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The Rhodian Village Where the Locals Speak Cypriot

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Have you ever wondered why Rhodians appear to have a slight Cypriot twang when they speak?
Greeks on the island of Cyprus date back to around the 14th century BC. The island rapidly became an important center of Greek culture with the arrival of Mycenaean and Achaian colonists between the 13th and 11th centuries BC and Dorians from the 11th century BC.
Cypriot colonized Rhodes bringing metallurgy to the island. Local Rhodians soon became excellent iron craftsmen, creating mainly weapons.
Two basic ancient dialects are still evident on the island of Rhodes — the Dorian and Arcadian. Cypriots infiltrated the Arcadians, retaining the basic elements of their language with additions and influences with other nations in the region and conquerors over time.
The original Cypriot influences remain, causing many Greeks to often confuse Rhodians with Cypriots, due to the Arcadian linguistic influences with double t’s and strong p and n sounds in their speech.
The Cypriot dialect is particularly evident at the village of Archangelos on Rhodes with a population of 7,000 people. The large village is on the southern side of the island, 28km away from the city center. Created during medieval times, far from the coast so as to protect residents from pirate raids, the village has managed to keep its traditions, customs and dialect in tact without its residents influenced from the modern way of life.

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