Griko language
Griko, sometimes spelled
Grico, is a
Modern Greek dialect which is spoken by people in the
Magna Graecia region in southern
Italy and
Sicily, and it is otherwise known as the
Grecanic language. Greeks often call the dialect
Katoitaliótika (Greek: Κατωιταλιώτικα, "Southern Italian") and sometimes
Calabrian, although the latter may also serve as an
euphemism for a Greek-Italian
pidgin language.
Two small Griko-speaking communities survive today in the Italian regions of
Calabria (
Province of Reggio Calabria) and
Puglia (peninsula of
Salento). The Griko-speaking area of Salento comprises nine small towns in the
Grecìa Salentina region (
Calimera,
Martano,
Castrignano de' Greci,
Corigliano d'Otranto,
Melpignano,
Soleto,
Sternatia,
Zollino,
Martignano), with a total of 40,000 inhabitants. The
Calabrian Griko region also consists of nine villages in
Bovesia, and four districts in the city of
Reggio Calabria, but its population is significantly smaller.
The most prevalent theory on the origin of Griko is the one by
Gerhard Rohlfs and
G. Hatzidakis, stating that Griko's roots go as back in history as the time of the ancient Greek
colonisation of Southern Italy and Sicily, in the
8th century BCE. In that respect, this Southern Italian dialect is the last living trace of the Greek elements that once formed Magna Graecia. This theory is backed by evidence regarding the multitude of
Doric words and other ancient Greek items of
vocabulary in Griko. Griko, just like
Tsakonian (a Southern Greek dialect), hails from the
Doric branch of the
Ancient Greek language and has evolved independently from
Hellenistic Koine (from where
Modern Greek Koine stems). However Griko and Common Modern Greek are mutually intelligible to some extent.
There is rich oral tradition and Griko
folklore. Griko songs,
music and
poetry are particularly popular in Italy and
Greece. Famous music groups from Salento include
Ghetonia and
Aramirè. Also, influential Greek artists such as
Dionysis Savvopoulos and
Maria Farantouri have performed in Griko.
The Italian
parliament has recognized the Griko community of Salento as an
ethnic and
linguistic minority, under the name of
"Minoranze linguistiche Grike dell'Etnia Griko-Salentina" (linguistic minority of the Griko-Salentinian ethnicity).
from "Kalinifta", a popular Griko song:
Griko
Εβώ πάντα σε σένα πενσέω,
γιατί σένα φσυχή μου 'γαπώ,
τσαι που πάω, που σύρνω, που στέω
στην καρδιά μου πάντα σένα βαστώ.
transliteration:
Ebo panta se sena pensèo,
ghiatì sena phsikhèy mou gapò,
Tsai pou pao, pou syrno, pou steo
steyn kardià mou panta sena bastò.
Modern Greek
Εγώ πάντα εσένα σκέφτομαι,
γιατί εσένα ψυχή μου αγαπώ,
και όπου πάω, όπου σέρνομαι, όπου στέκομαι,
στην καρδιά μου πάντα εσένα βαστώ.
*
Greek-Calabrian dialect*
Grika milume! An online Griko community
*
Enosi Griko, Coordination of Grecìa Salentina Associations
*
Magna Graecia a
Yahoo! discussion forum in Griko, Greek, English and Italian.
*
Grecìa Salentina official site (in Italian)
*
Salento Griko (in Italian)
