In Greece, every place has its own dialect, but Crete’s dialect is the most special one. It’s so unique, that when Cretans speak to each other, they are not (easily) understood by the rest of the Greeks. It’s a mixture of the Greek language with elements from the Ancient Greek grammar and Turkish. It’s also spoken with a particular pronunciation, especially for the letter -k-.
Even inside the island, you will find different accents, like for example the pronunciation of the letter -l- in Rethymno, or the word “petakas” (grasshopper) in Lasithi. Despite that, when the Cretans want to be made understood, they manage, so you shouldn’t worry about communicating with them.
To have a brief taste of the Cretan dialect:
- Kouzoulos = crazy
- Yanta = why
- Oee = no
- Prama = nothing
- Kateo = know (I)
- Ekia = there
- Grothos = a**hole
- Enta = what
- Epae = here
- Ega = goat
- Katsouna = club
- Halapatos = noise
- Dakos = dried bread