Ionian Greek

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Distribution area of ​​the Greek dialects. Ionic in purple.

The Ionic was a dialect of ancient Greek , which the tribe of the Ionians was spoken. The distribution area of ​​the dialect (dark purple on the adjacent map) included the west coast of Asia Minor , the islands of the Aegean Sea , Euboea and the Ionian colonies on the Black Sea and in southern Italy . Within the ancient Greek dialects, the Ionic is closely related to the Attic dialect .

meaning

Homer's artificial language combines an ancient form of Ionic with elements from Aeolian .

The most important representatives of the Ionic literature of the classical period are Herodotus and Hippocrates .

Characteristics

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

Phonology:

  • Original long ᾱ (ā) always becomes η (ē).
    Example: Ionic ἱστορίη (historiē) versus Attic ἱστορίᾱ (historiā)
  • Further differences in vocalism
    Examples: Ionic τρῶμα , ξεῖνος , μοῦνος (trōma, xeinos, mounos) versus Attic τραῦμα , ξένος , μόνος (trauma, xenos, monos)
  • σσ (ss) instead of ττ (tt)
    Example: ionic θάλασσα (thalassa) versus Attic θάλαττα (thalatta)
  • The Proto-Greek Labiovelar / kw / sometimes becomes κ (k) instead of π (p)
    Example: Ionic ὄκως (okōs) versus Attic ὅπως (hopōs)
  • Aspiration is partially absent (slight psilosis)
    Examples: ionic ἴκκος , δέκομαι (ikkos, dekomai) versus Attic ἵππος , δέχομαι (hippos, dechomai)
  • Contraction of vowels can be omitted
    Example: ionic γένεα (genea) versus Attic γένη (genē)

Form theory:

  • Dative plural of the o- and a- declension on - οισι and - ῃσι (-oisi and -ēsi) instead of - οις and - αις (-ois and -ais)
    Examples: Ionic θεοῖσι , γνώμῃσι (theoisi, gnōmēsi) versus Attic θεοῖς , γνώμαις (theois, gnōmais)
  • Special forms of the personal pronoun of the 3rd person singular in the genitive , dative and accusative : ἕο , οἱ , μιν (heo, hoi, min)
  • The Augment (before the verb stem trespassing ἐ ) in the aorist and pluperfect is not mandatory (especially in Homer).
  • Sometimes different verb endings

literature

  • Albert Thumb, Anton Scherer: Handbook of the Greek dialects. Heidelberg 1959.