Aeolian Greek

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Greek dialects around 400 BC Chr.
Aeolian dialects in yellow.

The Aeolian (also Aeolic ) is an ancient Greek dialect of the tribe of aeolians was spoken. The distribution area of ​​the dialect included Boeotia , Thessaly , the west coast of Asia Minor and the island of Lesbos . In Boeotia and Thessaly, Aeolian was heavily influenced by the neighboring Western Greek dialects. Of the ancient Greek dialects, Aeolian is the most ancient.

Aeolian is literarily significant through the poems of Sappho and Alkaios . Homer's language, which is largely based on Ionic, also contains Aeolian elements.

Characteristics

The main differences between Aeolian and Attic , the classical form of ancient Greek:

  • Original long ᾱ (ā) is always retained.
    Example: Aeolian μάτηρ mātēr versus Attic μήτηρ mētēr
  • Preservation of the [ w ] sound ( Digamma )
    Example: Aeolian ϝοῖκος woíkos versus Attic οἶκος oíkos
  • There is no aspiration (slight psilosis)
    Examples: Aeolian ἀέλιος āélios versus Attic ἥλιος hēlios
  • The proto-Greek Labiovelar / kʷ / becomes π p instead of τ t
    Example: Aeolian πίς pis versus Attic τίς tis
  • In the sequence -νς - ns replacement stretching to οι and αι oi and ai instead of ου and ᾱ ou and ā
    example: aiolic λύοισι lýoisi and παῖσα paῖsa compared to Attic λύουσι lýousi and πᾶσα pā́sa . Originated from * πάνσα * pánsa and * λύονσι * lýonsi .
  • Doubling of the consonant instead of equivalent stretching
    Example: aeolian ἐμμί emmí versus Attic εἰμί eimí . Both from * ἐσμί * esmí .
  • Avoidance of the final emphasis
    Example: Aeolian πόταμος pótamos versus Attic ποταμός potamós
  • The athematic conjugation on -μι - mi is more common.
    Example: Aeolian φίλημι phílēmi versus Attic φιλέω philéō
  • Infinitive ending in -μεν - men instead of -ειν - an
    example: Aeolian ἀγέμεν agémen versus Attic ἄγειν ágein

literature

  • Albert Thumb, Anton Scherer: Handbook of Greek Dialects, Volume II. Heidelberg 1959 (v. A. Pages 1–109).
  • Wolfgang Blümel: The Aiolic dialects. Phonology and morphology of the inscribed texts from a generative point of view. Göttingen 1982.
  • José L. García-Ramòn: Les origines postmycéniennes du groupe dialectal éolien. Salamanca 1975.