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.

Read the Entire Script:
ฮฮตฮนฮฑ ฯฮต ฯฮปฮฟฯ ฯ.
Hello everyone.
ฮฃฮฎฮผฮตฯฮฑ ฮธฮฑ ฮผฮนฮปฮฎฯฮฟฯ ฮผฮต ฮณฮนฮฑ ฯฮนฯ ฮดฮนฮฑฮปฮญฮบฯฮฟฯ ฯ ฯฮทฯ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฎฯ ฮณฮปฯฯฯฮฑฯ.
Today we will talk about the dialects of the Greek language.
ฮฮน ฯฮนฮฟ ฯฮฑฯฮฑฮบฯฮทฯฮนฯฯฮนฮบฮญฯ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯฮฟฮน ฯฮทฯ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฎฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน
The most characteristic dialects of the Greek (language) are
ฮตฮบฮตฮฏฮฝฮตฯ ฯฯฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฎฮฝฯฮฝ ฯฮทฯ ฮฮฌฯฯ ฮฯฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑฯ, ฯฮทฯ ฮฯฯฯฮฟฯ , ฯฮทฯ ฮ ฯฮปฮทฯ, ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฮฟฯ ฮ ฯฮฝฯฮฟฯ .
those of the Greeks of Southern Italy (Griko), Cyprus, (Konstantinou)Polis, and Pontos.
ฮฃฯฮทฮฝ ฮฯฯฯฮฟ, ฯฮฑ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฌ ฮฑฮบฮฟฯฮณฮฟฮฝฯฮฑฮน ฯฮนฮฟ ฮผฮตฮปฯฮดฮนฮบฮฌ, ฯฯฮตฮดฯฮฝ ฯฯฮฑฮณฮฟฯ ฮดฮนฯฯฮฌ.
In Cyprus, the Greek (language) sounds more melodic, almost like singing.
ฮฯฮฏฯฮทฯ, ฯ ฯฮฌฯฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ ฮดฮนฮฑฯฮฟฯฮญฯ ฯฯฮท ฮณฯฮฑฮผฮผฮฑฯฮนฮบฮฎ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฯฮฟ ฮปฮตฮพฮนฮปฯฮณฮนฮฟ.
Also, there are differences in grammar and vocabulary.
ฮฯฮบฮทฮผฯฯ, ฮตฯฮฏ ฯฮฑฯฮฑฮดฮตฮฏฮณฮผฮฑฯฮน, ฯฮทฮผฮฑฮฏฮฝฮตฮน ฮฑฯฯฮฎ. ฮฮฑฯฮบฮฟฯฮผฮฑฮน ฯฮทฮผฮฑฮฏฮฝฮตฮน ฮฒฮฑฯฮนฮญฮผฮฑฮน ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฟฯฯฯ ฮบฮฑฮธฮตฮพฮฎฯ.
Arkimos, as an example, start. Varkoumai means I am bored and so forth.
ฮฮน ฮฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮตฯ ฯฮทฯ ฮฮฌฯฯ ฮฯฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑฯ ฮผฮนฮปฮฌฮฝฮต ฮผฮนฮฑ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯฮฟ ฯฮฟฯ ฮผฮฟฮนฮฌฮถฮตฮน ฮฑฯฮบฮตฯฮฌ ฮผฮต ฯฮฑ ฮฑฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฑ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฮฌ.
The Grikos (Greeks of South Italy) speak in a dialect that resembles the ancient Greek language.
ฮฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯฯฮทฯฮนฮผฮฟฯฮฟฮนฮฟฯฮฝ ฮฑฮบฯฮผฮฑ ฯฮฟ ฮฑฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฟ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฯ ฮฑฯฮฑฯฮญฮผฯฮฑฯฮฟ.
For example, they still use the ancient Greek infinitive (form of the verbs).
ฮฃฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ, ฯฮทฮฝ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯฮฟ ฮฑฯ ฯฮฎ ฯฮทฮฝ ฮฑฯฮฟฮบฮฑฮปฮฟฯฮผฮต ยซฮฯฮฑฮนฮบฮฌฮฝฮนฮบฮฑยป.
In Greece, this dialect is called โGrecanicaโ.
ฮฉฯฯฯฯฮฟ, ฮฑฮบฯฮผฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮตฮฝฯฯฯ ฯฯฮฝ ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฯฮฝ ฯฯ ฮฝฯฯฯฮฝ, ฯ ฯฮฌฯฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ ฮบฮฌฯฮฟฮนฮตฯ ฮดฮนฮฑฯฮฟฯฮญฯ
However, even within the Greek borders, there are a few variations
ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฯฯฮฟฯฮฟฯฮฌ, ฯฯฮฟฮฝ ฯฮฟฮฝฮนฯฮผฯ, ฯฯฮฟ ฮปฮตฮพฮนฮปฯฮณฮนฮฟโฆ ฮฑฮบฯฮผฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฯฮท ฮณฯฮฑฮผฮผฮฑฯฮนฮบฮฎ.
in the accent, accentuation, vocabularyโฆ even grammar.
ฮฯ ฯฮญฯ ฮฟฮน ฮณฮปฯฯฯฮนฮบฮญฯ ฮดฮนฮฑฯฮฟฯฮญฯ ฮตฮฝฯฯฯ ฯฯ ฮฝฯฯฯฮฝ, ฮฟฮน ฯฮฟฯฮนฮบฮญฯ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯฮฟฮน, ฮฟฮฝฮฟฮผฮฌฮถฮฟฮฝฯฮฑฮน ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฝฯฮฟฯฮนฮฟฮปฮฑฮปฮนฮญฯ.
This glossological differences within borders, the regional dialects, are also called โdopiolaliesโ (patois).
ฮฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮตฯฯฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฯฮท ฮฒฯฯฮตฮนฮฑ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ ฮณฮตฮฝฮนฮบฯฯฮตฯฮฑ
For example, in Thessaloniki and generally in northern Greece
ฯฮฟ ฯฯฮผฯฯฮฝฮฟ ฮป ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯฮนฮฟ ฯฮฑฯฯ. ฮฯฮนฯฮผฮญฮฝฮตฯ ฯฮฟฯฮญฯ ฯฮฟ ฮฏฮดฮนฮฟ ฮนฯฯฯฮตฮน ฮณฮนฮฑ ฯฮฟ ฮผ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฮฟ ฮฝ.
the consonant l is thicker. Sometimes, the same applies to m and n.
ฮฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯฮฟ ฮปฮฌฯฮฑฮฝฮฟ (x2).
For example, the cabbage (x2).
ฮฯฮฏฯฮทฯ, ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯฯฮฝฮทฮธฮตฯ ฮฝฮฑ ฯฯฮทฯฮนฮผฮฟฯฮฟฮนฮตฮฏฯฮฑฮน ฮท ฮฑฮนฯฮนฮฑฯฮนฮบฮฎ ฮฑฮฝฯฮฏ ฯฮทฯ ฮณฮตฮฝฮนฮบฮฎฯ
Also, it is common to use accusative instead of genitive
ฯฮต ฯฯฮฌฯฮตฮนฯ ฯฯฯฯ: ยซฮผฮฟฯ ฮฑฯฮญฯฮตฮนยป, ยซฯฮฟฯ ฯฮฌฮตฮนยป, ยซฮผฮฟฯ ฮตฮฏฯฮตยปโฆ
in phrases such as: โฮ like him/her/itโ, โhe/she/it suits youโ, โhe/she/it told meโโฆ
ฮฃฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮตฯฯฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท ฮธฮฑ ฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ: ยซฮผฮต ฮฑฯฮญฯฮตฮนยป, ยซฯฮต ฯฮฌฮตฮนยป, ยซฮผฮต ฮตฮฏฯฮตยป ฮบฮปฯ.
In Thessaloniki they will say: (same phrases, different cases)
ฮฮบฯฮผฮฑ, ฮฟฯฮนฯฮผฮญฮฝฮตฯ ฮปฮญฮพฮตฮนฯ ฮญฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ ฮฌฮปฮปฮท ฯฮทฮผฮฑฯฮฏฮฑ. ฮฯฯฯ ฯฮฟ ยซฮบฮฑฯฮญฯฮนยป.
Moreover, some words have a different meaning. Such as โkasseriโ.
ยซฮฮฑฯฮญฯฮนยป ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮธฮฎฮฝฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฮต ฮฌฮปฮปฮตฯ ฯฮตฯฮนฮฟฯฮญฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮญฮฝฮฑ ฮตฮฏฮดฮฟฯ ฮบฮฏฯฯฮนฮฝฮฟฯ ฯฯ ฯฮนฮฟฯ.
โKaseriโ in Athens and other places is a type of yellow cheese.
ฮฉฯฯฯฯฮฟ, ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮตฯฯฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท, โฮบฮฑฯฮญฯฮนโ ฮฟฮฝฮฟฮผฮฌฮถฮตฯฮฑฮน ฮบฮฌฮธฮต ฮบฮฏฯฯฮนฮฝฮฟ ฯฯ ฯฮฏ. ฮฮฑฮน ฯฮปฮฑ ฯฮฑ ฮฌฯฯฯฮฑ ฯฯ ฯฮนฮฌ ฮฟฮฝฮฟฮผฮฌฮถฮฟฮฝฯฮฑฮน ฯฮญฯฮฑ.
However, in Thessaloniki, โkasseriโ is the name of every yellow cheese. And all types of white cheese are called feta.
ฮฮบฯฮผฮฑ, ฯ ฯฮฌฯฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ ฮดฮนฮฑฯฮฟฯฮญฯ ฯฯฮฟฮฝ ฯฮฟฮฝฮนฯฮผฯ ฮฟฯฮนฯฮผฮญฮฝฯฮฝ ฮปฮญฮพฮตฯฮฝ. ฮฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯฯฮท ฮฒฯฯฮตฮนฮฑ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ, ฯฮฟ ฮตฯฮฏฮธฮตฯฮฟ ยซฯฯฯฮฟฮณฮณฯ ฮปฯฯ-ฮท-ฮฟยป ฯฮฟฮฝฮฏฮถฮตฯฮฑฮน ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฯฯฯฯฮท ฯฯ ฮปฮปฮฑฮฒฮฎ: ยซฯฯฯฯฮณฮณฯ ฮปฮฟฯ-ฮท-ฮฟยป.
Also, there are differences in the accentuation of certain words. For example, in northern Greece, the adjective โroundโ takes the accent mark on the first syllable.
ฮฃฮต ฮฌฮปฮปฮฑ ฮผฮญฯฮท ฯฮทฯ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑฯ, ฮฟฯฮนฯฮผฮญฮฝฮฑ ฯฯฮฝฮฎฮตฮฝฯฮฑ ฮฎ ฯฯฮผฯฯฮฝฮฑ ฮดฮตฮฝ ฯฯฮฟฯฮญฯฮฟฮฝฯฮฑฮน. ฮฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯฮต ฮฟฯฮตฮนฮฝฮฌ ฯฯฯฮนฮฌ ฯฮทฯ ฮฮตฯฯฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑฯ ฮท ฯฯฮฌฯฮท ยซฯฮน ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฮนฯ;ยป ฯฯ ฯฮฝฮฌ ฯฯฮฟฯฮญฯฮตฯฮฑฮน ยซฯฮน 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 โhow are youโ is spelled out โhowโre yaโ.
ฮฃฯฮทฮฝ ฮฯฮฎฯฮท, ฮฟฮน ฮฝฯฯฯฮนฮฟฮน ฮญฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ ฮตฯฮฏฯฮทฯ ฮผฮนฮฑ ฮนฮดฮนฮฑฮฏฯฮตฯฮท ฮบฮฑฮน ฮผฮตฮปฯฮดฮนฮบฮฎ ฯฯฮฟฯฮฟฯฮฌ.
In Crete, the locals also have a special and melodic pronunciation.
ฮ ฮฟฮปฮปฮญฯ ฮปฮญฮพฮตฮนฯ ฮดฮนฮฑฯฮญฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ. ฮฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฯฮฌฮดฮตฮนฮณฮผฮฑ, ฯฮฟ ยซฮณฮฑฯฮฌฮบฮนยป ฮปฮญฮณฮตฯฮฑฮน ยซฮบฮฑฯฯฮฟฯฮปฮนยป, ฯฮฟ ยซฯฮฑฮนฮดฮฏยป ฮปฮญฮณฮตฯฮฑฮน ยซฮบฮฟฯฮญฮปฮนยป ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฟฯฯฯ ฮบฮฑฮธฮตฮพฮฎฯ.
Some words differ. For example, the โkittyโ is called โkatsouliโ, the โchildโ is called โkopeliโ and so forth.
ฮฃฮต ฮฟฯฮนฯฮผฮญฮฝฮตฯ ฯฮตฯฮนฮฟฯฮญฯ ฯฮทฯ ฮ ฮตฮปฮฟฯฮฟฮฝฮฝฮฎฯฮฟฯ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฑฮปฮปฮฟฯ, o ฯฯ ฮฝฮดฯ ฮฑฯฮผฯฯ ฯฮฟฯ ฮณฯฮฌฮผฮผฮฑฯฮฟฯ ยซฮฝยป ฮฎ ฯฮฟฯ ฮณฯฮฌฮผฮผฮฑฯฮฟฯ ยซฮปยป ฮผฮต ฯฮฟ ยซฮนยป (ฮท/ฮตฮน/ฯ /oฮน) ฯฯฮฟฯฮญฯฮตฯฮฑฮน ฮดฮนฮฑฯฮฟฯฮตฯฮนฮบฮฌ.
In some parts of the Peloponnese region and elsewhere, the combination of the consonants โnโ and โlโ with โeโ is pronounced differently.
ยซฮฮฟฮนฯฯฮฝยป, ยซฮ ฮตฯฯฮฝฮนยป (x2)
โWellโ, โMellonโ (x2)
ฮฯฮตฮฏฯ ฮณฮฝฯฯฮฏฮถฮฑฯฮต ฯฯฮน ฯ ฯฮฌฯฯฮฟฯ ฮฝ ฯฯฯฮตฯ ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯฮฟฮน; ฮฮฝ ฮฝฮฑฮน, ฯฮฟฮนฮฑ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮท ฮฑฮณฮฑฯฮทฮผฮญฮฝฮท ฯฮฑฯ;
Did you know that there are so many dialects? If yes, which one is your favorite?
ฮฮทฮฝ ฮพฮตฯฮฌฯฮตฯฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฯฮต ฮตฮณฮณฯฮฑฯฮฎ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮธฮฑ ฯฮฑฯ ฮดฯ ฯฯฮฟ ฮตฯฯฮผฮตฮฝฮฟ ฮฒฮฏฮฝฯฮตฮฟ! ฮฮฝฯฮฏฮฟ!
Donโt forget to subscribe and I will see you in the next video! Bye!


Feel free to leave questions/remarks…