Calabrian Greek (

endonym An endonym (also known as autonym ) is a common, name for a group of people, individual person, geographical place, language, or dialect, meaning that it is used inside a particular group or linguistic community to identify or designate them ...

: , ; In Salento e Calabria le voci della minoranza linguistica greca
. F. Violi, ''Lessico Grecanico-Italiano-Grecanico'', Apodiafàzzi,

Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria (; ), commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the List of cities in Italy, largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. As ...

, 1997. Paolo Martino, ''L'isola grecanica dell'Aspromonte. Aspetti sociolinguistici'', 1980. Risultati di un'inchiesta del 1977 Filippo Violi, ''Storia degli studi e della letteratura popolare grecanica'', C.S.E. Bova ( RC), 1992. Filippo Condemi, ''Grammatica Grecanica'', Coop. Contezza,

, 1987. Artuso, R. 1999. Roghudi e Ghorio, Una fetta di mondo grecanico. Roghudi (RC): Comune di Roghudi. Crupi, P. 1982. Roghudi, Un'isola grecanica asportata. Cosenza: Pellegrini Editore. Martino, P. 1980. "L'isola grecanica dell'Aspromonte. Aspetti sociolinguistici". Atti dell'XI Congresso Internazionale di Studi (Cagliari 27–30 maggio 1977), a cura di F. A. Leoni, 305–341. Roma: Bulzoni. Martino, P. 1979. L'isola grecanica dell'Aspromonte. Aspetti sociolinguistici. In Albano Leoni, F. (ed.). 1979. I Dialetti e le Lingue delle Minoranze di Fronte all'Italiano. Roma: Bulzoni. Violi, F. 1992. Storia degli studi e della letteratura popolare grecanica, Bova (RC): C.S.E.) is the variety of

Italiot Greek Italiot Greek, also known as Italic-Greek, Salentino-Calabrian Greek or Apulia-Calabrian Greek, is a pair of varieties of Modern Greek spoken in Italy by the Griko people. The Italiot Greek varieties are spoken in areas of southern Italy, a his ...

used by the ethnic Griko people in

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

, as opposed to the Italiot Greek dialect spoken in the

Grecìa Salentina Grecìa Salentina (Griko for "Salento, Salentine Greece") is an area in the peninsula of Salento in southern Italy, near the town of Lecce which is inhabited by the Griko people, an ethnic Greek people, Greek minority in southern Italy who spea ...

. Both are remnants of the

Ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...

and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

Greek colonization of the region. Calabrian Greek is mentioned in the ''Red Book'' of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

on endangered languages, together with

Griko Griko (endonym: /), sometimes spelled Grico, is one of the two dialects of Italiot Greek (the other being Calabrian Greek or ), spoken by Griko people in Salento, province of Lecce, Italy. Some Greek linguists consider it to be a Modern Greek ...

. In addition, ''Euromosaic'' analyses and recognizes it as being an endangered and minority language in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. It is mentioned by

Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It w ...

as a dialect of

Modern Greek Modern Greek (, or , ), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the language sometimes referred to ...

in the sense of a modern vernacular language of the Hellenic family (as is the case with Pontic and Tsakonian Greek).

History

The use of Calabrian Greek can trace its roots to the ancient colonies of

Magna Graecia Magna Graecia refers to the Greek-speaking areas of southern Italy, encompassing the modern Regions of Italy, Italian regions of Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Campania, and Sicily. These regions were Greek colonisation, extensively settled by G ...

. Calabria was once a territory of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

from 536 AD until it was conquered by the Normans in 1071 AD. During Byzantine rule the territory was referred to as the Catepanate of Italy.

Distribution

Today, Calabrian Greek is spoken in nine towns of Bovesìa including Bova Superiore,

Roghudi Roghudi (, or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italy, Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about southeast of Reggio Calabria. It consists of two main centers separa ...

, Gallicianò, Chorìo di Roghudi, Bova Marina, and the city of

Reggio di Calabria Reggio di Calabria (; ), commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. As of 2025, it has 168,572 ...

, especially in the neighborhoods of San Giorgio Extra and Rione Modena. Several hundred Griko people continue to speak the Calabrian-Greek dialect in the Arangea and Sbarre neighbourhoods of

and another small number has been reported in

Melito di Porto Salvo Melito di Porto Salvo (; or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about southeast of Reggio Calabria; and is also the southernmost m ...

, mainly from migration from Roghudi and from Chorìo after the severe floods that occurred there in 1971.

Characteristics

Calabrian Greek has much in common with Modern Standard Greek. With respect to its origins, some philologists assert that it is derived from

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

Medieval Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the ...

, but others assert that it comes directly from Ancient Greek and particularly from the

Doric Greek Doric or Dorian (), also known as West Greek, was a group of Ancient Greek dialects; its Variety (linguistics), varieties are divided into the Doric proper and Northwest Doric subgroups. Doric was spoken in a vast area, including northern Greec ...

spoken in

, with an independent evolution uninfluenced by

. The evidence is based on archaisms in this language, including the presence of words from Doric Greek but no longer used in Greece (except in Tsakonian). There are also quite a few distinctive characteristics in comparison with Standard Modern Greek. For example, in many cases, the final "-s" in most words has been lost (i.e. ''gaidaros'' (donkey) becomes ''gadaro'' in Calabrian Greek). Moreover, a future tense does not exist in this dialect; it is replaced by the present tense. Speakers write the language using the

Latin alphabet The Latin alphabet, also known as the Roman alphabet, is the collection of letters originally used by the Ancient Rome, ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered except several letters splitting—i.e. from , and from � ...

, not the

Greek alphabet The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BC. It was derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and is the earliest known alphabetic script to systematically write vowels as wel ...

. The Greek consonants θ and χ are spelled ''th'' and ''ch'' as in traditional Latin renderings, ''k'' is used for κ, and ''j'' represents /j/.

Phonology

Consonants

* Sounds /n, l/ may be heard as palatal �, ʎsounds when preceding /i/ in /CiV/ positions. * Velar sounds /k, x, ɣ/ can be heard as palatal , ç, jwhen preceding front vowels /i, e/. * /ð/ can also be heard as ̪in free variation in initial positions. * /s/ may be heard as voiced when before a voiced consonant. * /r/ may be heard as retroflex �when within the consonant sequences /tr, tːr/, which can be heard as �ɽ, ʈːɽ * Nasal+stop clusters may occur and are heard as ��b, ⁿd, ᵑɡ * Stop sounds /p, t, ts, k/ may also occur as aspirated as ʰ, tʰ, tsʰ, kʰand sounds /s, ʃ, v, ɣ, m, n, l, r/ may also occur as geminated ː, ʃː, vː, ɣː, mː, nː, lː, rː

Vowels

* /i/ can be heard as a glide when following consonants and preceding other vowels in /CiV/ positions.

Literature

The literature is scarce and consists of books of poetry, local history or calendars, frequently in three languages (Italian, Calabrian Greek and Modern Greek). In the absence of a linguistic authority, in the late 1970s, the association ''Jalò tu Vúa'' initiated a research group to set up methodological standards to teach Calabrian Greek and draft a grammar for the schools. The commune of Bova published it as pamphlet in 1979 with the title ''La Glossa di Bova'' (''Bova's dialect'').

Role in humanism

Calabrians were well represented in

Humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...

and in the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

. Indeed, the Greek scholars of that period frequently came from

, maybe because of the influence of spoken Greek. The rediscovery of Ancient Greek in

Western Christianity Western Christianity is one of two subdivisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Protestantism, Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the O ...

was very difficult because this language had been almost forgotten. The presence of Calabrian humanists as well as refugees from Constantinople was essential. The study of Ancient Greek was mainly a work of two monks of the monastery of Seminara: Barlaam, bishop of Gerace, and his disciple, Leonzio Pilato. Leonzio Pilato, in particular, was an ethnic

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

Calabrian born near

. He was an important teacher of Ancient Greek and translator, and he helped

Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio ( , ; ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian people, Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanism, Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so ...

in the translations of

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

's works.

Music

Calabrian Greek has never had a broad tradition in music, but there are a number of local folk groups that sing in this dialect. An annual festival called "Palea riza" ("Ancient Root" in both Calabrian and Standard Greek) of world and Calabrian Greek music is held in Bova and other picturesque towns of the area.

Current status

Cultural associations

Inspired by the efforts of Rohlfs, a group of university students looked to further increase the exposure of this dialect by publishing a pamphlet entitled . This was the first organised activity aimed at protecting the language. In 1970, the group established a cultural association named and the pamphlet became a magazine, which contained poetry and prose in both Italian and in Greek Calabrian. The same association established contacts with Greek speakers of aimed at creating the (Union of Greeks of South Italy) to protect the region's bilingualism jointly and to demand formal state recognition in such areas, such as bilingual road signs. Following the example of , other local associations were established, including (Life and language) in Reggio Calabria, (New World) and in Bova Marina, '' CUMELCA'' in Gallicianò and Roghudi and (Dawn) in Bova Superiore.

Mass media

There are two periodicals in Calabrian Greek: ''I Riza'', which is trilingual (Italian, Calabrian Greek and Modern Greek) and published by the ''Jalò tu Vúa'' association, and ''CUMELCA''. The former is a four-monthly publication, and the latter is supposed to be published every three months but is irregular. The region gives some financial aid to support the publications. No radio stations broadcast in Calabrian Greek, mostly because of the crisis of the local private radio stations. Between 1977 and 1984, coinciding with the boom in local stations, some stations aired programs in this language. Among them were the ''Radio Antenna Don Bosco'' at Bova Marina, ''Radio San Paolo'' at Reggio di Calabria and ''RTM'' at Mélito di Porto Salvo. The dialect has never been used on television.

Education and raising awareness

The Greek government in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, by the ''Associazione Internazionale degli Ellenofoni'' (SFEE) or the International Association of Greek-speakers, has established relations with ''La Ionica'' and has officially invited Calabrian Greeks at the annual meetings they host in

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. Apart from that, ''La Ionica'' has not been well supported by government public institutions; awareness of this problem has really surfaced in only the last few years. The region of Calabria has encouraged the education of the dialect in schools, along with what already happens regarding Albanian, thus promoting bilingualism. In 1993, the region also created an ''Istituto Regionale Superiore di Studi Ellenofoni'' (Regional Institute of Advanced Hellenophonic Studies), based in Bova Marina. Despite the initial activity, the program has not made many advances because of the lack of qualified teachers and the fact that bilingualism is not present in administration. The improvements are very small and at the moment, for example, only the towns of Bova and Bova Marina have bilingual street signs. The gradual decline in the use of Greek Calabrian is mainly from the population viewing it as nothing more than a dialect, a form of expression of the lower classes that is typical of rural and/or illiterate peoples. The lack of linguistic registers (use in environments other than at a familiar level) is a further impediment to its survival. The language was preserved while the population remained isolated in the mountains of the

Aspromonte The Aspromonte is a mountain massif in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria (Calabria, southern Italy). In Italian aspro means "rough" whereas in Greek it means "white" (wikt:άσπρος, Άσπρος), therefore the name literally translat ...

. Following the migrations from the zones of the bulk of the population, the younger generations of today have only a very basic knowledge of the language. Also, improved education standards encourage the use of other languages, such as Italian, even on a day-to-day basis. Activity in the area of education, even if it is supported by local administration and legislation in promoting the presence of Greek in the classroom and in universities, is limited because lecturers and tutors with an adequate knowledge of Greek Calabrian are not available to offer courses. Initial activity has been limited to the initiatives of cultural groups at a local level, with the financial support of the odd local council. The teaching of the language in schools has not followed a bilingual format but has been offered more as an optional subject at primary school level, thanks to the financial support of the regional government and the

European Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

. Student numbers have remained quite low. The teaching of the language is completely absent at the secondary school level. Still, the cultural associations offer courses aimed at adults. Thus, the biggest problem remains the limited knowledge of the language on the part of the teaching fraternity for which bilingualism is not a mandatory element of their qualification. Some further education of such graduates is offered by the odd cultural association such as ''Jalò tu Vúa'' but only by the support of the European Community. That association has even worked towards the creation of a Greek Calabrian grammar.

References

External links

Leonzio Pilato's BiographyRindinedda, traditional Griko song
{{Greek language Varieties of Modern Greek Languages of Calabria Magna Graecia Greece–Italy relations Endangered Indo-European languages