Editing Demotic Greek (section)

==Basic features==
Demotic Greek differs in a few ways from Ancient Greek and from subsequent learned forms of Greek. Syntactically, it favours [[parataxis]] over [[Conjunction (grammar)#Subordinating conjunctions|subordination]]. It also heavily employs [[Redundancy (linguistics)|redundancy]], such as {{wikt-lang|el|μικρό}} {{wikt-lang|el|κοριτσάκι}} (''small little-girl'') and {{wikt-lang|el|ξανακοιμήθηκε}} {{wikt-lang|el|πάλι}} (''he-went-back-to-sleep again''). Demotic also employs the [[Diminutive#Greek|diminutive]] with great frequency,<ref name="pringpocket"/>{{rp |XI}} to the point that many Demotic forms are in effect [[grammatical gender|neuter]] diminutives of ancient words, especially irregular ones, e.g. {{wikt-lang|el|νησί}} from {{lang|el|νήσιον}} (''island'') from ancient {{wikt-lang|grc|νῆσος}} (''island'').

Greek noun declensions underwent considerable alteration, with irregular and less productive forms being gradually [[Regularization (linguistics)|regularized]] (e.g. ancient {{lang|grc|ἀνήρ}} being replaced by {{lang|el|άντρας}} (''man'')). Another feature is the merging of classical accusative and nominative forms: They are only distinguished in Demotic by their definite articles, which continued to be declined as in Ancient Greek. This was especially common with nouns of the third declension, such as {{wikt-lang|grc|πατρίς}} (''hometown'', ''fatherland'') which became nominative {{lang|el|η πατρίδα}}, accusative {{lang|el|την πατρίδα}} in Demotic.<ref name= "pringpocket"/>{{rp|X}}

A result of this regularization of noun forms in Demotic is that most native words end in a vowel, ''s'' ({{Lang|el|[[sigma|ς]]}}), or ''n'' ({{lang|el|[[Nu (letter)|ν]]}}). Thus, the set of possible word-final sounds is even more restricted than in Ancient Greek. Exceptions are foreign loans like {{lang|el|μπαρ}} (''bar''), learned forms {{lang|el|ύδωρ}} (from Ancient Greek {{wikt-lang|grc|ὕδωρ}}, ''water''), and [[Interjection|exclamations]] like {{wikt-lang|el|αχ|αχ!}} (''ach!'', ''oh!''). Many dialects even append the vowel -''e'' ({{lang|el|ε}}) to third-person verb forms: {{wikt-lang|el|γράφουνε}} instead of {{wikt-lang|el|γράφουν}} (''they write''). Word-final [[consonant cluster]]s are also rare, again mainly occurring in learned discourse and via foreign loans: {{wikt-lang|el|άνθραξ}} (''coal'' – scientific) and {{wikt-lang|el|μποξ}} (''boxing'' – sport).<ref name="comprehensivegreek">{{cite book |author1-link = Peter Mackridge| last1 = Mackridge | first1 = Peter |last2= Philippaki-Warburton|first2=Irene|date=1997|title=Greek: a Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Language|location=New York |publisher= Routledge|isbn=0-41510002-X}}</ref>{{rp |8–9}}

The [[indirect object]] is usually expressed by prepending the word {{lang|el|σε}} to the [[accusative case|accusative]]<ref name="pringpocket" />{{rp|X}} {{Clarify span|text=(where Ancient Greek had {{lang|grc|εἰς}} for accusative of motion toward)|date=August 2024}}{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} or [[Genitive case|genitive]]<ref name="pringpocket" />{{rp|X}} (especially with regard to means or instrument).{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} Bare {{lang|el|σε}} is used without the article to express an indefinite duration of time, or contracted with the definite article for [[definiteness]] (especially with regard to place where or motion toward).{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} {{Clarify span|text=Using one noun with an unmarked accusative article-noun phrase followed by {{lang|el|σε}} contracted with the definite article of a second noun distinguishes between definite direct and indirect objects, whether real or figurative, e.g. «{{lang|el|βάζω το χέρι μου στο ευαγγέλιο}}» or  «...{{lang|el|στη φωτιά}}» (lit. ''I put my hand upon the Gospel'' or ''...in the fire'', i.e. ''I swear it's true'', ''I'm sure of it'').|reason=The grammar of this sentence makes it very difficult to follow.|date=August 2024}}{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} By contrast, Katharevousa continued to employ the older {{lang|el|εἰς}} in place of {{lang|el|σε}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}

The verb system inherited from Ancient Greek gradually evolved. The perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, and past conditional tenses were gradually replaced with conjugated forms of the verb {{lang|el|έχω}} (''I have'').<ref name="pringpocket" />{{rp|X}} The future tense and the subjunctive and optative moods, and eventually the infinitive, were replaced by the modal/tense auxiliaries {{lang|el|θα}} and {{lang|el|να}}{{Citation needed|date=August 2024|reason=The cited source only mentions θα.}} used with either the simplified or fused future/subjunctive forms.<ref name="pringpocket"/>{{rp|X}} In contrast to this, Katharevousa employed older perfective forms and infinitives that had been mostly lost in the spoken language.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} However, Katharevousa did sometimes employ the same [[aorist]] or perfective forms as the spoken language, but preferred an archaizing form of the present indicative, e.g. {{wikt-lang|el|κρύπτω}} for Demotic {{wikt-lang|el|κρύβω}} (''I hide''), which both have the same aorist form {{lang|el|έκρυψα}}.<ref name="pringpocket"/>{{rp|XI}}

Demotic Greek also borrowed a significant number of words from other languages, including Italian and Turkish, something which Katharevousa avoided.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}