E glossa os grekòfono attin Katu Italia, m’olo ka vasta kamposso miasi m’us dialettu atto sud tis Grècia, tòriso o Dodekanneso, ce plèo fse tikanè khorizete e fonitikì, ekhi ti diki ti fisionomia ce en ene demeni ja tìpoti m’in glossa attus bizantinu, pu ìrtane ettù stus sèkulu IX-X, pose pistèone ce lene e professuri C. Battisti, G. Alessio ce O. Parlangeli.

Tui akkumbune i tesi tto apà sto fatto pu e glosse greke atti Katu Italia èkhune mìa furma neollenikì (sakundu cini attes glosse neoellenikè). Ma tusi furma (sa cini atta neoellenikà idiòmata) ancignà già sto III sèkulo p.K., motti e Ellenistikì Koinè èkame isa olu us dialettu ce èkame pleon aplì i furma tis glossa.

Tua ta pràmata ma pleo nòima tis glossa os grekòfono kharimmena apò tin Koinè ce kratemmena ros àrtena: to na 'rti^* to na erti; το να έρθει, το μέλλον; il futuro; le futur; the future tense èrkete pimeno m’o to àrtena^* το τώρα, το παρόν; il presente; le présent; the present tense, to prama pu stei kànnonta ce kulusà èrkete pimeno ma steo (Puglia) - steko (Kalabria) ce o participio presente, emeni to infinito¹, sto perìodo ipotetikò ekhannete to tha [ j.d. an den èvrekhe, (tha) to èkanna], ekratènnutte ta diplà [ j.d. fortò(n)no], e “diminutivi” kharismeni atti koinè den khrizune ja “diminutivi” [ j.d. lisari, ampari].

Ghennimeni sto VIII sèkulo p.K. atti glossa os dorikò kolono apù Tàranto, es tin Pùglia, ce apù Règgio Kalàbria e glossa os grekofono kratenni ankora kai dorikè lessikologikè mire pu e Koinè den ìsose guali: tue enghìzune i zoì os contadino ce os proataro ce e tes ekhi sto bizantino ce sto neogreko: tutta khrusafà^*‹ khrusafi: χρυσάφι; oro, tesoro; or, trésor; treasure os idiomo greko tis Katu Italia, menune ettù manekhà ce mas dìfune posso griko ce grekàniko ine demena m’in glossa tu sèkulu VIII.

Addha dìgghia pu pèrnune cini pu kratènnune ti o griko èstase m’u bizantinu ene ti en ene stammena vrimmena tìpoti pu mas sozi pi jalìssia pu stus feu apò Tàranto ce Règgio, ecì pu àrtena stene e grekòfoni, ezùane greci.
Èkhome manekhà ta khartìa tu Strabone (1° sèkulo p.K.) pu lene ti pleppi Tàranto, Règgio ce Nàpuli oli e addhi ìsane bàrbari ; milonta fse mbarbarimento èrkete sto pi ti o gheno atta khorìa apù essu ìkhane khàsonta tin glossa tto: ìkhane ghettonta bàrbari.

Ma, an mesa sto protinò sèkulo p.K. es te male khore tis akra emilìato greko, sòzome kratesi ka puru sta khorìa apò essu emilìato greko. Ta pràmata domena attin glossa apò os grekòfono apù sìmberi ine ta pleo storikà alisinà khartìa.

Ena attus problemu pu èmpose us grèku n’àrtune etturtèa ce na kàmune na ghennìstune e kolonìe ìone demeni stin demografia: o khoma greko è kani j’o fai ja olo to gheno. Ce ène ja tuo ti kampossi etaràssane j’in tàlassa na vrìkune akre filammene ce khoma kalò: pràmata vastomena attin Katu Italia ce attin Sicìlia. Iu e Eritresi ce e Kalcidesi kàmane na jenisì i khora pu ìgue Kuma. Tui epolemùsane o khoma ma ena àratro norimmeno apù Esìodo (VIII sèk. p.K.) ce sti deskriziuna ka tuo kanni evrìskutte j’in protinì forà ta lòja èlima ce jìis. Utta lòja e’ ta ekhi sto bizantino ce e’ ta ekhi sto neogreko, ezune ankora stin glossa os contadino attìn Kalàbria, pu kulusune na polemìsune to khoma ma to stesso àratro.
O fatto ka addha area ce palea lòja evrìskutte ankora sìmberi stin milìa os kontadino ce os proataro, mas difi ti o gheno epolemà pose epolemìato ston VIII sèkulo p.K. Tispo attus kolonu bizantinu o kolono plèo kukkia fse ma, ma ìsoze feri utta lòja dorikà ce addha pleon area, jatì aplà den ta ìkhan es tin glossa tto.

E glossa os grekòfono kratenni addha palea noìmata pu e glossa os neogreko en vastà: àtsalo (Kalàbria, aggettivo), ode (avverbio), jerro, sikonno, sozo-sonno, ekho, nomeno me to infinito, kratennune palea o ellenistikà noìmata.

Ja tus studiosu talianu, en ìane prama ti e romani den anarìsane na mpòsune alìe khijade kolonu greku na màsune o latino ce na fìkune i glossa tto, motti occe apà stes Ìsule Britànnike emilìato latino.
Akau stin okkupaziuna romana e glossa milimmeni ìane o latino, ma èrkatto milimmene camposse addhe glosse. E greci emilùsane o latino, sakundu t’addha gheni akauvalomena attus romanu, ma kulusìsane na kratèsune ce na milìsune i glossa tto, o greko.

Ola t’addha gheni akauvalomeni* akauvaddho: υποτάσσω; sottomettere; soumettre; to subject attus rumanu (Celti, Iberi, Geti, Daci, Franki) enghìsane ma màsune ce na milìsune latino manekhà, ma tuo en èkhrise ja tus greku, pu sòzane kulusisi na milìsune o greko. Puru vàlonta ja alesinò o fatto ti e koloni ìane bizantini atto IX sekulo, tui, zonta ja èndeka sèkulu me to taliano, ekratènnune rosa sìmberi tin glòssa tto ma oli tin plentera glossològika ce m'in plasticità tti. Ma an olo tuo ene alìssia, pos kànnu cisi studiosi na mi pistèfsune ti e glossa os kolono atto VIII sèk. p. K. en ìsoze, ma pleon dìgghio, krateftì, fsèronta ti toa ìane oli mìa m'in Grècia ce ikhe pleon mealìo^* μεγαλείο; grandezza; grandeur; greatness piri o latino?

E glossa os grekòfono edànise lòja os latino ce eplusiànise me ta lòja fse tutu. Ja to Rohlfs, atta lòja mbemmena sto V – VI sèkulo, kanena on ekhi ankora, ma kampossa, ta pleo poddhà, ekhàsisa.
E religiùna eplùsiane to greko ma ta lòja tis agglisìa (jortè, ajii, ce iu)
O greko èbbike danisìe atto taliano. E greci ezùsane nomeni ma tus talianu ce poddhè forè emilùsane ole ce die es glosse ce en ìone dìskulo na smiftune ta lòja, ma e danisìe den ine tosse posse sòzamo mini ce motti tuo endenni o lòo èrkete grecizào, tuo èrkete sto pi ja difsi, ka ta loja ejènnutte deklinàbili (j.d. to animali, tu animalìu).

Apù motti e Turki akauvàlane ti Grècia (XV sek.) e glossa tu ellenòfonù mma èkhase ja pleo fse tèssaru sèkulu to dèsi* επαφή, σχέση; legame, contatto; lien, contact me ton kosmo greko. Ghiurèfsonta na plusiani m’es diname dikè ttu, eghènnise kampossa lòja m’i desinenza -sìa ce addhe forè àddhafse o topo atte mire (j. d. ampelòfillo > fiddhàmbelo {ἀμπελόφυλλο > φυd-dάμbελο = foglia di vigna}).

***

Edìfsamo ettù i furma ce o ghettì tunì glossa e influenze pu diàvase, milìsamo attì fsikhì tti pu o felasi ti ampimpònni* ampimpònno: απορρίπτω, απωθώ; respingere; repousser, réfuter; to repulse, to refute e tesi fse mìa ghennisìa bizantinikì.
Ta ssianòmata stus dìo topu glossikù griku attin Katu Italia mas kàmane na noìsome ti, m’olo ka cia ssianomena atto Rohlfs ce atto Morosi ce ta grammena to ìane iu tossa, pràmata, ta pleo poddhà, pu sòzane doki mìa khera na fsekomostì o problema to ghennisì tis glossa grika ìkhane mìnonta krivimmena, ja tuo etelìsamo na gràfsome to dikò tti Λεξικὸ (glossario). Evrìkamo es ola ta khorìa gheno (contadinu, proataru, polemantu) pu kratènnane anìa i fsikhì tu griku, i dikì tto glossa mana.

O pleo vèkkio, Romano Domenico Antonio apu Vunì (pesammeno pu ìkhe 101 khronu) mas ele:

"Eĝò sa lleo to lloĝo ìjio ke otus èkhete na ton gràspite".

griko: Evò sas leo to lòo anìo ce iu èkhete n’o gràfsete.

Anastasios Karanastasis,
Γραμματική των Ελληνικών ιδιωμάτων της Κάτω Ιταλίας
{Grammatica degli idiomi greci del Sud Italia}
Accademia di Atene, 1997

1. O Rholfs, Vocabolario dei Dialetti Salentini, emilì atto khasi tu "infinitu" es ti glossa greka. Ma lei es mìa nota (p.XVII) pu es tin Italia emèni ankora (alìe forè) sakundu sto Ponto Eussino, sta ampisinà meri tu kosmu griku.

The language of hellenophones of Southern Italy, despite its similarities with Neo-Hellenic dialects of southern Greece, and especially of the Dodecanese, has – particularly in the area of phonetics – some autochthonous peculiarities of its own, which do not have any relationship with the language of Byzantine emigrants of the IX-X centuries, from which it would derive its origin, according to Italian researchers C. Battisti, G. Alessio and O. Parlangeli.

They support their argumentation by the fact that Greek idioms of Southern Italy have a Neo-Hellenic form. But this form (such as the one of Neo-Hellenic idioms) began in the third century BC, when the Hellenistic Koine levelled all ancient Greek dialects and simplified the form of the language.

Here is a list of the main language elements of hellenophones received from Koine and preserved up to the present day: the future tense is expressed by means of the present tense, an ongoing action is expressed with “steko”, “steo” and the present participle, the infinitive tense is still in use¹, "an">" tha " are not used in the hypothetical period, gemination (i.e. consonant elongation) has been kept, diminutives created by the tendency to simplify of the Koine language have no diminutive value.

Born in the VIII century BC from the language of the Doric settlers of Taranto, in Apulia, and of Reggio Calabria, the language of hellenophones has retained certain Doric lexical elements, which the Koine language could not expel, affecting the lives of farmers and shepherds and which do not exist either in the Byzantine language nor in modern Greek: this exclusive linguistic heritage of Greek idioms of Southern Italy are indisputable witnesses of the continuity of language, from the eighth century BC until today.

Another argumentation of those who support the Byzantine origin of hellenophones is that there are no historical data from which it arises that in ancient times Greeks lived further inland of Reggio Calabria and of Taranto, where hellenophones still live today.
We only have the much-discussed statement of Strabo (I century BC): «[...] Apart from Taranto, Naples and Reggio everything else has become barbaric [...], they have become Romans»; speaking of "barbarism", it means that the Greek inhabitants of the hinterland had lost their language. They had grown corrupt.

But, if during the first century BC, in the big cities of the coast Greek was spoken, it is very natural that it was also spoken in the villages of the hinterland. The information provided by the language of today's hellenophones constitute the most authentic historical documents.

One of the main reasons that has contributed to the settlement of Greek colonies was the demographic issue. Greek soil was unable to feed the entire population, and Greek triremes sailed along Pontus Euxinus coasts to transport wheat. Settlers attempted to found colonies in coastal areas with safe havens and fertile hinterland, typical resources of colonies of Southern Italy and of Sicily. Thus the colony of Cumae was founded by Eretrians and Chalcidians.
Eretrians and Chalcidians farmers cultivated the land with the plow described by Hesiod, where we read for the first time (VIII century BC) the terms “èlima” (plow) and “jìis” (the tiller of plow), these words do not exist in Byzantine language or even in modern Greek, but they survive in the language of the peasants of Calabria who still plow the earth with the same type of plow.
The fact that other rare words of the terminology of farmers’ life and of shepherds’ life are still used today, shows us that people have worked much in the same way from the eighth century BC to present day.
No Byzantine subject or any medieval settler could transfer Doric lexical elements and other rarer ones because they simply did not exist in their language.

Even some ancient semantic elements, that modern Greek does not have, witness the conservative nature of the language of Southern Italy’s hellenophones.
So “àtsalo” adjective, “ode” adverb, “jerro”, “sikonno”, “sodzo” verbs (Apulia), “sonno” (Calabria), “ekho” accompanied by an infinitive or by a final proposition, have preserved ancient meanings or Hellenistic ones.

In Italian scholars’ opinion, it was not possible not to assimilate linguistically the few thousands of Greeks during the Roman occupation, when Latin was spoken even on the British Isles.
During the Roman occupation the official language was Latin, but also many other languages were spoken. Greeks were familiar with Latin, like other conquered peoples, but at the same they retained their mother tongue.

Romans imposed their language to Celts, Iberians, Getae, Daci, Franks, but not to Greeks. And the fact that the presumed Byzantine settlers of the ninth century (if we accept that supposition), living for eleven centuries side by side with Italian language, have kept their own language with all its lexicological richness and its plasticity until today, does not convince those scholars that the language of the eighth century BC settlers could, a fortiori, be preserved, since it was closer to its source and enjoyed a renown far superior to that of Latin?

Of course, the language of hellenophones has exchanged lexical loans with Latin language. Some (among those arrived, according to G. Rohlfs, before the V-VI century AD) have preserved, but many of the loans made during the coexistence of the two peoples are not used anymore. The diffusion of Christianity has enriched Hellenic Southern Italy with words from the language of the Church (such as the names of the festivals, and of rituals).
The Italian loans are not so many as one would expect, taking into account the long coexistence of the two languages ​​and the fact that people, by talking them both, have transferred words from one language to the other. The assimilative capacity of Greek has given a Greek form to Italian loans, they have been made "Greek”, so that Italian nouns have become declinable (e.g. “to animale”, “tu animalìu”).

Ever since Turks completed the conquest of Greece (XV century), the language of our hellenophones lost any contact with the Greek world for more than four centuries. Trying to possess a thesaurus of its own, Griko formed a set of nouns with the suffix “-sìa” and in certain compounds it changed the place of the two members (e.g.: “ἀμπελόφυλλο” > “φυd-dάμbελο” = vine leaf).

***

Here we have introduced the form and the evolution of this language, the influences that it has undergone and the intrinsic elements whose value rejects the thesis of a Byzantine origin.
The collection of linguistic material in both Greek linguistic islands of southern Italy has led us to conclude that, despite the abundant material published by Morosi and Rohlfs, much of the material that could help solve the problem of the origin has not been hoarded, thus we have decided to compose its Λεξικὸ (Vocabulary).

In all villages we have found reliable informants - ordinary people, farmers, herders, laborers - who have preserved the integrity of their mother tongue. The eldest, Antonio Domenico Romano (who passed away at the age of 101 years) of Vuni, told us:

"Eĝò sa lleo to lloĝo ìjio ke otus èkhete na ton gràspite."

(I tell you the sound speech and so you have to write it down).

Anastasios Karanastasis,
Γραμματική των Ελληνικών ιδιωμάτων της Κάτω Ιταλίας
{Grammar of the Idioms of Southern Italy}
Academy of Athens, 1997

1. Rohlfs, in his Vocabulary of Salento Dialects, noted "the loss of infinitive tense" in Greek. In a footnote he states though (p. XVII) that it was kept in Italy (although restricted in applications) as was in Pontus Euxinus, at the borders of the Greek world.

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