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DORIC GREEK

Distribution of Greek dialects, ca. 400 BC. Doric is marked in red, North-Western Greek in orange.
Distribution of Greek dialects, ca. 400 BC. Doric is marked in red, North-Western Greek in orange.
For the modern Doric dialect of Scotland, see Doric dialect (Scotland)

Doric Greek is an ancient Greek dialect; it was likely introduced to mainland Greece from the Balkans during the Dorian invasion (circa 1150 BC), and in classical times it was spoken in large parts of the Peloponnese, plus Crete and Rhodes.

Doric Greek is divided in various local variants, e.g. Laconian, Corinthian, Cretan etc. They are known primarily from inscriptions. The lyric poets (Pindar, Bacchylides, Alcman) use a poetic language which is influenced by certain Doric features. The Syracusan comedy (Sophron, Epicharmus)and the Alexandrine poets (Theocritus, Callimachus) use artificial forms of Doric vernaculars.

The dialects formerly known as North-Western Greek (in Delphi, Locri and Acarnania) are now considered a part of Doric Greek. They differ from the other Doric dialects in two features: dative plural of the third declension in -οις (-ois) (instead of -σι (-si)) and ἐν (en) + accusative (instead of εἰς (eis)).

Tsakonian Greek, a descendant of Doric Greek, is still spoken by some on the southern Argolid coast of the Pelopponese in the modern prefecture of Arcadia , and is a source of considerable interest to linguists.

Differences between Doric and Attic/Koine

Vocalism

  1. Preservation of long ā (α) where Attic/Koine change it to long open ē (η), as in γᾶ μάτηρ (gā mātēr) "earth mother" — Attic/Koine γῆ μήτηρ (gē mētēr).
  2. Contraction ae > η (ē) instead of Attic/Koine ᾱ (ā).
  3. Original eo, ea > ιο, ια (io, ia) in certain Doric dialects.
  4. Certain Doric dialects ("severe Doric") have η, ω (ē, ō) for the "spurious diphthongs" Attic/Koine ει, ου (ei, ou) (i.e. secondary long ē, ō due to contraction or compensatory lengthening. The most prominent examples are genitive singular in -ω (-ō) = -ου (-ou), accusative plural in -ως (-ōs) = -ους (-ous) and the infinitive in -ην (-ēn) = -ειν (-ein).
  5. Short α (a) = Attic/Koine ε in certain words: ἱαρός (hiaros), Ἄρταμις ('*Artamis), γα (ga), αἰ (ai)

Consonantism

  1. Preservation of -τι (-ti) where Attic/Koine have -σι (-si). The most prominent examples are: 1) third person singular of the μι-verbs -ti: e.g. φατί (phāti) — Attic/Koine φησί(ν) (phēsi(n)); 2) third person plural of the present and the subjunctive -nti: e.g. λέγoντι (legonti) — Attic/Koine λέγουσι(ν) (legousi(n)); 3) "twenty" Fίκατι (wīkati) — Attic/Koine εἴκοσι(ν) (eikosi(n)); and 4) the hundreds in -katioi: e.g. τριακάτιοι (triākatioi) — Attic/Koine τριακόσιοι (triākosioi).
  2. Preservation of double -σσ- (-ss-) before a vowel where Attic/Koine have -σ- (-s-), e.g. μέσσος (messos) before a vowel where Attic/Koine have μέσος (mesos).
  3. Preservation of initial w (F) which is lost in Attic/Koine. E.g. Fοῖκος (woikos) — Attic/Koine οἶκος (oikos). The literary text in Doric and the inscriptions from the Hellenistic age have no digamma.
  4. ξ (x) in the aorists and futures of verbs ending in -ίζω, -άζω (-izō, -azō) where Attic/Koine have σ (s). E.g. ἀγωνίξατο (agōnisato) — Attic/Koine ἀγωνίσατο (agōnisato). Similarly κ (k) before suffixes beginning with t.

Morphology

  1. The numeral τέτορες (tetores) "four" instead of Attic/Koine τέτταρες (τέσσαρες) (tettares (tessares)).
  2. The numeral πρᾶτος (prātos) "first" instead of Attic/Koine πρῶτος (prōtos).
  3. The demonstrative pronoun τῆνος (tēnos) "this" instead of Attic/Koine (ἐ)κεῖνος ((e)keinos)
  4. Nominative plural of the article and the demonstrative pronoun τοί (toi), ταί (tai), τοῦτοι (toutoi), ταῦται (tautai) instead of Attic/Koine οἱ (hoi), αἱ (hai), οὗτοι (houtoi), αὗται (hautai)
  5. The ending of the third person plural of the athematic ("root") preterite is -n, not -san, e.g. ἔδον (edon) — Attic/Koine ἔδοσαν (edosan)
  6. First person plural in -μες where Attic/Koine have -μεν.
  7. Future in -σε-ω (-se-ō) instead of Attic/Koine -σ-ω (-s-ō), e.g. πραξῆται (prāxētai) instead of Attic/Koine πράξεται (prāxetai).
  8. Modal particle κα (ka) instead of Attic/Koine ἄν (an). NB Doric αἴ κα, αἰ δέ κα, αἰ τίς κα (ai ka, ai de ka, ai tis ka) = Attic/Koine ἐάν (ἄν), ἐὰν δέ (ἂν δέ), ἐάν τις (ἄν τις) ((e)an, (e)an de, (e)an tis).
  9. Temporal adverbs in -κα (-ka) instead of Attic/Koine -τε (-te): ὄκα (hoka), τόκα (toka).
  10. Local adverbs in -ει (-ei) instead of Attic/Koine -ου (-ou): τεῖδε (teide), πεῖ (pei).

Special words

  1. λέω (λείω) (le(i)ō) "will"; δράω (draō) "do", πάομαι (paomai) = κτάομαι (ktaomai) "acquire"
History of the
Greek language
(see also: Greek alphabet)
Proto-Greek (c. 2000 BC)
Mycenaean (c. 1600–1100 BC)
History of the Greek language
Ancient Greek (c. 800–300 BC)
Dialects:
Aeolic, Arcadocypriot, Attic-Ionic,
Doric, Pamphylian; Homeric Greek.
Possible dialect: Macedonian.
Koine Greek (from c. 300 BC)
Medieval Greek (c. 330–1453)
Modern Greek (from 1453)
Dialects:
Cappadocian, Cypriot,
Demotic, Griko, Katharevousa,
Pontic, Tsakonian, Yevanic

See also

External links