What languages are spoken in Cyprus?

Last Updated on April 26, 2020 by Nick Sanna

After the Turkish occupation of the north in 1974, Cyprus was split into two linguistic states. The Turkish speaking north, and the south which speaks both Greek and Turkish.

Greek Cypriots have a distinct dialect, but standard modern Greek is used for official government business.

Shops in Famagusta — Turkish is spoken in the Turkish north.

Cypriot Greek is the main language of the south.

Turkish Cypriots speak Turkish, even in a distinct dialect, although it is not as far from the Turkish standard as Cypriot Greek is from the Greek standard. That’s partly due to Cyprus’s separation from mainland Greece in the late middle ages for hundreds of years.

Maronite Arabs and Armenians on the island likewise speak Greek Cypriot. Those communities were forced to pick either Turkish or Greek as part of the new Constitution in 1960. They try to preserve their own languages as well.

Other notable languages spoken in the south are English, Russian and Armenian. It is estimated 76% of the southern Cypriots can speak some English.