed to the spoken and literary demotic a. 1 b.
| 1912 S. Angus tr. Thumb's Handbk. Mod. Gr. Vernacular p. xi, The term ‘modern Greek’..designates two forms of language—first, the living language..; and, secondly, the literary language, the καθαρεύουσα. 1956 J. Pring Compan. Greece 31 Katharevusa is used not only in official and technical matters, but also in public notices, shop signs and the news columns of the press. 1959 Times Lit. Suppl. 15 May 288/4 The literary language was..the katharevousa, that artificial pseudo-antique speech. 1969 R. Browning Med. & Mod. Gr. 150 Katharevousa, the learned, archaising form of Modern Greek. 1969 ‘E. Lathen’ When in Greece vi. 63 His Greek was..a shade pedantic. He used the precise formulations of the Katharevoussa. 1974 C. Spencer How the Greeks kidnapped Mrs Nixon viii. 53 The Greek Prime Minister was..using, as was customary, the official language, Katharevousa. |