# Greek written in Latin alphabet?



## astroX

Is there a reason why is it done like that? I mean, every other language that has different type of characters is 'translated' by using the basic Latin alphabet (A, B, C)

A reason I can think of: computer keyboards


On YouTube I've seen people who communicate among themselves by typing Latin letters - > 

Ignoraba que se podía entablar una conversación de esa manera :O

Having said that, I have a particular problem. When I tag songs from different languages, I don't really know which would the appropriate way to name songs.

For example:

t.A.T.u.'s first album:

Should I tag it as "200 Po Vstrechnoy" or "200 по встречной" ?

Thanks for your help


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## Eltheza

Hi!

I really don't know but *"200 по встречной"* is Russian, not Greek!

Is this any use to you?:

http://www.translatum.gr/converter/greeklish-converter.htm

As regards keyboards, it's perhaps quicker to type in 'Gringlish', for example, than to use the Greek keyboard.


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## astroX

Eltheza said:


> Hi!
> 
> I really don't know but *"200 по встречной"* is Russian, not Greek!
> 
> Is this any use to you?:
> 
> http://www.translatum.gr/converter/greeklish-converter.htm
> 
> As regards keyboards, it's perhaps quicker to type in 'Gringlish', for example, than to use the Greek keyboard.



yeah .. probably a bad example (couldn't think of a Greek song)


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## Δημήτρης

It's just internet slang. 
Annoying but it happens in every language. Just don't use Greeklish in Greek forums, must sites forbid it.


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## elineo

AstroX, la razón es porque en algunos países, los teclados no tienen las letras griegas y así la gente no puede ver las palabras griegas en sus pantallas de los ordenadores. Por eso usan el teclado latino para comunicar en griego. Tiene en cuenta que el teclado griego no es muy compatible con el teclado español, a causa de los acentos que usan ambas las lenguas.

Saludos desde Atenas


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## Δημήτρης

elineo said:


> AstroX, la razón es porque en algunos países, los teclados no tienen las letras griegas y así la gente no puede ver las palabras griegas en sus pantallas de los ordenadores. Por eso usan el teclado latino para comunicar en griego. Tiene en cuenta que el teclado griego no es muy compatible con el teclado español, a causa de los acentos que usan ambas las lenguas.
> 
> Saludos desde Atenas



From what I can understand, you are saying Greeklish exist because of incompatibilities (keyboards, software).
I honestly don't think this is the case. All computers nowadays support greek keyboard layout (even if it's not available out-of-the-box) and have at least one unicode font that can display Greek letters (including mobile devices).
Not to mention that most Greeklish texts are written by Greeks, residing in Greece and using computers that have have Greek keyboard layouts out of the box. Using Greeklish is their choice, not something done by necessity.

Not that is really important, but we don't want to give the impression that greek language is incompatible with computers, n'est-ce pas?


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## astroX

oh, so Greeklish is an internet slang .. I thought it was the combination of using Greek and English [like Spanish and English = Spanglish]

Thanks for your help

One last favor, there this Greek song that I really like and I want to learn to sing it so I need pronunciation.
I wrote down everything as I would say it in Spanish ... for example:

If an American would say this nonsense sentence:



> web us corn free hole less



I would actually understand it as "huevo con frijoles"

I did write everything the singer says in Greek as in Spanish slangs but I would want someone [who speaks Greek and Spanish] to correct my 'translation slang'

PM me so I send you the file where I have my translated lyrics

Thanks


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## elineo

Δημήτρης said:


> From what I can understand, you are saying Greeklish exist because of incompatibilities (keyboards, software).
> I honestly don't think this is the case. All computers nowadays support greek keyboard layout (even if it's not available out-of-the-box) and have at least one unicode font that can display Greek letters (including mobile devices).
> Not to mention that most Greeklish texts are written by Greeks, residing in Greece and using computers that have have Greek keyboard layouts out of the box. Using Greeklish is their choice, not something done by necessity.
> 
> Not that is really important, but we don't want to give the impression that greek language is incompatible with computers, n'est-ce pas?



Δημήτρη σε προκαλώ, επειδή μου έριξες το γάντι (με την καλή έννοια πάντα), να πας να εγκαταστήσεις ισπανική έκδοση windows στον υπολογιστή σου και μετά να πάς να τρέξεις σ'αυτον πρόγραμμα με ελληνικό μενού, η και προϊόντα τους σε ελληνικά η ισπανικά. Εκεί θα δεις τον ορισμό της ασυμβατότητας και θα καταλάβεις τι εννοώ.


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## elineo

astroX said:


> oh, so Greeklish is an internet slang .. I thought it was the combination of using Greek and English [like Spanish and English = Spanglish]
> 
> Thanks for your help
> 
> One last favor, there this Greek song that I really like and I want to learn to sing it so I need pronunciation.
> I wrote down everything as I would say it in Spanish ... for example:
> 
> If an American would say this nonsense sentence:
> 
> 
> 
> I would actually understand it as "huevo con frijoles"
> 
> I did write everything the singer says in Greek as in Spanish slangs but I would want someone [who speaks Greek and Spanish] to correct my 'translation slang'
> 
> PM me so I send you the file where I have my translated lyrics
> 
> Thanks



Otro muy interesante dicho por emigrandes griegos en los EEUU: "Σαν πλακώσουν τα lowzérια θα freezιάσουνε τα lákeια"


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## Δημήτρης

elineo said:


> Δημήτρη σε προκαλώ, επειδή μου έριξες το γάντι (με την καλή έννοια πάντα), να πας να εγκαταστήσεις ισπανική έκδοση windows στον υπολογιστή σου και μετά να πάς να τρέξεις σ'αυτον πρόγραμμα με ελληνικό μενού, η και προϊόντα τους σε ελληνικά η ισπανικά. Εκεί θα δεις τον ορισμό της ασυμβατότητας και θα καταλάβεις τι εννοώ.



Χωρίς να είμαι χρήστης Windows γενικά, στοιχηματίζω ότι το αρκεί να επιλέξεις ως codepage των non-unicode εφαρμογών κάποιο ελληνικό encoding από το Regional Settings.
Το λέω αυτό έχοντας δει υπολογιστή με ελληνικά Windows να τρέχει άψογα εφαρμογές στα ιαπωνικά με μόνο αυτή την ρύθμιση.
Αν δε η εφαρμογή είναι unicode, τότε δεν χρειάζεται καν η ρύθμιση. 
Στο Linux για παράδειγμα οι εφαρμογές και το λειτουργικό είναι κατά κανόνα σε unicode άρα έχεις όλα τα συστήματα γραφών σε αρμονική συνύπαρξη.

Επιμένω λοιπόν ότι δεν υπάρχει τεχνική αναγκαιότητα για τα Greeklish.
Μόνο άτσαλοι προγραμματιστές που δεν χρησιμοποιούν το unicode και λειτουργικά συστήματα (διαβαζε: Microsoft Windows) που το ενθαρρύνουν.


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## spyroware

Μπορεί όλα να φαίνονται απλά σήμερα που πας πίνακα ελέγχου και προσθέτεις input language στο τσακ μπαμ, αλλά αυτά είναι πρόσφατες πολυτέλειες. Επίσης δεν αναφέρατε τα κινητά εξωτερικού που μέχρι πρότινος είχαν μόνο λατινικό input. Αλλά και που υπάρχει υποστήριξη δε μπορείς να αλλάζεις γλώσσα για ένα SMS κάθε φορα. 
 Προσωπικά δε βρίσκω τα Greeklish τόσο "χυδαία." Τεχνική αναγκαιότητα μπορεί να μην υπάρχει πια, αλλα για τους περισσότερους είναι πιο γρήγορος και άμεσος τρόπος γραφής. Στο internet ούτως η αλλώς κάθε τρίτη λέξη είναι αγγλική, να τη γράψεις στα ελληνικά είναι κακόγουστο, να πατήσεις γρήγορα alt+tab θα γίνει μαμακία με το παράθυρο, ergo τα Greeklish ζουν και βασιλεύουν. Arkei bebaia na kratame mia ypotypodh orthografikh antistoixia me ta ellhnika  Τα 3άρια και 8άρια για ξ και θ είναι εκνευριστικά..


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## ireney

Well, the sad thing is, and way too many people in way to many forums have given this as a reason for using Greeklish, that many use them as a way to avoid spelling. 
As everyone said, there used to be valid reasons for using Greeklish since the Greek characters weren't recognized by the software.
Nowadays these cases are few and far in between but still exist: My cellphone for instance does not include Greek characters; About 5 years ago I could not convince the admins in Murray House of Education in Edinburgh to include the Greek keyboard in their PCs and Macs. And so on and so forth. 
There's no good reason though for anyone with a PC or Mac of their own though who either knows Greek or learns Greek.


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