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Aeolic Greek
Aeolian dialect
Lesbian dialect
Lesbic dialect
Αἰολικός
RegionAeolis, Boeotia, Lesbos, Thessaly
Erac. 800–300 BC[citation needed]
Early form
Dialects
  • Boeotian
  • Thessalian
  • Lesbian
Greek alphabet (uncial and cursive forms)
Eastern Archaic Greek alphabet (up to 4th century BC)
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
grc-aeo
Glottologaeol1234
Distribution of Greek dialects in Greece in the classical period.[1]

In linguistics, Aeolic Greek (/iːˈɒlɪk/), also known as Aeolian (/iːˈoʊliən/), Lesbian or Lesbic dialect, is the set of dialects of Ancient Greek spoken mainly in Boeotia; in Thessaly; in the Aegean island of Lesbos; and in the Greek colonies of Aeolis in Anatolia and adjoining islands.

The Aeolic dialect shows many archaisms in comparison to the other Ancient Greek dialects (Arcadocypriot, Attic, Ionic, and Doric varieties), as well as many innovations.

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

In Plato's Protagoras, Prodicus labelled the Aeolic dialect of Pittacus of Mytilene as "barbarian",[2] because of its difference from the Attic literary style:[3] "He didn't know to distinguish the words correctly, being from Lesbos, and having been raised with a barbarian dialect".

Phonology

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Consonants

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Labiovelars

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Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Greek *kʷ changed to Aeolic p everywhere. By contrast, PIE *kʷ changed to Attic/Ionic, Arcadocypriot, and Doric t before e and i.

Similarly PIE/PGk *gʷ always became b and PIE *gʷʰ > PGk *kʰʷ always became ph (whereas in other dialects they became alternating b/d and ph/th before back/front vowels).

Labiovelars were treated the same way in the P-Celtic languages and the Sabellic languages.

Sonorant clusters

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A Proto-Greek consonant cluster with h (from Indo-European *s) and a sonorant (r, l, n, m, w, y) changed to a double sonorant (rr, ll, nn, mm, ww, yy) in Lesbian and Thessalian (sub-dialects of Aeolic) by assimilation. In Attic/Ionic, Doric, and Boeotian Aeolic, the h assimilated to the vowel before the consonant cluster, causing the vowel to lengthen by compensatory lengthening.

PIE VsR or VRs → Attic/Ionic-Doric-Boeotian VVR.
PIE VsR or VRs → Lesbian-Thessalian VRR.[4]

Loss of h

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

Retention of w

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In Thessalian and Boeotian (sub-dialects of Aeolic) and Doric, the Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Greek semi-vowel w (digamma) was retained at the beginning of a word.

Vowels

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Long a

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In Aeolic and Doric, Proto-Greek long ā remains. By contrast, in Attic, long ā changes to long ē in most cases; in Ionic, it changes everywhere.[5]

Compensatory lengthening

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Compensatory lengthening of a, e, o in Lesbian gives ai, ei, oi (in Attic, it would be ā, ei, ou) for example in the accusative plural of a and o stem nouns, or in many 3 Pl verb conjugations.

Boeotian

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

Accent

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

Morphology

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

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

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This glossary may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help clarify the glossary. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Below is a list of several words in the Aeolian dialect, written in the Greek alphabet, along with a transcription in the Latin alphabet. Each word is followed by its meaning and compared to similar words in other ancient Greek dialects. The "notes" section provides additional information, and if applicable, an etymology is given.

Aeolian

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Aeolian lemma Transcription Meaning Correspondence to other Greek dialects Notes
ἀέλιος āélios 'sun' * Doric āélios
* Attic hēlios
* Cretan abelios
* Laconian bela
* Pamphylian babelios		 Derives from PIE *seh₂u-el- 'sun'.[11]
βᾶμα bama * Doric βᾶμα bama
* Attic βῆμα bema 'walking, step'		 Per Beekes, both forms derive from root βῆ-, itself from PIE *gʷeh₂-. Corresponds to Avestan gā-man- 'step, pace'.[12]
βελφιν
Βέλφοι		 belphin
Belphoi		 dolphin
Delphi		 Attic delphis Per Beekes, βέλφινες occurs in Lesbian, while Βελφοί is Aeolic.[13]
βραδινός bradinos 'slender, soft' Attic rhadinos Attested in Sapph. 90,104.[14]
βράκος brakos 'expensive garment' * Homeric ῥάκος rhakos 'rag, shred, wrinkles, remnants'
* ϝράκος wrakos		 Attested in Sapph. 70. Per Beekes, of uncertain etymology.[15]
βρίζα briza 'root' Attic rhiza
βρόδον brodon 'rose' Attic ῥόδον rhodon 'rose' Possible Eastern borrowing (cf. Arm vard 'rose' < Old Iranian *u̯ṛda 'id').[16] Also means vagina metaphorically in Erotic Glossary
δνόφος dnophos 'darkness' Also appears in Ionic; Attic ζόφος zophos Per Beekes, the word "recalls" zóphos, knéphas and pséphas.[17]
Ἐννησιάδες Ennesiades Lesbian Nymphs
ἐπιάλτης
ήπιάλης		 epialtēs
epialēs		 'nightmare' Attic ephialtēs Epialtēs attested in Alcaeus. Cf. Ephialtes, one of the Aloadae.[18]
ἴρον iron 'holy' * Attic ἱερόν hierón
* Doric hiarón
* Ionic hirón		 Derives from PIE *ish₁ro- 'holy'.[19]
κλᾷδες klaides * Doric klaides
* Attic kleides 'bars, bolts, keys'		 Derives from PIE *kleh₂u- 'lock', although Beekes suggests the original meaning must have been 'nail, pin, hook', as in, instruments to lock a door.[20]
μέσσυϊ
μέσσος		 messui
messos		 * Attic ἐν μέσῳ 'in the middle'
* Cret./Boet. μέττος		 Identical to Sanskrit mádhya-, Latin medius, Gothic midjis, all from PIE *médʰ-io- 'in the middle'.[21]
πέμπε pempe 'five' * Attic πέντε pente
* Pamphylian πέ(ν)δε pede		 From PIE *pénkʷe 'five'.[22]
πέσδος pésdos 'pedestrian', 'infantry' (as a collective) Attic πεζός pezós Per Beekes, formally identical to Sanskrit pád-ya 'regarding the foot' < PIE *ped-i̯o-.[23]
πέσσον pesson 'plain' * Attic πεδίον pedion 'surface, plain, field'
* Cypriot πεδίjα 'plain'.		 From PIE *ped- 'foot'.[24]
πέσσυρες pessyres 'four' * Lesbian πίσυρες pisyres
* Boeotian πέτταρες pettares
* Attic τέσσαρες tessares
* Doric tetores		 Derives from PIE *kʷetuer- 'four'.[25]
ξέννος xennos 'foreigner, guest-friend, strange' Attic xenos; Ionic xeinos Beekes supposes it could be Pre-Greek.[26]
στρότος strótos 'army, troop' Attic στρατός stratós Per Beekes, exact correspondence to Sanskrit str̩ta- 'thrown down', Avestan stərəta- 'spread out'.[27]
ὔσδος usdos 'branch, twig, bough, offshoot' Attic ozos 'twig, branch' Derives from PIE *h₃esdo- > *Hosdo-.[28]
φηρία phēria 'wild animal' Attic θηρία thēria 'beasts' Derives from PIE *ǵʰueh₁r-.[29]
Ψάπφω Psapphō Attic Σαπφώ Sapphō

Boeotian

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Boeotian lemma Transcription Meaning Correspondence to other Greek dialects Notes
ἄας
ἀεστητόν		 aas
aestēton		 'tomorrow' Attic αὔριον aurion cf. Attic ēōs 'dawn'
βανά
βανῆκες		 bana
banēkes		 'woman'
'women' (pl.)		 Attic gunē
Attic gunaikes		 Derived from PIE *gʷḗn-h₂.[30]
Δεύς Deus Zeus Also attested in:
* Laconian Δεύς Deús
* Rhodian Δεύς Deús		 Derived from PIE *Dyeus ('sky-god').[31]
γάδου
ϝάδου		 gadou
wadou		 'sweet, pleasant' * Attic ἡδύ hēdú 'sweet, tasteful, pleasant, pleasing' Attested in Corinna.17. Derived from PIE *sueh₂d-ú- 'sweet'.[32]
κᾶρουξ karoux[33] * Attic κήρυξ kēryx 'herald, messenger'
* Doric κᾶρυξ káryx		 Per Beekes, probably Pre-Greek.[34]

Thessalian

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Thessalian lemma Transcription Meaning Correspondence to other Greek dialects Notes
Ἄπλουν Aploun Apollo (Olympic deity; brother to Artemis) * Attic Ἀπόλλων Apollōn
* Doric/Pamphylian Ἀπέλο̄ν Apelon		 [37]
δάμοσσος dámossos public Attic dēmósios See iddioûstikos below.
δέσποινα despoina 'woman' Feminine form of despotes. In Attic gunē, in Doric guna mean 'woman'. See also Despoina.
ἰδδιούστικος iddioûstikos privative Attic idiōtikós[38][39]
κίς kis 'who, anyone' * Attic tis
* Laconian tir
* Arcadocypriot sis		 Derived from PIE *kʷi- (interrogative/relative pronoun).[40]
κῦῤῥος kyrrhos or kyrros 'sir, master' Attic kyrios
Μακετοὺν Maketoun[41] 'Macedonian man' Attic Μακεδών Makedōn 'id' Thessalian suffix -ουν '-oun' parallels Attic suffix ων ōn in both nominative and genitive of participles, pronouns and nouns.
ματτύη mattuē a meat-dessert of Macedonian or Thessalian origin (in Athenaeus)[42] Cf. Macedonian mattuēs 'a kind of bird'.
Πέτθαλος
Πεθθάλειος		 Pétthalos 'Thessalian man' * Boeotian Φέτταλος Phéttalos
* Attic Θετταλός Thettalós
* Ionic/Koine Θεσσαλός Thessalós 'id'		 [43] Per Beekes, a Pre-Greek word derived from *Kʷettʸal-.[44]

See also

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Footnotes

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  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 by Plato - Greek text
  3. ^ James A. Towle, Commentary on Plato: Protagoras 341c
  4. ^ V = vowel, R = sonorant, s is itself. VV = long vowel, RR = doubled or long sonorant.
  5. ^ Smyth, Greek Grammar, par. 30 and note, 31: Attic long e, long a
  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. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 516
  12. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 1289–1290
  13. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 313–314
  14. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1270
  15. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1273
  16. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 1289–1290
  17. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 343–344
  18. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 487
  19. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 580
  20. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 711–712
  21. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 935
  22. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 1172–1173
  23. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1161
  24. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 1160–1161
  25. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1471
  26. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1034
  27. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 1411–1412
  28. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1050
  29. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 547
  30. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 291–292
  31. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 498
  32. ^ Beekes 2009, pp. 509–510
  33. ^ Boiotia — Orchomenos — early 1st century BC
  34. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 690
  35. ^ Athenaeus Deipnosophists -9.369
  36. ^ Boiotia —Anthedon
  37. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 118
  38. ^ Selected Papers in Greek and Near Eastern History [1] by David Malcolm Lewis, Peter John Rhodes
  39. ^ Skotoussa — 197-185 BC SEG 43:311
  40. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 1487
  41. ^ Thessalia — Larisa — 220-210 BC - SEG 27:202
  42. ^ Deipnosophists 14.663-4 (pp.1059-1062)
  43. ^ Scarborough 2023a, p. 76
  44. ^ Beekes 2009, p. 544
  45. ^ Krannon — c. 250 - 215 BC SEG 23:437, 7
  46. ^ Magnesia — Demetrias — late 2nd century BC [2]

General references

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Further reading

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Library resources about
Aeolic Greek

General studies

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On the Boeotian dialect

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On the Lesbian dialect

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On the Thessalian dialect

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