Di(a)glossia and Political Ideology in Grecophone Cyprus Moribundity Resistance, Diglossic Nostalgia, and a Sociolinguistic ‘Buffer Zone’

Abstract

Cyprus holds a storied past of self-determination – a hallmark of endangerment – serving as a backdrop for the trajectory of Cypriot Greek. In Cyprus, waning minority varieties are juxtaposed with Standard Greek, as is the native majority lect, Cypriot Greek. The relationship of Cypriot to Standard is often seen as diglossic; it is attenuated, toward diaglossia, characterized by dialect moribundity; it is further complicated by socio-politically ideological factors, with Standard Greek (H) indexing Cypriot Hellenism (vs. Cypriotism, ‘true’ local Cypriot nationalism), resulting in a tension between dialect revitalization and diglossic maintenance.