katharevousa

Katharevousa is a form of the Greek language developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by scholars of the Greek Enlightenment who sought to “purify” Greek by aligning it with classical Attic-Greek while keeping it intelligible to contemporary speakers. The term means “purified” or “cleansed,” and the variety was intended as a literary and formal standard for education, law, administration, and church writings. It coexisted with Demotic Greek (Dhēmitikó), the vernacular style spoken by the people.

Characteristics of Katharevousa include a purist vocabulary drawn largely from Classical Greek, supplemented by coined terms for modern concepts; a more conservative and archaised grammar; and a formal, often elevated register. Orthographically, it commonly employed polytonic diacritics and a script that reinforced its classical flavor. The language was used in official documents, scholarly works, journalism, and much literary prose of the 19th century, shaping the educated public sphere.

Historically, Katharevousa served as the prestige or bureaucratic language of the modern Greek state, promoted by some political authorities and writers seeking national continuity with Greece’s ancient heritage. Demotic Greek, the everyday speech of the people, continued to develop in parallel and gradually gained prestige. Over the course of the 20th century, Demotic became the standard for education, administration, and public life, while Katharevousa declined in practical use. It remained influential in formal, ceremonial, and literary contexts.

Legacy and influence of Katharevousa include its role in shaping modern Greek vocabulary, orthography, and stylistic norms. It contributed to a formal register that persisted in certain official and literary genres, and it helped bridge classical heritage with modern Greek development. Today, most everyday usage is Demotic, with Katharevousa surviving mainly in historical studies and in certain ceremonial or stylistic literary forms.