Greek Listening #1: The Greek Dialects | Greek Comprehension

greek listening exercice

Welcome to Helinika’s new video series “Greek Listening”/ “Greek Comprehension”. Today, we discuss the topic of the Greek dialects within and outside the Greek borders.

learn greek at home for absolute beginners

Read the Entire Script:

ฮ“ฮตฮนฮฑ ฯƒฮต ฯŒฮปฮฟฯ…ฯ‚.

Hello everyone.

ฮฃฮฎฮผฮตฯฮฑ ฮธฮฑ ฮผฮนฮปฮฎฯƒฮฟฯ…ฮผฮต ฮณฮนฮฑ ฯ„ฮนฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฑฮปฮญฮบฯ„ฮฟฯ…ฯ‚ ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฎฯ‚ ฮณฮปฯŽฯƒฯƒฮฑฯ‚.

Today we will talk about the dialects of the Greek language.

ฮŸฮน ฯ€ฮนฮฟ ฯ‡ฮฑฯฮฑฮบฯ„ฮทฯฮนฯƒฯ„ฮนฮบฮญฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯ„ฮฟฮน ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฎฯ‚ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน

The most characteristic dialects of the Greek (language) are

ฮตฮบฮตฮฏฮฝฮตฯ‚ ฯ„ฯ‰ฮฝ ฮ•ฮปฮปฮฎฮฝฯ‰ฮฝ ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮšฮฌฯ„ฯ‰ ฮ™ฯ„ฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑฯ‚, ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮšฯฯ€ฯฮฟฯ…, ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮ ฯŒฮปฮทฯ‚, ฮบฮฑฮน ฯ„ฮฟฯ… ฮ ฯŒฮฝฯ„ฮฟฯ….

those of the Greeks of Southern Italy (Griko), Cyprus, (Konstantinou)Polis, and Pontos.

ฮฃฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮšฯฯ€ฯฮฟ, ฯ„ฮฑ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฌ ฮฑฮบฮฟฯฮณฮฟฮฝฯ„ฮฑฮน ฯ€ฮนฮฟ ฮผฮตฮปฯ‰ฮดฮนฮบฮฌ, ฯƒฯ‡ฮตฮดฯŒฮฝ ฯ„ฯฮฑฮณฮฟฯ…ฮดฮนฯƒฯ„ฮฌ.

In Cyprus, the Greek (language) sounds more melodic, almost like singing.

ฮ•ฯ€ฮฏฯƒฮทฯ‚, ฯ…ฯ€ฮฌฯฯ‡ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ ฮดฮนฮฑฯ†ฮฟฯฮญฯ‚ ฯƒฯ„ฮท ฮณฯฮฑฮผฮผฮฑฯ„ฮนฮบฮฎ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯƒฯ„ฮฟ ฮปฮตฮพฮนฮปฯŒฮณฮนฮฟ.

Also, there are differences in grammar and vocabulary.

ฮ‘ฯฮบฮทฮผฯŒฯ‚, ฮตฯ€ฮฏ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฑฮดฮตฮฏฮณฮผฮฑฯ„ฮน, ฯƒฮทฮผฮฑฮฏฮฝฮตฮน ฮฑฯฯ‡ฮฎ. ฮ’ฮฑฯฮบฮฟฯฮผฮฑฮน ฯƒฮทฮผฮฑฮฏฮฝฮตฮน ฮฒฮฑฯฮนฮญฮผฮฑฮน ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฟฯฯ„ฯ‰ ฮบฮฑฮธฮตฮพฮฎฯ‚.

Arkimos, as an example, start. Varkoumai means I am bored and so forth.

ฮŸฮน ฮˆฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮตฯ‚ ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮšฮฌฯ„ฯ‰ ฮ™ฯ„ฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑฯ‚ ฮผฮนฮปฮฌฮฝฮต ฮผฮนฮฑ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯ„ฮฟ ฯ€ฮฟฯ… ฮผฮฟฮนฮฌฮถฮตฮน ฮฑฯฮบฮตฯ„ฮฌ ฮผฮต ฯ„ฮฑ ฮฑฯฯ‡ฮฑฮฏฮฑ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฌ.

The Grikos (Greeks of South Italy) speak in a dialect that resembles the ancient Greek language.

ฮ“ฮนฮฑ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯ‡ฯฮทฯƒฮนฮผฮฟฯ€ฮฟฮนฮฟฯฮฝ ฮฑฮบฯŒฮผฮฑ ฯ„ฮฟ ฮฑฯฯ‡ฮฑฮฏฮฟ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฯŒ ฮฑฯ€ฮฑฯฮญฮผฯ†ฮฑฯ„ฮฟ.

For example, they still use the ancient Greek infinitive (form of the verbs).

ฮฃฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮ•ฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ, ฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯ„ฮฟ ฮฑฯ…ฯ„ฮฎ ฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮฑฯ€ฮฟฮบฮฑฮปฮฟฯฮผฮต ยซฮ“ฯฮฑฮนฮบฮฌฮฝฮนฮบฮฑยป.

In Greece, this dialect is called โ€œGrecanicaโ€.

ฮฉฯƒฯ„ฯŒฯƒฮฟ, ฮฑฮบฯŒฮผฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮตฮฝฯ„ฯŒฯ‚ ฯ„ฯ‰ฮฝ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฯŽฮฝ ฯƒฯ…ฮฝฯŒฯฯ‰ฮฝ, ฯ…ฯ€ฮฌฯฯ‡ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ ฮบฮฌฯ€ฮฟฮนฮตฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฑฯ†ฮฟฯฮญฯ‚

However, even within the Greek borders, there are a few variations

ฯƒฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฯ€ฯฮฟฯ†ฮฟฯฮฌ, ฯƒฯ„ฮฟฮฝ ฯ„ฮฟฮฝฮนฯƒฮผฯŒ, ฯƒฯ„ฮฟ ฮปฮตฮพฮนฮปฯŒฮณฮนฮฟโ€ฆ ฮฑฮบฯŒฮผฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯƒฯ„ฮท ฮณฯฮฑฮผฮผฮฑฯ„ฮนฮบฮฎ.

in the accent, accentuation, vocabularyโ€ฆ even grammar.

ฮ‘ฯ…ฯ„ฮญฯ‚ ฮฟฮน ฮณฮปฯ‰ฯƒฯƒฮนฮบฮญฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฑฯ†ฮฟฯฮญฯ‚ ฮตฮฝฯ„ฯŒฯ‚ ฯƒฯ…ฮฝฯŒฯฯ‰ฮฝ, ฮฟฮน ฯ„ฮฟฯ€ฮนฮบฮญฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯ„ฮฟฮน, ฮฟฮฝฮฟฮผฮฌฮถฮฟฮฝฯ„ฮฑฮน ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฝฯ„ฮฟฯ€ฮนฮฟฮปฮฑฮปฮนฮญฯ‚.

This glossological differences within borders, the regional dialects, are also called โ€œdopiolaliesโ€ (patois).

ฮ“ฮนฮฑ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯƒฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮ˜ฮตฯƒฯƒฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท ฮบฮฑฮน ฯƒฯ„ฮท ฮฒฯŒฯฮตฮนฮฑ ฮ•ฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ ฮณฮตฮฝฮนฮบฯŒฯ„ฮตฯฮฑ

For example, in Thessaloniki and generally in northern Greece

ฯ„ฮฟ ฯƒฯฮผฯ†ฯ‰ฮฝฮฟ ฮป ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯ€ฮนฮฟ ฯ€ฮฑฯ‡ฯ. ฮŸฯฮนฯƒฮผฮญฮฝฮตฯ‚ ฯ†ฮฟฯฮญฯ‚ ฯ„ฮฟ ฮฏฮดฮนฮฟ ฮนฯƒฯ‡ฯฮตฮน ฮณฮนฮฑ ฯ„ฮฟ ฮผ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯ„ฮฟ ฮฝ.

the consonant l is thicker. Sometimes, the same applies to m and n.

ฮ“ฮนฮฑ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯ„ฮฟ ฮปฮฌฯ‡ฮฑฮฝฮฟ (x2).

For example, the cabbage (x2).

ฮ•ฯ€ฮฏฯƒฮทฯ‚, ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯƒฯฮฝฮทฮธฮตฯ‚ ฮฝฮฑ ฯ‡ฯฮทฯƒฮนฮผฮฟฯ€ฮฟฮนฮตฮฏฯ„ฮฑฮน ฮท ฮฑฮนฯ„ฮนฮฑฯ„ฮนฮบฮฎ ฮฑฮฝฯ„ฮฏ ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮณฮตฮฝฮนฮบฮฎฯ‚

Also, it is common to use accusative instead of genitive

ฯƒฮต ฯ†ฯฮฌฯƒฮตฮนฯ‚ ฯŒฯ€ฯ‰ฯ‚: ยซฮผฮฟฯ… ฮฑฯฮญฯƒฮตฮนยป, ยซฯƒฮฟฯ… ฯ€ฮฌฮตฮนยป, ยซฮผฮฟฯ… ฮตฮฏฯ€ฮตยปโ€ฆ

in phrases such as: โ€œฮ™ like him/her/itโ€, โ€œhe/she/it suits youโ€, โ€œhe/she/it told meโ€โ€ฆ

ฮฃฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮ˜ฮตฯƒฯƒฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท ฮธฮฑ ฯ€ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ: ยซฮผฮต ฮฑฯฮญฯƒฮตฮนยป, ยซฯƒฮต ฯ€ฮฌฮตฮนยป, ยซฮผฮต ฮตฮฏฯ€ฮตยป ฮบฮปฯ€.

In Thessaloniki they will say: (same phrases, different cases)

ฮ‘ฮบฯŒฮผฮฑ, ฮฟฯฮนฯƒฮผฮญฮฝฮตฯ‚ ฮปฮญฮพฮตฮนฯ‚ ฮญฯ‡ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ ฮฌฮปฮปฮท ฯƒฮทฮผฮฑฯƒฮฏฮฑ. ฮŒฯ€ฯ‰ฯ‚ ฯ„ฮฟ ยซฮบฮฑฯƒฮญฯฮนยป.

Moreover, some words have a different meaning. Such as โ€œkasseriโ€.

ยซฮšฮฑฯƒฮญฯฮนยป ฯƒฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮ‘ฮธฮฎฮฝฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯƒฮต ฮฌฮปฮปฮตฯ‚ ฯ€ฮตฯฮนฮฟฯ‡ฮญฯ‚ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮญฮฝฮฑ ฮตฮฏฮดฮฟฯ‚ ฮบฮฏฯ„ฯฮนฮฝฮฟฯ… ฯ„ฯ…ฯฮนฮฟฯ.

โ€œKaseriโ€ in Athens and other places is a type of yellow cheese.

ฮฉฯƒฯ„ฯŒฯƒฮฟ, ฯƒฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮ˜ฮตฯƒฯƒฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท, โ€œฮบฮฑฯƒฮญฯฮนโ€ ฮฟฮฝฮฟฮผฮฌฮถฮตฯ„ฮฑฮน ฮบฮฌฮธฮต ฮบฮฏฯ„ฯฮนฮฝฮฟ ฯ„ฯ…ฯฮฏ. ฮšฮฑฮน ฯŒฮปฮฑ ฯ„ฮฑ ฮฌฯƒฯ€ฯฮฑ ฯ„ฯ…ฯฮนฮฌ ฮฟฮฝฮฟฮผฮฌฮถฮฟฮฝฯ„ฮฑฮน ฯ†ฮญฯ„ฮฑ.

However, in Thessaloniki, โ€œkasseriโ€ is the name of every yellow cheese. And all types of white cheese are called feta.

ฮ‘ฮบฯŒฮผฮฑ, ฯ…ฯ€ฮฌฯฯ‡ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ ฮดฮนฮฑฯ†ฮฟฯฮญฯ‚ ฯƒฯ„ฮฟฮฝ ฯ„ฮฟฮฝฮนฯƒฮผฯŒ ฮฟฯฮนฯƒฮผฮญฮฝฯ‰ฮฝ ฮปฮญฮพฮตฯ‰ฮฝ. ฮ“ฮนฮฑ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯƒฯ„ฮท ฮฒฯŒฯฮตฮนฮฑ ฮ•ฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ, ฯ„ฮฟ ฮตฯ€ฮฏฮธฮตฯ„ฮฟ ยซฯƒฯ„ฯฮฟฮณฮณฯ…ฮปฯŒฯ‚-ฮท-ฮฟยป ฯ„ฮฟฮฝฮฏฮถฮตฯ„ฮฑฮน ฯƒฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฯ€ฯฯŽฯ„ฮท ฯƒฯ…ฮปฮปฮฑฮฒฮฎ: ยซฯƒฯ„ฯฯŒฮณฮณฯ…ฮปฮฟฯ‚-ฮท-ฮฟยป.

Also, there are differences in the accentuation of certain words. For example, in northern Greece, the adjective โ€œroundโ€ takes the accent mark on the first syllable.

ฮฃฮต ฮฌฮปฮปฮฑ ฮผฮญฯฮท ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮ•ฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑฯ‚, ฮฟฯฮนฯƒฮผฮญฮฝฮฑ ฯ†ฯ‰ฮฝฮฎฮตฮฝฯ„ฮฑ ฮฎ ฯƒฯฮผฯ†ฯ‰ฮฝฮฑ ฮดฮตฮฝ ฯ€ฯฮฟฯ†ฮญฯฮฟฮฝฯ„ฮฑฮน. ฮ“ฮนฮฑ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯƒฮต ฮฟฯฮตฮนฮฝฮฌ ฯ‡ฯ‰ฯฮนฮฌ ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮ˜ฮตฯƒฯƒฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑฯ‚ ฮท ฯ†ฯฮฌฯƒฮท ยซฯ„ฮน ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฮนฯ‚;ยป ฯƒฯ…ฯ‡ฮฝฮฌ ฯ€ฯฮฟฯ†ฮญฯฮตฯ„ฮฑฮน ยซฯ„ฮน ฮบฮฌฮฝฯ‚;ยป.

In other places in Greece, some vowels or consonants are not spelled out. For example, in villages located on mountains in Thessaly, the phrase โ€œhow are youโ€ is spelled out โ€œhowโ€™re yaโ€.

ฮฃฯ„ฮทฮฝ ฮšฯฮฎฯ„ฮท, ฮฟฮน ฮฝฯ„ฯŒฯ€ฮนฮฟฮน ฮญฯ‡ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ ฮตฯ€ฮฏฯƒฮทฯ‚ ฮผฮนฮฑ ฮนฮดฮนฮฑฮฏฯ„ฮตฯฮท ฮบฮฑฮน ฮผฮตฮปฯ‰ฮดฮนฮบฮฎ ฯ€ฯฮฟฯ†ฮฟฯฮฌ.

In Crete, the locals also have a special and melodic pronunciation.

ฮ ฮฟฮปฮปฮญฯ‚ ฮปฮญฮพฮตฮนฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฑฯ†ฮญฯฮฟฯ…ฮฝ. ฮ“ฮนฮฑ ฯ€ฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯ„ฮฟ ยซฮณฮฑฯ„ฮฌฮบฮนยป ฮปฮญฮณฮตฯ„ฮฑฮน ยซฮบฮฑฯ„ฯƒฮฟฯฮปฮนยป, ฯ„ฮฟ ยซฯ€ฮฑฮนฮดฮฏยป ฮปฮญฮณฮตฯ„ฮฑฮน ยซฮบฮฟฯ€ฮญฮปฮนยป ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฟฯฯ„ฯ‰ ฮบฮฑฮธฮตฮพฮฎฯ‚.

Some words differ. For example, the โ€œkittyโ€ is called โ€œkatsouliโ€, the โ€œchildโ€ is called โ€œkopeliโ€ and so forth.

ฮฃฮต ฮฟฯฮนฯƒฮผฮญฮฝฮตฯ‚ ฯ€ฮตฯฮนฮฟฯ‡ฮญฯ‚ ฯ„ฮทฯ‚ ฮ ฮตฮปฮฟฯ€ฮฟฮฝฮฝฮฎฯƒฮฟฯ… ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฑฮปฮปฮฟฯ, o ฯƒฯ…ฮฝฮดฯ…ฮฑฯƒฮผฯŒฯ‚ ฯ„ฮฟฯ… ฮณฯฮฌฮผฮผฮฑฯ„ฮฟฯ‚ ยซฮฝยป ฮฎ ฯ„ฮฟฯ… ฮณฯฮฌฮผฮผฮฑฯ„ฮฟฯ‚ ยซฮปยป ฮผฮต ฯ„ฮฟ ยซฮนยป (ฮท/ฮตฮน/ฯ…/oฮน) ฯ€ฯฮฟฯ†ฮญฯฮตฯ„ฮฑฮน ฮดฮนฮฑฯ†ฮฟฯฮตฯ„ฮนฮบฮฌ.

In some parts of the Peloponnese region and elsewhere, the combination of the consonants โ€œnโ€ and โ€œlโ€ with โ€œeโ€ is pronounced differently.

ยซฮ›ฮฟฮนฯ€ฯŒฮฝยป, ยซฮ ฮตฯ€ฯŒฮฝฮนยป (x2)

โ€œWellโ€, โ€œMellonโ€ (x2)

ฮ•ฯƒฮตฮฏฯ‚ ฮณฮฝฯ‰ฯฮฏฮถฮฑฯ„ฮต ฯŒฯ„ฮน ฯ…ฯ€ฮฌฯฯ‡ฮฟฯ…ฮฝ ฯ„ฯŒฯƒฮตฯ‚ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯ„ฮฟฮน; ฮ‘ฮฝ ฮฝฮฑฮน, ฯ€ฮฟฮนฮฑ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮท ฮฑฮณฮฑฯ€ฮทฮผฮญฮฝฮท ฯƒฮฑฯ‚;

Did you know that there are so many dialects? If yes, which one is your favorite?

ฮœฮทฮฝ ฮพฮตฯ‡ฮฌฯƒฮตฯ„ฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฯ„ฮต ฮตฮณฮณฯฮฑฯ†ฮฎ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮธฮฑ ฯƒฮฑฯ‚ ฮดฯ‰ ฯƒฯ„ฮฟ ฮตฯ€ฯŒฮผฮตฮฝฮฟ ฮฒฮฏฮฝฯ„ฮตฮฟ! ฮ‘ฮฝฯ„ฮฏฮฟ!

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