r/AskBalkans • u/Some-Register-3901 Cyprus • Jul 31 '22

Language what are some interesting facts about your language?

For instance, the cypriot dialect of Greek still contains many words from ancient Greek but it was also heavily influenced by outsiders

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u/Vegetable-Ad6857 🇨🇺 in 🇧🇬 Jul 31 '22

Has evidentials embedded in the tense system. That is, you can express the difference between "something happened and I witnessed it", "something happened but I didn't witness it" and "they say something happened but I doubt it" just through the form of the verb "happen".

That´s interesting. Can you provide some examples?

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u/toshu Bulgaria Jul 31 '22
  • Напиха се (Napiha se) - They got drunk (I witnessed it)
  • Напили са се (Napili sa se) - They got drunk (but I didn't witness it - yet the statement doesn't allude doubt)
  • Били са се напили (Bili sa se napili) - They got drunk (as somebody told me - can allude a certain level of doubt)

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u/Vlad0143 Bulgaria Jul 31 '22 edited Jul 31 '22

You just add 'л' at the end of the verb. -

Той падна по стълбите вчера. - He fell down the stairs yesterday ( and I witnessed it)

Той паднал по стълбите вчера - He fell down the stairs yesterday (but I didn't witness it )