Editing Demotic Greek (section)

==Demotic and Modern Greek==
===Demotic as "Standard Modern Greek"===
Demotic is commonly used interchangeably with "[[Modern Greek|Standard Modern Greek]]" (''{{lang|el|Νέα Ελληνικά}}''). Nonetheless, these terms are not necessarily synonyms. While today's Standard Modern Greek is fundamentally a continuation of earlier Demotic, it also contains—especially in its written form and [[Register (sociolinguistics)|formal registers]]—numerous words, grammatical forms, and phonetical features that did not exist in the most "pure" and consistent forms of Demotic during the period of diglossia in Greece. Due to these admixtures, it could even be described as a product of a "merger" between earlier Demotic and Katharevousa.<ref name=":0" />

Furthermore, in a broader sense, the Greek term {{Lang|el|Δημοτική|italic=yes}} ({{Lang|el-Latn|Dimotikí}}) can also describe any naturally evolved colloquial language of the Greeks, not just that of the period of diglossia.

===Modern features that did not exist in Demotic===
The following examples are intended to demonstrate Katharevousa features in Modern Greek. They were not present in traditional Demotic and only entered the modern language through Katharevousa (sometimes as [[neologism]]s), where they are used mostly in writing (for instance, in newspapers), but also orally, especially words and fixed expressions are both understood and actively used also by non-educated speakers. In some cases, the Demotic form is used for literal or practical meanings, while the ''Katharevousa'' is used for figurative or specialized meanings: e.g. {{wikt-lang|el|φτερό}} for the wing or feather of a bird, but {{wikt-lang|el|πτέρυξ}} for the wing of a building or airplane or arm of an organisation.<ref name="pringpocket"/>{{rp|180}}{{rp|203}}

====Words and fixed expressions====
* {{wikt-lang|el|ενδιαφέρων}} (''interesting'')
* {{wikt-lang|el|τουλάχιστον}} (''at least'')
* {{wikt-lang|el|την}} {{wikt-lang|el|απήγαγε}} (''he abducted her''){{Clarification needed|reason=Is this a common idiom?|date=August 2024}}
* {{wikt-lang|el|είναι}} {{wikt-lang|el|γεγονός}} {{wikt-lang|el|ότι}} ... (''it is a fact that ...'')
* {{wikt-lang|el|προς}} {{wikt-lang|el|το}} {{wikt-lang|el|παρόν}} (''for now'')
*{{wikt-lang|el|νίπτω τας χείρας μου}} (figurative, ''I wash my hands'' [''of him, her, it'']); adapted from the Ancient Greek phrase describing [[Pontius Pilate]] washing his hands at [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 27:24; for actual hand-washing, the Demotic phrase is {{wikt-lang|el|πλένω}} {{wikt-lang|el|τα}} {{wikt-lang|el|χέρια}} {{wikt-lang|el|μου}}.<ref name="pringpocket">Pring, J.T. ''The Pocket Oxford Greek Dictionary.'' (New York: 1965 & 1982; 2000 ed.)</ref>{{rp|xii}}
Special dative forms:
* {{lang|el|δόξα τω Θεώ}} (''thank God'')
* {{lang|el|εν ονόματι ...}} (''in the name [of] ...'')
* {{lang|el|τοις μετρητοίς}} (''in cash'')
* {{lang|el|εν συνεχεία}} (''following'')
* {{lang|el|εν τω μεταξύ}} (''meanwhile'')
* {{lang|el|εν αγνοία}} (''in ignorance [of]'')
* {{lang|el|συν τοις άλλοις}} (''moreover'')
* {{lang|el|επί τω έργω}} (''working'', literally ''on the deed'')
* {{lang|el|τοις εκατό}} (''percent'', literally ''in a hundred'')
* {{lang|el|ιδίοις χερσί}} (''with [one's] own hands'')

====Grammatical (morphological) features====
* Adjectives ending in {{lang|el|-ων}}, {{lang|el|-ουσα}}, {{lang|el|-ον}} (e.g. {{lang|el|ενδιαφέρων}} ''interesting'') or in {{lang|el|-ων}}, {{lang|el|-ων}}, {{lang|el|-ον}} (e.g. {{lang|el|σώφρων}} ''thoughtful'') - mostly in written language.
* Declinable [[aorist]] participle, e.g. {{lang|el|παραδώσας}} (''having delivered''), {{lang|el|γεννηθείς}} (''[having been] born'') - mostly in written language.
* Reduplication in the perfect. E.g. {{lang|el|προσ'''κε'''κλημένος}} (''invited''), {{lang|el|'''πε'''παλαιωμένος}} (''obsolete'')

====Phonological features====
Modern Greek features many letter combinations that were avoided in traditional Demotic:
* {{lang|el|-πτ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|'''πτ'''αίσμα}} "misdemeanor"); Demotic preferred {{lang|el|-φτ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|'''φτ'''αίω}} "to err; to be guilty")
* {{lang|el|-κτ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|'''κτ'''ίσμα}} "building, structure"); Demotic preferred {{lang|el|-χτ-}} [e.g. {{lang|el|'''χτ'''ίστης}} "(stone)mason"]
* {{lang|el|-ευδ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|ψ'''εύδ'''ος}} "falsity, lie"); Demotic preferred {{lang|el|-ευτ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|ψ'''εύτ'''ης}} "liar")
* {{lang|el|-σθ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|ηρκέ'''σθ'''ην}} / {{lang|el|αρκέ'''σθ'''ηκα}} "I was sufficed / satisfied"); Demotic preferred {{lang|el|-στ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|αρκέ'''στ'''ηκα}})
* {{lang|el|-χθ-}} (e.g. {{lang|el|(ε)'''χθ'''ές}} "yesterday"); Demotic preferred {{lang|el|-χτ-}} [e.g. {{lang|el|(ε)'''χτ'''ές}}]
* etc.

Native Greek speakers, depending upon their level of education, may often make mistakes in these "educated" aspects of their language; one can often see mistakes like {{lang|el|προήχθη}} instead of {{lang|el|προήχθην}} (''I've been promoted''), {{lang|el|λόγου του ότι/λόγο το ότι}} instead of {{lang|el|λόγω του ότι}} (''{{not a typo|due to the fact that}}''), {{lang|el|τον ενδιαφέρον άνθρωπο}} instead of {{lang|el|τον ενδιαφέροντα άνθρωπο}} (''the interesting person''), {{lang|el|οι ενδιαφέροντες γυναίκες}} instead of {{lang|el|οι ενδιαφέρουσες γυναίκες}} (''the interesting women''), {{lang|el|ο ψήφος}} instead of {{lang|el|η ψήφος}} (''the vote''). {{citation needed|date=September 2016}}