Book contents
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors to Volume IV
- General Preface
- Abbreviations
- General Editor’s Introduction
- Introduction to Volume IV
- Part I Language Variation and Change
- Part II English in England
- Part III English in Wales
- Part IV English in Scotland
- Part V English in Ireland
- Part VI English in Europe
- 22 English in the Channel Islands
- 23 English in Gibraltar
- 24 English in Malta
- 25 English in Cyprus
- Index
- References
25 - English in Cyprus
from Part VI - English in Europe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 March 2026
Edited by
Book contents
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- The New Cambridge History of the English Language
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Contributors to Volume IV
- General Preface
- Abbreviations
- General Editor’s Introduction
- Introduction to Volume IV
- Part I Language Variation and Change
- Part II English in England
- Part III English in Wales
- Part IV English in Scotland
- Part V English in Ireland
- Part VI English in Europe
- 22 English in the Channel Islands
- 23 English in Gibraltar
- 24 English in Malta
- 25 English in Cyprus
- Index
- References
Summary
Cyprus has always been a multilingual island and home to a complex mixture of different nationalities and ethnic groups. As the result of British colonisation, English gained ground on the island until the division of the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) in 1974. This division led to a separation of the two major ethnic groups, Greek and Turkish Cypriots. This has drastically changed the sociolinguistic grounds for the development and status of the English language. This chapter is the first to assess the status, roles and functions of English in both parts of Cyprus in a joint fashion. Our account suggests that English in Cyprus is heterogeneous: its use and functions depend on speaker and age groups and differ between the two parts. We trace its complex sociolinguistic development in both parts and discuss the repercussions for the World Englishes paradigm.
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- The New Cambridge History of the English LanguageBritain, Ireland and Europe, pp. 711 - 735Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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