Greek-Calabrian dialect
The Greek-Calabrian (also: Greek-Bovesian ) dialect is a modern Greek dialect (today strongly influenced by the Italian language). It is spoken in Calabria while the second Italian-Greek language is spoken in Grecìa Salentina . Both languages are regularly referred to as Italian Greek (Katoitaliótika), Grecan or Griko . However, they are two different forms of language with different origins.
Greco-Calabrian is listed in the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages , along with Grecan. Also Euro Mosaic is concerned with and recognizes them as a threatened minority language within the European Union on.
It is also mentioned in the Ethnologue as a dialect of Modern Greek . This conclusion drawn by the Ethnologue is somewhat doubtful, as this language shows a development from medieval Byzantine Greek (or even from ancient Greek ) that runs parallel and separately to Modern Greek . It can therefore be more closely related to modern Greek.
This type of Greek has never seen a period of extensive expansion in its history. It was only used in everyday communication without it being able to play a significant role in administration, literature or church affairs. Taken together, the classification of Greco-Calabrian as a dialect and not as a language seems to be associated less with a lack of distinctive characteristics than with a lack of prestige.
distribution
Spread in the past
This language was spoken throughout southern Calabria well into the 15th and 16th centuries when it was slowly replaced by the Romance dialect ( Calabrian ). However, there are still influences of Greco-Calabrian in the grammar and in large parts of the vocabulary. During the rule of the Anjou , the Greek language was spoken in a large area between Seminara , Taurianova , the Mésima valley and the Poro plateau . A brief historical overview shows the progressive disappearance of the Greek dialect in various Calabrian areas since the 16th century.
By the middle of the 16th century, this language had disappeared in the Petrace area , especially in the high valleys of Diverso and Tasi . During the following centuries there was also a push back in some valleys on the west side of the Aspromonte on the Strait of Messina , such as in the Catona and Gàllico valleys.
During the 19th century the language was lost in some localities, such as B. Pentedattilo , Africo , Brancaleone , Motta San Giovanni , Montebello , San Lorenzo , on the coast of the Jonian Sea near Aspromonte.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the decline expanded to the cities of Palizzi , Staiti , Cardeto , Roccaforte del Greco , Amendolea and Condofuri .
Oppression by fascism
During the fascist period in Italy, linguistic minorities were severely prevented from using their mother tongue. This also had an impact on Greek Calabrian. During the 1930s, the phrase “you appear to be a Greek” became popular when referring to a particularly stupid person. The dialect was soon seen by its native speakers as a symbol of cultural retardation, and teachers punished their students for using the "foreign" language in school.
Current distribution
Today, Greek Calabrian is spoken in nine cities in the Bovesìa region, including Bova , Roghudi , Gallicianò , as well as Chorìo di Roghudi , Bova Marina , and the city of Reggio Calabria in San Giorgio Extra's and in the vicinity of Rione Modena.
Several hundred speakers are known in Arangea and Sbarre near Reggio Calabria and a small number in Melito di Porto Salvo , especially due to immigration from Roghudi and Chorìo after the floods of 1971.
About 2000 people speak and understand the language, of which only about 50% are younger than 35, despite all the efforts of the cultural associations and the administration.
In Bova today many people prefer studying Modern Greek to Greek Calabrian.
Characteristics
This language has a lot in common with modern Greek. When speaking of its origin, some philologists emphasize that it is a descendant of medieval Greek, while others claim that it is derived directly from ancient Greek, in particular Doric Greek, which was spoken in Magna Graecia and which had an independent development, merely influenced it through medieval Greek.
Evidence for this are archaisms of this language, which uses words from Doric Greek, which are not used in Greece. It also has a number of distinctive characteristics compared to modern Greek. So z. B. in many cases the ending "s" of many words is lost (for example gaidaros ("donkey") becomes gadaro in Greek-Calabrian). There is also no future tense, the grammatical requirements are met by using the present tense.
An important feature is the use of the Latin alphabet instead of the Greek .
literature
Literature is rare and consists of poetry, local history or calendars, often in three languages (Italian, Greek-Calabrian, modern Greek). Unfortunately, the lack of linguistic authorities and the absence of literature penalized this language, as it was mainly used in rural settings and by shepherds.
In the 1970s, the Jalò tu Vúa association initiated a research group to establish methodological standards for teaching Greek-Calabrian and to draft school grammar. The municipality of Bova published this as a booklet in 1979 under the title La Glossa di Bova .
Roots of humanism
It is important to emphasize the presence of the Calabrians in humanism and in the Renaissance . In fact, the Hellenists of this time often came from Calabria , possibly due to the strong Greek influence. Rediscovering ancient Greek was particularly difficult as this language was all but forgotten. During this time the presence of Calabrian humanists and refugees from Constantinople was fundamental.
The study of ancient Greek during this period was mainly the work of two monks from the Monastery of Seminara : Barlaam , Bishop of Gerace , and his pupil, Leonzio Pilato .
Leonzio Pilato , in particular, was probably a Greek Calabrian, born near Reggio Calabria . He was an important teacher of ancient Greek and a translator, and he helped Giovanni Boccaccio translate Homer's works .
music
The Greco-Calabrian has no separate musical tradition. However, today there are a number of local folklore groups using this dialect.
An annual festival of Greek-Calabrian music is held in Bova Marina.
Current situation
Rediscovery
Over time, the Greek Calabrians became a forgotten people in Italy and Europe. Its existence was unknown even to the people and government of Greece. Their rediscovery, or at least the increased awareness of their existence, is owed to the German philologist Gerhard Rohlfs , who made a great contribution to our knowledge of the Greek Calabrians.
Cultural associations
Inspired by the efforts of Rohlfs, a group of students tried to spread the language by publishing a leaflet called La Ionica . This was the first organized attempt to protect language.
In 1970 this group founded a cultural association called La Ionica and the leaflet became a newspaper, which printed poetry and prose in both Italian and Greco-Calabrian. This association also made contact with Greek-speaking people from Grecìa Salentina with the aim of founding a "Union of the Greeks of Southern Italy". The aim should be the common protection of the bilingualism of the region and the demand for formal state recognition, such as bilingual traffic signs.
Following the example of La Ionica , other local associations were founded Zoí ce glossa (life and language) in Reggio di Calabria, Cinurio Cosmó (New World) and Jalò tu Vúa in Bova Marina, CUMELCA in Gallicianò and Roghudi and Apodiafázi (dawn) in Bova Superior.
Mass media
There are two Greek Calabrian newspapers: I Riza (trilingual / Italian, Greek Calabrian, Modern Greek), published by Jalò tu Vúa , three copies per year; and CUMELCA , a quarterly newspaper that actually only appears at irregular intervals. Both newspapers receive financial support from the regional authorities.
There are currently no radio stations broadcasting in Greek-Calabrian. This is mainly related to the crisis affecting local commercial broadcasters. During the boom phase of local radio between 1977 and 1984 , several radio stations broadcast in this language, including Radio Antenna Don Bosco in Bova Marina, Radio San Paolo in Reggio di Calabria and RTM in Mélito di Porto Salvo.
Greek Calabrian has not yet been used on television.
Education and awareness raising
The Greek government in Athens has established relations with “La Ionica” through the Associazione Internazionale degli Ellenofoni (SFEE) (International Association of Hellenophones) and officially invited the Greek Calabrians to the annual meetings it organizes in Greece. Apart from that, “La Ionica” receives little support from state and public institutions. An awareness of the problem has only arisen in recent years.
The region of Calabria encourages the teaching of the language in schools, as well as that of Albanian , thus promoting bilingualism. In 1993 the region established an Istituto Regionale Superiore di Studi Ellenofoni (Regional Institute for Higher Hellenophone Studies) with its seat in Bova Marina.
Despite initial activities, the program has not made much progress, especially due to a lack of qualified teaching staff. The administration is also not sufficiently aware of the fact of bilingualism. The progress is very little, so currently only the two cities Bova and Bova Marina have bilingual street signs.
Criticisms
The gradual decline in the use of Greek Calabrian is closely related to the popular belief that it is just a dialect - in other words, an expression of the lower class, typical of rural and uneducated population groups. The lack of language levels (e.g. use outside of the family space) is another obstacle to its survival.
The language could be preserved as long as the population lived isolated in the mountain areas of the Aspromonte . After a large part of the population has left these areas, the younger generation has only a rough basic knowledge of the language. Improved educational standards encourage the use of other languages such as Italian itself in everyday life.
Educational activities have their limits, even when supported by local administration and legislation promoting Greek in schools and universities. There are not enough teachers with adequate knowledge of Greek Calabrian available to teach. Initial activities have focused on the initiatives of local cultural associations, funded by the local government.
Classes in schools are not bilingual. In fact, thanks to financial support from the regional government and the European Union, an additional elective was offered at primary school level. School numbers have remained low.
There are no classes available at secondary schools where language teaching would be particularly useful and practicable. Cultural associations offer courses as part of adult education.
The biggest problem is the limited language skills of the teaching staff, for whom bilingualism is not a mandatory element of their qualification. Some cultural associations such as Jalo tu Vúa offer further training opportunities for university graduates , but only thanks to the support of the European Union. This association is also working towards the creation of a Greek-Calabrian grammar.
Despite everything, young people's interest in modern Greek is growing at the expense of the Greek-Calabrian language.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Tapani salt mines : UNESCO RED BOOK ON ENDANGERED LANGUAGES: EUROPE. Retrieved June 13, 2014 .
- ^ Greek (Griko) in Italy. Institut de Sociolingüística Catalana, accessed June 13, 2014 .
- ↑ Greek. SIL International Publications, accessed June 13, 2014 .