Editing Cyprus (section)

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Cyprus}}
[[File:Armenian Alphabet.jpg|thumb|right|The Armenian Alphabet at the [[Melkonian Educational Institute]]. [[Armenian language|Armenian]] is recognised as a minority language in Cyprus.]]

Cyprus has two official languages, Greek and [[Turkish language|Turkish]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.presidency.gov.cy/presidency/presidency.nsf/all/1003AEDD83EED9C7C225756F0023C6AD/$file/CY_Constitution.pdf |title=The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus |publisher=President of the Republic of Cyprus |section=Article 3 |page=2 |access-date=18 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001544/http://www.presidency.gov.cy/presidency/presidency.nsf/all/1003AEDD83EED9C7C225756F0023C6AD/$file/CY_Constitution.pdf |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Armenian language|Armenian]] and [[Cypriot Maronite Arabic]] are recognised as minority languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://languagecharter.eokik.hu/sites/StatesParties/Cyprus.htm |title=Implementation of the Charter in Cyprus |work=Database for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages |publisher=Public Foundation for European Comparative Minority Research |access-date=20 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207055025/http://languagecharter.eokik.hu/sites/StatesParties/Cyprus.htm |archive-date=7 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/archive/languages/langmin/euromosaic/cy1_en.html |title=EUROPA – Education and Training – Regional and minority languages – Euromosaïc study |work=Europa (web portal) |date=27 October 2006 |access-date=3 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704194723/http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/archive/languages/langmin/euromosaic/cy1_en.html |archive-date=4 July 2010}}</ref> Although without official status, [[English language|English]] is widely spoken and features widely on road signs and in public notices and advertisements.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Ammon |editor1-first=Ulrich |editor2-last=Dittmar |editor2-first=Norbert |editor3-last=Mattheier |editor3-first=Klaus J. |editor4-last=Trudgill |editor4-first=Peter |chapter=Greece and Cyprus |pages=1881–1889 |title=Sociolinguistics: an international handbook of the science of language and society / Soziolinguistik: ein internationales Handbuch zur Wissenschaft von Sprache und Gesellschaft |year=2006 |edition=2nd |series=Handbooks of linguistics and communication science / Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft |volume=3 |location=Berlin |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=9783110184181 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LMZm0w0k1c4C |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517130217/https://books.google.com/books?id=LMZm0w0k1c4C |url-status=live }}</ref> English was the sole official language during British colonial rule and the [[lingua franca]] until 1960, and continued to be used (de facto) in courts of law until 1989 and in legislation until 1996.<ref name=Euromosaic>{{cite book |editor1-last=European Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture |title=Euromosaic III: Presence of regional and minority language groups in the new member states |date=2006 |publisher=Office for official publications of the European communities |location=Brussels |isbn=978-92-79-01291-4 |pages=19–23 |url=http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/euromosaic-iii-pbNC7406031/ |access-date=8 August 2015 |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517130232/https://op.europa.eu/en/web/general-publications/publications |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, 80.4% of Cypriots were proficient in English as a [[second language]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mejer |first1=Lene |last2=Boateng |first2=Sadi q Kwesi |last3=Turchetti |first3=Paolo |title=Population and social conditions |series=Statistics in Focus |issue=49/2010 |year=2010 |publisher=[[eurostat]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3433488/5565660/KS-SF-10-049-EN.PDF |access-date=13 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217061503/http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3433488/5565660/KS-SF-10-049-EN.PDF |archive-date=17 February 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Russian is widely spoken among the country's minorities, residents and citizens of post-Soviet countries, and [[Pontic Greeks]]. [[Russian language|Russian]], after English and Greek, is the third language used on many signs of shops and restaurants, particularly in Limassol and Paphos. In addition, in 2006, 12% of the population spoke [[French language|French]] and 5% spoke [[German language|German]].<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf Europeans and their Languages] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414102658/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |date=14 April 2016}}, [[Eurobarometer]], European Commission, 2006.</ref>

The everyday spoken language of Greek Cypriots is [[Cypriot Greek]], and that of Turkish Cypriots is [[Cypriot Turkish]].<ref name=Euromosaic /> These [[vernacular]]s both differ from their [[standard language|standard registers]] significantly.<ref name=Euromosaic />