A short Cypriot dialect glossary

Every word used in the game, with what it means and where it came from.

Ίντα inda

What? — The single most Cypriot word there is. Standard Greek uses τι. "Ίντα καμνεις;" — what are you doing?

Έσιει eshi

There is / there are — Standard Greek έχει, but with the sh sound Cypriot kept and Greek lost. "Έν έσιει" — there isn't any.

Τζιαι tziai

And — Standard Greek και. That tz sound at the start is one of the fastest ways to place a Cypriot speaker.

Ούλλοι oulli

Everyone / all of them — Standard Greek όλοι. Cypriot doubles consonants where Greek does not — and actually pronounces them doubled.

Μιτσής mitsis

Small / the little one — Standard Greek μικρός. Used constantly for children — "ο μιτσής" is the youngest in the family.

Κοπελλούδι kopelloudi

A small child — From κοπέλλα. The -ούδι ending is the Cypriot diminutive, and it is used affectionately for anyone younger than you.

Πελλός pellos

Crazy / mad — Affectionate as often as insulting. "Είσαι πελλός;" — are you out of your mind?

Νάκκον nakkon

A little bit — One of the words with no standard Greek equivalent at all. "Νάκκον νάκκον" — little by little.

Λαλώ lalo

I say / I tell — Standard Greek λέω. "Ίντα λαλείς;" — what are you saying?

Μάππα mappa

A ball — From Italian. Standard Greek uses μπάλα. Every Cypriot playground runs on this word.

Τσαέρα tsaera

A chair — Standard Greek καρέκλα. One of many everyday Cypriot household words that took a different route into the language.

Ίσσω isso

At home / inside — Standard Greek μέσα or σπίτι. "Πάμε ίσσω" — let's go home.

Χαμαί chamai

On the ground / down — Preserved from ancient Greek χαμαί, still in daily Cypriot use while standard Greek moved to κάτω.

Βούρα voura

Run! — Also βουρώ, I run. Standard Greek τρέχω.

Φκάλλω fkallo

I take out / I remove — Standard Greek βγάζω. The fk- cluster at the start of a word is very Cypriot.

Στράτα strata

A road or street — From Italian/Venetian strada — a leftover of the centuries Cyprus spent under Venetian rule.

Αρφός arfos

Brother — Standard Greek αδελφός, worn down in Cypriot. Also used the way English uses "mate".

Θκιό thkio

Two — Standard Greek δύο. Cypriot turns that δ into a thk- cluster that mainland speakers find hard to copy.

Ρότσος rotsos

A rock or stone — Standard Greek βράχος or πέτρα.

Τζιείνος tzeinos

That one / him — Standard Greek εκείνος, with the Cypriot tz again.

Ζάβαλλι zavalli

Poor thing! (said with pity) — From Turkish zavallı. Cypriot took a great deal of everyday vocabulary from Ottoman Turkish.

Σιόρ sior

Mate / mister (how you address someone) — From Venetian signor. Tacked onto the end of sentences constantly — "εν να πάμε, σιόρ".

Παττίχα pattixa

A watermelon — Standard Greek καρπούζι. From Turkish. Ordering one by the wrong name marks you out instantly.

Φουκού foukou

The charcoal rotisserie you barbecue on — From French feu. The souvla goes over the foukou — the centre of every Cypriot Sunday.

Τζύρης tziris

Father — Standard Greek πατέρας. From κύρης, an older Greek word for lord or master.

Ππαρά para

Money — From Turkish para. The doubled ππ at the start is pronounced as a hard, unaspirated p.

Ποψέ popse

Tonight — Standard Greek απόψε.

Ίνταλως indalos

How? — Built from ίντα. Standard Greek πώς. "Ίνταλως εν;" — how is it?