| Calabrian Greek | |
|---|---|
| Γκρίκο | |
| Native to | Italy |
| Region | Calabria |
| Ethnicity | Grecanici |
Native speakers | c. 2,000 (2010)[1] |
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | Italy
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | aspr1238 Aspromonte |
| Linguasphere | 56-AAA-aib |
| IETF | el-Latn-u-sd-it78 |
 Location map of the Italiot-speaking areasGrecìa Salentina andBovesia | |
Calabrian Greek (endonym:Γκρίκο,Griko; Italian:Grecanico[2]) is the variety ofItaliot Greek used by the ethnicGriko people inCalabria, as opposed tothe Italiot Greek dialect spoken in theGrecìa Salentina. Both are remnants of theAncient andByzantine Greek colonization of the region.
Calabrian Greek is mentioned in theRed Book ofUNESCO on endangered languages,[3] together withGriko. In addition,Euromosaic analyses[4] and recognizes it as being an endangered and minority language in theEuropean Union. It is mentioned byEthnologue as a dialect ofModern Greek[5] in the sense of a modern vernacular language of the Hellenic family (as is the case withPontic andTsakonian Greek).
The use of Calabrian Greek can trace its roots to the ancient colonies ofMagna Graecia. Calabria was once a territory of theByzantine Empire from 536 AD until it was conquered by the Normans in 1071 AD. During Byzantine rule the territory was referred to as theCatepanate of Italy.[6]
Today, Calabrian Greek is spoken in nine towns ofBovesìa includingBova Superiore,Roghudi,Gallicianò,Chorìo di Roghudi,Bova Marina, and the city ofReggio di Calabria, especially in the neighborhoods of San Giorgio Extra and Rione Modena.
Several hundredGriko people continue to speak the Calabrian-Greek dialect in the Arangea and Sbarre neighbourhoods ofReggio Calabria and another small number has been reported inMelito di Porto Salvo, mainly from migration from Roghudi and from Chorìo after the severe floods that occurred there in 1971.[citation needed]
Calabrian Greek has much in common with Modern Standard Greek. With respect to its origins, some philologists[which?] assert that it is derived fromKoine Greek byMedieval Greek, but others assert that it comes directly from Ancient Greek and particularly from theDoric Greek spoken inMagna Graecia, with an independent evolution uninfluenced byKoine Greek.[citation needed]
The evidence is based on archaisms in this language, including the presence of words from Doric Greek but no longer used in Greece (except inTsakonian). 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) becomesgadaro 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 theLatin alphabet, not theGreek alphabet.[7] The Greek consonants θ and χ are spelledth andch as in traditional Latin renderings,k is used for κ, andj represents /j/.
| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Dorsal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | (ɲ) | ||
| Stop | p | t | ɖ | k | |
| Affricate | ts dz | tʃ dʒ | |||
| Fricative | f v | θ ð | s (z) | ʃ | x ɣ |
| Trill | r | ||||
| Approximant | l | (ʎ) | j |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Low | a |
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 associationJalò 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 titleLa Glossa di Bova (Bova's dialect).
Calabrians were well represented inHumanism and in theRenaissance. Indeed, the Greek scholars of that period frequently came fromCalabria, maybe because of the influence of spoken Greek. The rediscovery of Ancient Greek inWestern Christianity 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 ofSeminara:Barlaam,bishop of Gerace, and his disciple,Leonzio Pilato.
Leonzio Pilato, in particular, was an ethnicGreek Calabrian[9][10][11] born nearReggio Calabria. He was an important teacher of Ancient Greek and translator, and he helpedGiovanni Boccaccio in the translations ofHomer's works.
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 andStandard Greek) of world and Calabrian Greek music is held in Bova and other picturesque towns of the area.
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Inspired by the efforts of Rohlfs, a group of university students looked to further increase the exposure of this dialect by publishing a pamphlet entitledLa Ionica. This was the first organised activity aimed at protecting the language.
In 1970, the group established a cultural association namedLa Ionica 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 ofGrecìa Salentina aimed at creating theUGIM (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 ofLa Ionica, other local associations were established, includingZoí ce glossa (Life and language) in Reggio Calabria,Cinurio Cosmó (New World) andJalò tu Vúa in Bova Marina,CUMELCA in Gallicianò and Roghudi andApodiafázi (Dawn) in Bova Superiore.
There are two periodicals in Calabrian Greek:I Riza, which is trilingual (Italian, Calabrian Greek and Modern Greek) and published by theJalò tu Vúa association, andCUMELCA. 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 theRadio Antenna Don Bosco at Bova Marina,Radio San Paolo at Reggio di Calabria andRTM at Mélito di Porto Salvo. The dialect has never been used on television.
The Greek government inAthens, by theAssociazione Internazionale degli Ellenofoni (SFEE) or the International Association of Greek-speakers, has established relations withLa Ionica and has officially invited Calabrian Greeks at the annual meetings they host inGreece. 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 regardingAlbanian, thus promoting bilingualism. In 1993, the region also created anIstituto 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 theAspromonte. 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 theEuropean Community. 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 asJalò tu Vúa but only by the support of the European Community. That association has even worked towards the creation of a Greek Calabrian grammar.
Most significant is the information that around 1350 a Greek from Calabria by the name of Leontius Pilatus spent several years in Crete
Boccaccio persuaded the commune to appoint Leonzio Pilato, a Greek from Calabria, to teach Greek, the first such professorship in western Europe.
Leonzio Pilato, a Calabrian monk of Greek origin, translated the Odyssey and the Iliad into Latin
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