Many of the unique regional dialects of Greece are at great risk of extinction. Experts are aiming to reverse such an unfortunate development.
A large number of regional dialects in Greece are endangered due to multiple factors, such as urbanization, globalization, and the unchallenged dominance of standard Modern Greek in education and administration.
The country’s linguists and communities, however, are working hard to preserve and revitalize these endangered dialects. People have recognized the importance of these dialects as part of the country’s rich linguistic, historical, and cultural heritage.
The rich diversity of Greece’s dialects
The Greek language has a fascinating history spanning thousands of years. As is understandable, over time, numerous regional dialects have popped up. Each of these has its own distinct features. This is true not only of the territories of the modern Greek state but also of the wider region of the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, where Greek was spoken by millions of people thousands of years ago.
Tsakonian
One of the most beautiful, unique, and critically endangered Greek dialects is Tsakonian. The Tsakonian dialect, known in Greek as “Tsakonika,” is primarily spoken in the Peloponnese region, but there are speakers throughout the southern part of the Greek mainland, too.
Interestingly enough, Tsakonian is the only surviving descendant of the ancient Doric Greek dialect and is extremely difficult for a modern Greek speaker to understand. This is why it is not classed as mutually intelligible with Standard Modern Greek. The dialect preserves many archaic features that have survived for millennia, such as the use of the digamma consonant (F). This is fascinating if we take into account the fact that this “F” letter disappeared from other Greek varieties of the language almost two thousand years ago. The Tsakonian dialect has three sub-dialects: the Northern, Southern, and now-extinct Propontis version, formerly spoken on what is now mainland Turkey.
Griko
Another critically endangered Greek dialect that not many people know about is Griko. This Greek dialect is exclusively spoken in the Calabria and Apulia regions of Southern Italy and is not found elsewhere in modern-day Greece.
Griko is believed by experts to have originated from the ancient Greek colonies that were established in the 8th century BC in the southern regions of the Italian peninsula. This beautiful dialect retains certain archaic Doric features such as the preservation of the long /a/ vowel that is not very common in the standardized version of Modern Greek. Today, Griko is spoken by only around 20,000 people who are mostly elderly residents of remote villages in the Italian South. This is why it is considered severely endangered and could, unfortunately, soon be extinct.
Pontic Greek
Pontic Greek, which was historically spoken in the Pontus region of Northern Turkey, is another beautiful Greek dialect under significant threat. This beautiful and rich dialect of the Greek language arose from the ancient Greek colonies on the Black Sea coast. This particular geographical feature meant the language was significantly more isolated, especially after the Ottoman conquest of the region in the 15th century. The geographical and linguistic isolation led to the retention of a number of archaic features and the development of many intriguing linguistic innovations.
As was expected, Pontic Greek has been influenced by Turkish and Caucasian languages that have been dominant in the broader region for centuries. Although the vast majority of Pontic Greeks were expelled to Greece in the 1920s population exchange following the genocide of the Pontic Greeks in 1919, the dialect is still spoken by a significant number of Muslim communities of Pontus, as well as in expatriate communities of Pontic Greeks who now live in Greece and beyond.
These dialects, including Pontic, Cappadocian, Tsakonian, Griko, and Maniot Greek among many others, clearly portray the history, culture, and identity of local communities of Greek speakers in areas such as Italy, the Balkans, and Asia Minor, for instance.
Unfortunately, many of these dialects are now critically endangered due to declining speaker numbers and a lack of intergenerational transmission in more recent times.
Why are some of Greece’s dialects endangered?
Greece is not alone in the fight against the rapid extinction of regional dialects in the country. Several factors have contributed to the endangerment of these dialects, and it is not something exclusive to Greece.
The rapid urbanization that took place in Greece in the 20th century has led to the decline of rural communities where dialects once thrived. At the same time, standard Modern Greek has now been dominating areas such as education, media, and official contexts for decades. Younger generations prefer using standard Greek for better opportunities, and the stigmatization of dialects as “backward” or “uneducated” speech has further contributed to their decline. It is widely acceptable among Greeks that dialects are an important part of their cultural and linguistic heritage. However, not many people actively attempt to learn and preserve these, as they see no real-life use for them.
Additionally, a widespread lack of documentation and resources for teaching and learning these dialects has made preservation efforts more challenging, creating a mixture of factors that make their extinction seem nothing but inevitable.
Revitalization initiatives: Preserving Greece’s linguistic heritage
There are ongoing efforts to address the issue of dying Greek dialects. Many linguists, along with local communitie are implementing a series of revitalization initiatives aiming to reverse this trajectory towards total extinction. University researchers across the country have been working for quite some time to document and describe endangered Greek dialects, while programs based in local communities with such linguistic variation, aim to promote the use and transmission of the dialects.
A prominent example of these actions is the Tsakonian language. Language courses coupled with cultural events are being held in Peloponnesian villages that promote the learning of this beautiful dialect and its use.
Another great example is Griko summer schools and festivals that take place almost every year in Calabria, Italy, where the number of Greek speakers is declining rapidly. This is happening due to the homogenization and spread of the modern standardized version of the Italian language across the peninsula.
Additionally, efforts to preserve the once-thriving Pontic Greek language are also underway. Efforts and immersion programs are being established in many parts of Greece and communities of the diaspora where large numbers of proud Pontians live and work today.
Additionally, digital resources, such as online dictionaries and language learning apps, are also being developed to support these efforts, particularly for dialects with larger numbers of speakers, such as Pontic Greek.
Challenges and prospects for Greece’s dialects
Advocates of dialect preservation in Greece have been calling for the official recognition and support of regional dialects for decades now. Collaboration between linguists, researchers, educators, and ordinary citizens is growing in areas such as Macedonia, where large numbers of Pontic Greeks live, as well as the Peloponnese, where the Tsakonian language used to be much more vibrant.
Additionally, increased visibility of these dialects in Greek media and popular culture are also factors that could help raise awareness and appreciation. This would also aid in minimizing ignorance and stigmatization which used to prevail, particularly among younger generations of Greeks.
However, revitalization efforts are not easy, and there are several challenges. These include quite limited funding and resources, as, unfortunately, the official Greek state is not as eager to support such initiatives.
There is also great difficulty in engaging younger generations in these projects, combined with the need for long-term, sustainable strategies and policies rather than individual efforts by small groups of volunteers.
The importance of preserving Greece’s dialects
The impressive number of (now endangered) dialects in Greece speaks to their significance as a valuable part of the cultural and linguistic heritage of the nation. The noteworthy revitalization efforts that do take place have one main goal, namely to preserve and promote linguistic variations that once thrived across the Eastern Mediterranean and the Greek-speaking world.
Coordinated efforts of collaboration between communities, researchers, and policymakers can help endangered Greek dialects thrive once again. This would ensure that future generations will be able to appreciate them and engage with the rich linguistic history of the proud Greek nation.