Languages of Greece

[aat] 150,000 (2000). Attica (Attiki), Boeotia (Viotia), southern Euboea (Evia), and the island of Salamis (Salamina); Thrace; Peloponiso Peninsula, Arkadia; Athens. Mainly rural. Also the Northwestern Peloponnese with enclaves elsewhere in the Peloponnese; north of the island of Andros, 300 villages. Alternate names: Arvanitika, Arvanitic, Arberichte.  Dialects: Thracean Arvanitika, Northwestern Arvanitika, South Central Arvanitika. Arvanitika is partially intelligible to speakers of Tosk. Dialects are perceived as unintelligible to speakers of other dialects.  Classification: Indo-European, Albanian, Tosk 
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[als] 10,000 in Greece (2002 Nicholas). Epyrus Region, village of Lehovo. Alternate names: Camerija, Arvanitika.  Classification: Indo-European, Albanian, Tosk 
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[bul] 30,000 in Greece (1998 Greek Helsinki Monitor). Western Thrace, 3 departments, including Xanthi. Dialects: Pomak (Pomakci, Pomakika).  Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, South, Eastern 
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[ell] 9,859,850 in Greece (1986). Population total all countries: 12,258,540. Throughout the country, concentrated in Greek Macedonia. Also spoken in Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Canada, Congo, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Malawi, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Russia (Europe), Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey (Europe), Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA. Alternate names: Ellinika, Grec, Greco, Graecae, Romaic, Neo-Hellenic.  Dialects: Katharevousa, Dimotiki, Saracatsan. Katharevousa is an archaic literary dialect, Dimotiki is the spoken literary dialect and now the official dialect. The Saracatsan are nomadic shepherds of northern Greece. The Greek of Italy and that of Corsica are probably separate languages (R. Zamponi 1992). In Cyprus, the dialect is reported to be closer to Classical Greek than that spoken in Greece in some vocabulary and grammar, and to have many Arabic and Turkish loanwords. Lexical similarity 84% to 93% with Standard Greek.  Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic 
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[gss] 42,600 (1986 Gallaudet Univ.).  Classification: Deaf sign language 
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[pnt] 200,000 in Greece (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk). Population total all countries: 324,535. The majority of speakers live in Salonica, borough of Kalamaria, and the rest of Macedonia in Greece. Also spoken in Azerbaijan, Canada, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia (Europe), Turkey (Europe), USA. Alternate names: Pontic Greek.  Dialects: Speakers of Standard Greek cannot understand Pontic, and Pontic speakers are reported to not understand or speak Standard Greek. Pontic clubs and centers exist in the Athens-Peiraeus suburbs.  Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic 
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[rmn] 40,000 in Greece (1996 Birgit Igla). Population includes 10,000 Arlija, 30,000 Greek Romani. About 500 families in Agia Varvara. Agia Varvara, a suburb of Athens. Dialects: Greek Romani, Arlija (Erli).  Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Balkan 
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[rmy] 1,000 Lovari in Greece.  Alternate names: Romanés, Tsingani, Rom.  Dialects: Lovari.  Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Vlax 
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[rup] 200,000 in Greece (1995 Greek Monitor of Human and Minority Rights 1.3 Dec. 1995). Population total all countries: 306,237. Ethnic population: Possibly 700,000 in Greece (Association of French Aromanians). Northwest Salonika, and northern Greece, Pindus Mountains, around Trikala. Also spoken in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro. Alternate names: Macedo-Rumanian, Arumanian, Aromanian, Armina, Vlach.  Dialects: Structurally a distinct language from Romanian (F. Agard). It split from the other 3 Rumanian languages between 500 and 1000 A.D. Many dialects.  Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern 
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[ruq] 3,000 in Greece (2002 Nicholas). Population total all countries: 5,000. Kilkis prefecture, Meglen Region, north of Salonika. Also spoken in Macedonia. Alternate names: Meglenitic, Meglenite.  Dialects: Structurally a distinct language from Romanian, Macedo Romanian, and Istro Romanian (F. Agard).  Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern 
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[rge] 30 (2000).  Alternate names: Hellenoromani, Romika.  Dialects: Structured on Greek with heavy Romani lexicon.  Classification: Mixed Language, Greek-Romani  Nearly extinct.
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[mkd] 180,180 in Greece (1986 census). Macedonia Region in Greece, Florina prefecture, northern Kastoria prefecture, and Thessalonica prefecture. Alternate names: Macedonian Slavic, Macedonian.  Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, South, Eastern 
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[tsd] 1,200 (1981 J. Werner). 300 shepherds. Towns of Kastanitsa, Sitena, Prastos, Leonidi, Pramatefti, Sapounakeika, Tyros, Melana, possibly Korakovunio; eastern coast of Peloponnesos. Isolated in summer in the mountains west of Leonidi in the eastern Peloponnesus; in winter they descend to Leonidi and neighboring towns. Alternate names: Tsakonia.  Dialects: Northern Tsakonian (Kastanista-Sitena), Southern Tsakonian (Leonidio-Prastos), Propontis Tsakonian (Vatka-Havoutsi). Derived from the Doric dialect spoken in Lakonia by ancient Spartans. Northern and Southern are reported to be intelligible to each other's speakers, but Propontis was more distinct, and closer to Standard Greek. Not inherently intelligible with modern Greek (Voegelin and Voegelin 1977). Lexical similarity 70% or less with Standard Greek.  Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Doric 
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[tur] 128,380 in Greece (1976 WA). Thrace and Aegean regions. Alternate names: Osmanli.  Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Turkish 
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[cpg] Extinct. Resettled to various locations in Greece in 1922. Formerly in central Turkey (Cappadocia). The Sille dialect was in Sille town near Konya, Western Cappadocian was in villages south of Kayseri, Pharasa was in Pharasa (Faràs) and surrounding villages. Dialects: Sille, Western Cappadocian, Pharasa. Closest to Pontic. Even more distinct from Standard Greek than Pontic is.  Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic 
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[grc] Extinct.  Dialects: Koine Greek, Classical Greek.  Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic 
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