Katharevousa
/ˌkɑθəˈɹɛvusɑ/ name
name ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 A learned, archaising form of Modern Greek, based on Classical Greek and used for formal and official purposes; it was legally displaced as the official language of Greece in 1976 by Demotic Greek.
"‘You read the poetry of Cavafy, I have taught you to speak Katharevousa and Italian.’"
- 2 Alternative form of Katharevousa alt-of, alternative
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"‘You read the poetry of Cavafy, I have taught you to speak Katharevousa and Italian.’"
Etymology
From Greek καθαρεύουσα (katharévousa), feminine of καθαρεύων (katharévon), present participle of Ancient Greek καθαρεύω (kathareúō, “to be clean, pure”).