Learn Greek › B1 › δημοτικός
δημοτικός
of the people, folk /ði.mo.tiˈkos/
adjectiveB1#1752 most common
Also: municipal, demotic (the vernacular form of Greek)
Example sentences
Το παιδί πάει στο δημοτικό σχολείο.
The child goes to elementary school.
Μου αρέσουν τα δημοτικά τραγούδια.
I like folk songs.
Ο δήμαρχος συγκάλεσε το δημοτικό συμβούλιο.
The mayor convened the municipal council.
Η δημοτική γλώσσα επικράτησε στην Ελλάδα μετά το 1976.
The demotic (vernacular) language prevailed in Greece after 1976.
Οι δημοτικές εκλογές θα διεξαχθούν την άνοιξη.
The municipal elections will be held in spring.
Η αντιπαράθεση ανάμεσα στην καθαρεύουσα και τη δημοτική σημάδεψε τη νεοελληνική γλωσσική ιστορία.
The dispute between katharevousa and demotic marked modern Greek linguistic history.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | δημοτικός (m) / δημοτική (f) / δημοτικό (n) | δημοτικοί (m) / δημοτικές (f) / δημοτικά (n) |
| Genitive | δημοτικού (m) / δημοτικής (f) / δημοτικού (n) | δημοτικών (m) / δημοτικών (f) / δημοτικών (n) |
| Accusative | δημοτικό (m) / δημοτική (f) / δημοτικό (n) | δημοτικούς (m) / δημοτικές (f) / δημοτικά (n) |
| Vocative | δημοτικέ (m) / δημοτική (f) / δημοτικό (n) | δημοτικοί (m) / δημοτικές (f) / δημοτικά (n) |
Word family
δήμοςpeople, district, municipality
δημότηςresident or registered citizen of a municipality
δημοκρατίαdemocracyδημοτικότηταpopularity
δημόσιοςpublic, state-runEtymology
δημοτικός is built from δήμος, the ancient Greek word for a people, a district, or later a municipality, plus the adjectival suffix -ικός, meaning 'pertaining to'. The origin of δήμος itself is uncertain. Older dictionaries link it to a root meaning 'to divide', on the idea that a δήμος was a portioned-out territory, but many modern linguists treat this as unproven and possibly pre-Greek. What is certain is that δήμος also gave English 'democracy' and 'demographic', so δημοτικός sits in the same family as those borrowings.
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