Greek

The Oldest Living Written Language

Greek holds a unique place in human history as one of the oldest recorded languages still spoken today, with an unbroken written tradition spanning over 3,000 years. The earliest known form, Mycenaean Greek, was written in a syllabic script called Linear B around 1400 BCE. Ancient Greek gave the world its first works of philosophy, drama, history, and mathematics — the writings of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, and Herodotus were all composed in Greek and continue to shape human thought today.

The Alphabet That Changed the World

The Greek alphabet, developed around 800 BCE from Phoenician script, was the first writing system to represent both consonants and vowels. This innovation made literacy far more accessible and influenced virtually every European writing system that followed — Latin, Cyrillic, and through them, the scripts of most modern Western and Slavic languages. When you write the letter A, you are writing a direct descendant of the ancient Greek Alpha.

The Language Behind Modern Knowledge

Greek has contributed more words to the vocabulary of science, medicine, philosophy, and technology than any other language. Words like democracy, philosophy, astronomy, biology, psychology, theatre, and academy all come directly from Greek. In medicine alone, the vast majority of anatomical and diagnostic terms are Greek in origin. Learning Greek gives learners a powerful key to understanding the roots of much of the English language and the conceptual vocabulary of Western civilisation.

Modern Greek Today

Modern Greek, known as Νέα Ελληνικά, is the official language of Greece and Cyprus and is spoken by approximately 13 million people. While it has evolved considerably from its ancient forms, Modern Greek retains the same alphabet and a substantial core vocabulary that would be partially recognisable to a reader of ancient texts. Greek communities across Australia, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom keep the language vibrant worldwide. For learners, the greatest initial challenge is the Greek alphabet — but once mastered, it opens access to one of humanity's most extraordinary linguistic traditions.