Aeolic Greek

In linguistics, Aeolic Greek, also known as Aeolian , 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", because of its difference from the Attic literary style: "He didn't know to distinguish the words correctly, being from Lesbos, and having been raised with a barbarian dialect".

Labiovelars
Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Greek * changed to Aeolic p everywhere. By contrast, PIE * changed to Attic/Ionic, Arcadocypriot, and Doric t before e and i. Similarly PIE/PGk * always became b and PIE * > PGk * always became ph (whereas in other dialects they became alternating b/d and ph/th before back/front vowels).
 * PIE * → Lesbian písures, Boeotian péttares ~ Attic téttares, Ionic tésseres, Doric tétores "four"

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

Sonorant clusters
A Proto-Greek consonant cluster with h (from Indo-European ) 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.


 * PIE * → Proto-Greek *ehmi → Lesbian-Thessalian emmi ~ Attic/Ionic ēmi (= εἰμί) "I am"

Loss of h
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.
 * PIE * → Proto-Greek *hāwélios → Lesbian āélios, Ionic ēélios ~ Attic hēlios "sun"

Retention of w
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.
 * PIE → Boeotian, Doric wépos ~ Attic-Ionic épos "word", "epic" (compare Latin vōx "voice")

Long a
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.
 * PIE → Aeolic, Doric mātēr ~ Attic/Ionic mētēr "mother"

Compensatory lengthening
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
In Boeotian, the vowel-system was, in many cases, changed in a way reminiscent of the modern Greek pronunciation.
 * Attic/Ionic αι ~ Boeotian η  ~ Modern Greek αι
 * Attic/Ionic ει ~ Boeotian ει  ~ Modern Greek ει
 * Attic/Ionic οι ~ Boeotian υ  ~ Mediaeval Greek and Old Athenaean οι  ~ Modern Greek οι

Accent
In Lesbian Aeolic, the accent of all words is recessive (barytonesis), as is typical only in the verbs of other dialects.
 * Attic/Ionic potamós ~ Lesbian pótamos "river"

Morphology
Contracted or vowel-stem verbs that are thematic in Attic/Ionic are often athematic (-mi) in Aeolic.
 * Ionic philéō, Attic philô ~ Aeolic phílēmi "I love"

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.
 * Lesbian émmen, émmenai; Thessalian, Boeotian eîmen ~ Attic/Ionic eînai (spurious diphthong) "to be"
 * Homeric agémen

Proto-Greek -ans and -ons → -ais and -ois (first- and second declension accusative plural) ~ Attic/Ionic -ās and -ōs (-ους).

Dative plural -aisi and -oisi ~ Attic/Ionic -ais and -ois.

The participle has -ois and -ais for Attic -ōs (-ους), -ās.

Glossary
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

 * ἄγωνος ágōnos "struggle" (Attic agōn; Elean dat. pl. agōnois for agōsi)
 * ἀθρήματα  gifts sent by kin to Lesbian brides (Sappho fr.) (compare Homeric hedna, eedna)
 * Αἰολίωνες Aiolíōnes "Aeolians" (Attic Αἰολεῖς Aioleîs) ( "speak Aeolic, compose in the Aeolian mode, trick out with false words" Sophocles Fr.912 ) (aioleō vary, adorn, diversify (aiolos quick-moving, glittering, shifty)
 * ἀκλάδες aklades (unpruned vineyards) (Attic akladeutoi ampeloi)
 * ἀκόντιον akontion (part of troops) (Attic spear) (Macedonian rhachis, spine or backbone, anything ridged like the backbone)
 * ἀμένης -τος amenēs -tos (Attic ὑμήν humēn) thin skin, membrane.
 * ἀμώνες amōnes (Attic ἀνεμώνες anemones
 * ἄορος aoros (Attic ἄϋπνος aypnos, without sleep) Μηθυμναῖοι
 * ἄρπυς arpys (Attic ἔρως Eros, Love) attested in Crinagoras, ἁρπάζειν harpazein to snatch. Homeric harpaleos attractive,devouring
 * ἄσφε asphe to them (Attic sphe, sphi)
 * βακχόα bakchoa (Attic βόθρος bothros sacred dungeon, pit)
 * βάλλα balla threshold (Attic βῆλος bēlos) (Doric balos)
 * βλῆρ blēr incitement (Attic delear) τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ αἶθμα. παρὰ Ἀλκαίῳ ἡ λέξις
 * βραδανίζω bradanizō brandish, shake off. (Cf.Elean bratana Common rhatane)
 * βρᾴδιον braidion (Attic ῥᾴδιον rhaidion easy)
 * βράκειν brakein to understand (dysbrakanon imprehensible)
 * βροδόπαχυς brodopachus with pink, rosy forearms (Attic rhodopechys) (βροδόπαχυν brodopachun Sappho) and brododaktulos with rosy fingers
 * βροχέως brocheos or βρουκέων broukeon (Attic βραχύ brachy short)  (Sapph.fr. 2,7)
 * δράσειν drasein (Attic θύειν to sacrifice)
 * εἴδη eide (Attic ὕλη, forest) (εἴδη Ionian also)
 * ζάδηλον zadelon with holes in it, open (Attic diadelon obvious) (Alcaeus 30 D 148P)
 * ἴμβηρις imbēris eel (Attic ἔγχελυς enchelys) Μηθυμναῖοι
 * Ἰσσα Issa old name of Lesbos Island Cf. Antissa
 * ἴσσασθαι issasthai (Attic κληροῦσθαι klerousthai to take sth by lot)
 * καγκύλη kankulē (Attic κηκῖς kēkis wet,vapour, mordant dyeing)
 * κάμμαρψις kammarpsis dry Measure  (Attic ἡμιμέδιμνον hemimedimnon, one half of a medimnos)
 * καραβίδες karabides (Attic γρᾶες graes) Μηθυμναῖοι
 * καυαλέον kaualeon Hsch (Attic αἶθος aithos fire, burning heat) (Cf.kaiō burn)
 * Mεσοστροφώνια Mesostrophonia Lesbian festival
 * μόλσος molsos (Attic δημός, fat)
 * ξίμβα ximba (Attic ῥοιά rhoia pomegranate-tree) (Boeotian sida)
 * ὄθματα othmata (Attic ommata eyes)
 * ὄν ón ὄνα óna (Attic ἀνά aná) upon, through, again (Arcadocypriot also)
 * πασσύριον passyrion (Attic passydia 'totally, all together, with the whole army')
 * πεδαμείβω pedameivō (Attic metameivo exchange) (πεδέχω pedecho μετέχω metecho), pedoikos metoikos peda for meta
 * Πέῤῥαμος Perrhamos Priamus (Alcaeus 74D, 111P (it means also king)
 * σάωμι saōmi save (Attic σῴζω sōizō ) (Homeric σαόω saoō)
 * σίγλαι siglai ear-rings (Attic enōtia, Laconian exōbadia)
 * σκίφος skiphos Attic xiphos sword (skiptō, given as etym. of skiphos and xiphos, Sch.Il.1.220; cf. skipei: nussei, it pricks,pierces)
 * σπόλα spóla(Attic στολή stolē) equipment, garment (spaleis, the sent one, for staleis)
 * σύρξ syrx (Attic σάρξ flesh) (dative plural σύρκεσιν syrkesi Attic σαρξίν sarxin)
 * τενεκοῦντι tenekounti (Attic enoikounti dative singular of ἐνοικῶν  enoikōn inhabiting)
 * τράγαις tragais you break, grow rough and hoarse and smell like a goat
 * τῦδε tude tudai and tuide here) (Ionic tēde)
 * φαυόφορος phauophoros priestess (Attic ἱέρεια hiereia) (light-keeper) (Aeolic phauō for Homeric phaō shine) (Homeric phaos light, Attic phōs and phōtophoros)

Boeotian

 * ἀμίλλακας amillakas wine Theban (Attic oinos)
 * ἀνωδόρκας anōdorkas a fish βρίγκος ὁ ἰχθῦς, ὑπὸ Θηβαίων
 * βαιδύμην baidumēn (Attic ἀροτριᾶν arotrian to plough)
 * βανά bana  (βαλάρα balara) woman (Attic gunē); βανῆκες, banēkes βάττικες  battikes women ( Attic gunaikes )
 * βάστραξ bastrax or bastax  (Attic τράχηλος trachēlos neck)  pl. bastraches
 * βλεερεῖ bleerei (Attic οἰκτείρει he feels pity) Cf. eleairei
 * ἐμπυρία empyria divination (Attic manteia) (Hsch. public oath, Koine ordeal by fire)
 * ζεκελτίδες zekeltides gourds Amerias zakeltides (Phrygian zelkia vegetables)
 * ἴδηφιν idephin sweet-voiced. Hsch.: ἴδηφιν ἴδαις· Βοιωτοί. [καὶ ὁ ἡδυλάλος διὰ τῆς διφθόγγου] (Attic hēduphōnon) ( Aeolic wad-, ad- )
 * ἰστάκη istake scythe (Attic δρέπανον drepanon)
 * ἰυγοδρομεῖν iugodromein (Attic ἐκβοηθεῖν, ekboēthein, and boēdromein, run to help) (Ἰύγγυϊ Dionysus, ἰυγή voice,scream (Soph. Phil. 752))(Iungios  Thessalian month)
 * ἰώ iō and hiōn (Attic ἐγώ egō, I) (hiōnga iōga for egōge)
 * Καραιός Karaios Boeotian epithet for Zeus meaning tall,head. Boeotian eponym Karaidas
 * κριδδέμεν kriddemen (Attic γελᾶν gelan to laugh) (Strattis fr. 47) Cf. (Cf.Attic krizō creak,screech)
 * κόριλλα korilla little girl (Koine korasion from Attic korasis girl) (Aetolian korudion)
 * μηλάτας mēlatas (Attic ποιμήν poimen shepherd) (homeric μῆλον mēlon sheep) (Attic mēlon apple, Aeolic-Doric malon)
 * μνάριον mnarion (Attic κάλλυντρον kallyntron broom, brush)
 * ὀπισθοτίλα opisthotila  (Attic σηπία sēpia cuttlefish)  (Strattis. fr. 47,3) (squirts its liquor from behind)
 * ὀπίττομαι opittomai (homeric opizomai I care,respect) (Laconian opiddomai)
 * ὀφρυγνᾷ ophrygnai (Attic ὀφρυάζει ophryazei he winks raising the eyebrow, is haughty)
 * σεῖα seia  I persecuted (Attic ἐδίωξα edioxa) (Cf.Homeric seuō move quickly, chase)
 * συοβοιωτοί syoboiōtoi Hog-Boeotians (Cratinus.310)
 * τρίπεζα tripeza (Attic trapeza,table)(from tetrapeza four-footed) (tripeza three-footed) (in Aeolic it would-be tripesda)
 * ψώσματα psōsmata Boeotian word

Thessalian

 * ἀβρεμής abremēs (Attic ἀβλεπής ablepēs ἀνάξιος του βλέπεσθαι unworthy seeing, despicable (Cypriotic also) (Hes. text ἀβλεπής Κύπριοι καὶ Θετταλοί
 * ἀγορά agora (Attic λιμήν limen port, harbour) (Hes. text Θετταλοὶ δὲ καὶ τὸν λιμένα ἀγορὰν καλοῦσιν Κρῆτες δὲ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν
 * ἀλφινία alphinia white poplar (PIE *albho- 'white') (Attic leukē, PIE *leuk- 'bright, light') (Macedonian aliza)
 * ἀσπάλεια aspaleia safeness (Attic asphaleia)
 * ἀστραλός astralos (Attic ψάρ -ος psar Starling)
 * βεβυκῶσθαι bebukousthai to be swollen (Homeric βυκτάων buktaon blowing)
 * βουσία bousia (Attic γογγυλίδι gongylidi turnip)
 * δάρατος daratos Thessalian bread (Macedonian dramis) (Athamanian dramix) (PIE *der- 'cut, split')
 * ἔνορμος enormos (agora, assembly, market and chōra) (Attic enormeō get in a harbour, hormos bay, anchorage
 * ἐρέας ereas children (Hsch.Attic τέκνα tekna) (Homeric ernos young sprout, scion) (Neo-Phrygian eiroi children)
 * θεανῶσται theanoustai (Attic ξυστῆρες xysters)
 * ἰθείη itheiē (Attic ἁμαξιτός hamaxitos  chariot-road)   (Homeric ἰθεῖα ὀρθή Ψ 580) (Attic ithys, eytheia straight line)
 * ἴμψας impsas past participle of impto (Attic ζεύξας zeuxas zeugnymi  join together) (Ἴμψιος Impsios Ποσειδῶν ὁ ζύγιος Poseidon Zygius on horses)
 * κάλαφος kalaphos (Attic ἀσκάλαφος, Ascalaphus a bird  (Magnesian)
 * καπάνη kapanē chariot (Attic ἀπήνη apēnē) also, a helmet(kapanikos plenteous
 * καρπαία karpaia Thessalo-Macedonian mimic military  dance (see also Carpaea) Homeric karpalimos swift (for foot) eager,ravenous.
 * νεαλεῖς nealeis  new-comers, newly caught ones (Cf. nealeis, neēludes)
 * νεβεύω nebeuō pray (Macedonian neuō) (Attic euchomai, neuō 'wink')
 * ὀνάλα onala, ὀνάλουμα onalouma (Attic analōma expense cost) (on- in the place of Attic prefix ana-, ongrapsantas SEG 27:202
 * Πετθαλια Petthalia 'Thessalia'; Petthaloi 'Thessalians'; Koine thessalisti 'the Thessalian way'. Cf. Attic ἐντεθετταλίζομαι entethettalizomai become a Thessalian, i.e. wear the large Thessalian cloak (Thettalika ptera feathers), Eupolis.201.)
 * ταγεύω tageuō to be tagos archon in Thessaly ταγευόντουν τοῦμ Πετθαλοῦν

General studies

 * Bakker, Egbert J., ed. 2010. A companion to the Ancient Greek language. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
 * Colvin, Stephen C. 2007. A historical Greek reader: Mycenaean to the koiné. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 * Horrocks, Geoffrey. 2010. Greek: A history of the language and its speakers. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
 * Palmer, Leonard R. 1980. The Greek language. London: Faber & Faber.
 * Horrocks, Geoffrey. 2010. Greek: A history of the language and its speakers. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
 * Palmer, Leonard R. 1980. The Greek language. London: Faber & Faber.
 * Horrocks, Geoffrey. 2010. Greek: A history of the language and its speakers. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
 * Palmer, Leonard R. 1980. The Greek language. London: Faber & Faber.
 * Palmer, Leonard R. 1980. The Greek language. London: Faber & Faber.
 * Palmer, Leonard R. 1980. The Greek language. London: Faber & Faber.

On the Boeotian dialect

 * Pantelidis, Nikolaos. "Boeotian and its Neighbors: A Central Helladic Dialect Continuum?" In: Studies in Ancient Greek Dialects: From Central Greece to the Black Sea. Edited by Georgios Giannakis, Emilio Crespo and Panagiotis Filos. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2018. pp. 167–188.
 * Page, Denis L. 1953. Corinna. London: Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies.
 * West, Martin L. 1990. "Dating Corinna." Classical Quarterly 40 (2): 553–57.
 * Page, Denis L. 1953. Corinna. London: Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies.
 * West, Martin L. 1990. "Dating Corinna." Classical Quarterly 40 (2): 553–57.

On the Lesbian dialect

 * Bowie, Angus M. 1981. The poetic dialect of Sappho and Alcaeus. New York: Arno.
 * Finkelberg, Margalit. "Lesbian and Mainland Greece". In: Studies in Ancient Greek Dialects: From Central Greece to the Black Sea. Edited by Georgios Giannakis, Emilio Crespo and Panagiotis Filos. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2018. pp. 447–456.

On the Thessalian dialect

 * Accessed 23 Mar. 2024.
 * Helly, Bruno. "Some Materials for a Historical Grammar of the Thessalian Dialect". In: Studies in Ancient Greek Dialects: From Central Greece to the Black Sea. Edited by Georgios Giannakis, Emilio Crespo and Panagiotis Filos. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2018. pp. 351–374.