Aeolic Greek

Distribution of Greek dialects in the classical period.[1]
Western group:      Doric proper      Northwest Doric Greek Central group:      Aeolic      Arcado-Cypriot Eastern group:      Attic      Ionic
     Achaean Doric Greek
History of the
Greek language
(see also: Greek alphabet)
Proto-Greek
Mycenaean (c. 1600–1100 BC)
Ancient Greek (c. 800–330 BC)
Dialects:
Aeolic, Arcadocypriot, Attic-Ionic,
Doric, Locrian, Pamphylian;
Homeric Greek.
Possibly Macedonian.
Koine Greek (c. 330 BC–330)*
Medieval Greek (330–1453)
Modern Greek (from 1453)
Dialects:
Cappadocian, Cheimarriotika, Cretan,
Cypriot, Demotic, Griko, Katharevousa,
Pontic, Tsakonian, Sarakatsanian, Maniot, Yevanic

*Dates (beginning with Ancient Greek) from Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. p. 12. ISBN 0310218950. 

Aeolic (pronounced /iːˈɒlɪk/) or Aeolian (/iːˈoʊlɪən/) Greek (also known as Lesbian Greek) is a linguistic term used to describe a set of rather archaic Greek sub-dialects, spoken mainly in Boeotia (a region in Central Greece), in Lesbos (an island close to Asia Minor) and in other Greek colonies.

The Aeolic dialect shows many archaisms, in comparison to the other Greek dialects (i.e. Ionian-Attic, Doric, Northwestern and Arcado-Cypriot), as well as many innovations.

Aeolic Greek is most widely known for being the language of the writings of Sappho and Alcaeus of Mytilene. Aeolic poetry, the most famous example of which being the works of Sappho, mostly uses four classical meters known as the Aeolics, which are: Glyconic (the most basic form of Aeolic line), Hendecasyllabic verse, Sapphic stanza and Alcaic stanza (the latter two so named after Sappho and Alcaeus respectively).

In Protagoras (dialogue) 341c of Plato, Prodicus labelled the Aeolic dialect as barbarian, while referring to Pittacus of Mytilene:[2]

he didn't know to distinguish the words correctly, being from Lesbos, and having been raised with a barbarian dialect

The Aeolic dialect might, in the time of Socrates and Plato, sound so strange to the Athenians, as to be termed, from an exclusive pride in the Attic literary style, barbaros.[3]

Contents

Phonology

Vowels

Proto-Greek long ā remains. ~ Attic-Ionic ē in at least some positions.[4]

Consonants

Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Greek *kʷ → p everywhere. ~ Attic-Ionic, Arcadocypriot, Doric t before e and i.

This treatment of the labiovelar finds its exact counterpart in the P-Celtic languages and in the Sabellic languages.

Indo-European s and a sonorant (r, l, n, m, w, y) → double sonorant (assimilation). ~ Attic-Ionic, Doric compensatory lengthening of previous vowel (single sonorant remains).

PIE VsR or VRs → Attic-Ionic-Doric VVR.
VsR or VRs → Aeolic VRR.[5]

Lesbian Aeolic lost in initial h- (psilosis "stripping") from Proto-Indo-European s- or y-. ~ Ionic sometimes retains it. ~ Attic always retains it.

In Thessalian and Boeotian, the proto-Indo-European (and Proto-Greek) semi-vowel w ("digamma") was retained word-initially, as it was in the Doric dialect

In Boeotian, the vowel-system was, in many cases, changed in a way reminiscent of the modern Greek pronunciation.

Accent

In Lesbian Aeolic, the accent of all words is recessive (barytonesis), as is typical only in the verbs of other dialects.[6]

Morphology

Contracted or vowel-stem verbs that are thematic in Attic-Ionic are often athematic (-mi) in Aeolic.[7]

The same is also found in Irish, where this selection has been generalized, i.e. -im.

Aeolic athematic infinitive active ends in -men or (Lesbian) -menai. ~ Attic-Ionic has -enai.

In the Lesbian dialect this ending also extends to the thematic conjugation, where Attic-Ionic has -ein. All three of these Aeolic endings occur in Homer.

Proto-Greek -ans and -ons → -ais and -ois (first- and second declension accusative plural). ~ Attic-Ionic -ās and -ōs (= -ους).[8][9]

Dative plural -aisi and -oisi. ~ Attic-Ionic -ais and -ois.

The participle has ois and ais for Attic ōs (= ους), ās.[10]

Glossary

Aeolian

Boeotian

Thessalian

References

  1. ↑ Roger D. Woodard (2008), "Greek dialects", in: The Ancient Languages of Europe, ed. R. D. Woodard, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 51.
  2. ↑ Protagoras and Meno by Plato-Greek Text
  3. ↑ James A. Towle, Commentary on Plato: Protagoras 341c
  4. ↑ Smyth, Greek Grammar, par. 30 and note, 31: Attic long e, long a
  5. ↑ V = vowel, R = sonorant, s is itself. VV = long vowel, RR = doubled or long sonorant.
  6. ↑ Smyth, par. 162 note: (Lesbian) Aeolic recessive accent
  7. ↑ Smyth, Greek Grammar, par. 656: contract verbs in Aeolic
  8. ↑ Smyth, par. 214 note 9: first declension in dialects
  9. ↑ Smyth, par. 230 note: second declension in dialects
  10. ↑ Smyth, par. 305 note
  11. ↑ Athenaeus Deipnosophists -9.369
  12. ↑ Boiotia —Anthedon
  13. ↑ Boiotia — Orchomenos — early 1st c. BC
  14. ↑ Krannon — ca. 250-215 BC SEG 23:437, 7
  15. ↑ Selected Papers in Greek and Near Eastern History [1] by David Malcolm Lewis, Peter John Rhodes
  16. ↑ Skotoussa — 197-185 BC SEG 43:311
  17. ↑ Thessalia — Larisa — 220-210 BC - SEG 27:202
  18. ↑ Deipnosophists 14.663-4(pp.1059-1062)
  19. ↑ Magnesia — Demetrias — late 2nd c. BC [2]
Ages of Greek
c. 2000 BC c. 1600–1100 BC c. 800–300 BC c. 300 BC – AD 330 c. 330–1453 since 1453

Proto-Greek

Medieval Greek

See also