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For the architectural style, see Aeolic order.

History of the Greek language (see also: Greek alphabet)

Proto-Greek (c. 2000 BC)

Mycenaean (c. 1600–1100 BC)

Ancient Greek (c. 800–300 BC) Dialects: Aeolic, Arcadocypriot, Attic-Ionic, Doric, Pamphylian; Homeric Greek. Possible dialect: Macedonian.

Koine Greek (from c. 300 BC)

Medieval Greek (c. 330–1453)

Modern Greek (from 1453) Dialects: Cappadocian, Cretan, Cypriot, Demotic, Griko, Katharevousa, Pontic, Tsakonian, Yevanic

Aeolic Greek (also known as Lesbian Greek) is a linguistic term used to describe a set of rather archaic Greek sub-dialects, spoken mainly in Boeotia (a region in Central Greece), in Lesbos (an island close to Asia Minor) and in other Greek colonies.

It is probable that the Aeolic speakers represent the second (i.e. Achaean) migratory wave of Greeks (Hellenes) from the plains of Central Europe (or, according to other opinions, from what is present-day Ukraine) into their current homeland. The Aeolic dialect shows many archaisms, in comparison to the other Greek dialects (i.e. Ionian-Attic, Doric, Northwestern and Arcado-Cypriot), as well as many innovations.

Aeolic Greek is most widely known for being the language of the writings of Sappho and Alcaeus. Aeolic poetry, the most famous example of which being the works of Sappho, mostly uses four classical meters known as the Aeolics, which are: Glyconic (the most basic form of Aeolic line), Hendecasyllabic verse, Sapphic stanza and Alcaeic stanza (the latter two so named after Sappho and Alcaeus respectively).

In Protagoras (dialogue)

341c^[1] of Plato , Prodicus labelled the aeolic dialect as barbarian,while referring to Pittacus of Mytilene

He didn't know to distinguish the words correctly,being from Lesbos,and having been raised with a barbarian dialect

Contents 1 Main traits of the Aeolic dialect 2 Glossary 2.1 Aeolic 2.2 Boeotic 2.3 Thessalic 3 References 4 See also

• The original proto-Indo-European (and Proto-Greek) labiovelar, *kʷ, turned into p everywhere, whereas the Attic-Ionic, Arcadocyprian and Doric dialects have t before e and i (e.g. Attic τέτταρες, Ionic τέσσερες, Doric τέτορες ~ Lesbian πίσυρες, Boeotian πέτταρες "four" < PIE *kʷetu̯ores). This treatment of the labiovelar finds its exact counterpart in the so-called P-Celtic languages and in the Sabellic languages.
• The Proto-Greek long ā was retained everywhere, in contrast to the Attic-Ionic dialect, which turned it into a long open ē (e.g. Attic-Ionic μήτηρ ~ Aeolic μάτηρ "mother" < IE *meh₂ter-).
• The Aeolic dialect made extensive use of the so-called "athematic" verb conjugation, i.e. the conjugation ending in -mi (e.g. Attic-Ionic φιλέω, φιλῶ ~ Aeolic φίλημι "love"). The same is also found in Irish, where this selection has been generalized, i.e -im.
• In the Lesbian dialect, the tonic accent of all words appears recessive ("barytonesis"), as is typical only in the verbs of other dialects (e.g. Attic-Ionic ποταμός ~ Lesbian πόταμος "river").
• The athematic infinitive ending of the Aeolic dialect is -men (Lesbian also -menai) as in the Doric dialects, whereas Attic-Ionic has -(e)nai (e.g. Attic-Ionic εἶναι ~ Lesbian ἔμμεν, ἔμμεναι, Thessalian, Boeotian εἶμεν). In the Lesbian dialect this ending also extends to the thematic conjugation (e.g. ἀγέμεν).
• In Lesbian Aeolic, the phenomenon of "psilosis" occurred, as in the Ionic dialect; this is the absence of the aspiration of initial vowels, frequently the result of the loss of sigma or digamma (e.g. Attic ἥλιος ~ Ionic ἠέλιος, Lesbian ἀέλιος "sun" < Proto-Greek *hāwelios < PIE *seh₂u̯elios, suh₂lios).
• In Thessalian and Boeotian, the proto-Indo-European (and Proto-Greek) semi-vowel w ("digamma") was retained word-initially, as it was in the Doric dialect (e.g. Attic-Ionic ἔπος ~ Boeotian, Doric ϝέπος "word, epic" < PIE u̯ekʷ-es-, cf. Latin vōx).
• In Boeotian, the vowel-system was, in many cases, changed in a way reminiscent of the modern Greek pronunciation: Attic-Ionic αι /ai/ ~ Boeotian η /e:/ ~ Modern Greek αι /e/; Attic-Ionic η /e:/ ~ Boeotian ει /i:/ ~ Modern Greek ει /i/; Attic-Ionic οι /oi/ ~ Boeotian υ /y:/ ~ Modern Greek οι /i/.
• The original Indo-European consonant clusters *-sm-, -sn-, -sr-, -sl-, -ms-, -ns-, -rs-, -ls- were assimilated to -mm-, -nn-, -rr-, -ll-. The Attic-Ionic and Doric dialects have a short nasal / liquid and compensatory lengthening instead (e.g. Attic-Ionic εἰμί ~ Aeolic ἔμμι < PIE *h₁ésmi).

• ἀέλιος aelios (Attic helios sun)
• ἄγωνος agonos (Attic ἀγῶν agon struggle)
• ἀθρήματα athremata gifts sent by kins to Lesbian brides (Sappho fr.)
• Αἰολίωνες Aioliones (Attic Αἰολεῖς Aeoleis Aeolians)
• ἀκλάδες aklades (unpruned vineyards)
• ἀκόντιον akontion (part of troops)
• ἀμένης -τος amenes -tos (Attic ὑμήν humēn) thin skin, membrane.
• ἀμώνες amones (Attic ἀνεμώνες anemones
• ἄορος aoros (Attic ἄϋπνος ahypnos ,without sleep) Μηθυμναῖοι
• ἄρπυς arpys (Attic ἔρως Eros,Love) attested in Crinagoras, maybe related to ἁρπάζειν harpazein to snatch.
• βακχόα bacchoa (Attic βόθρος bothros sacred dungeon, pit)
• Βέλφοι Belphoi Delphi
• βᾶμα bama (Attic βῆμα bema walking,step)
• βράιδιον braidion (Attic ῥάιδιον rhaidion easy)
• βρόδα broda (Attic ῥόδα rhoda ,roses)
• βροχέως brocheos or βρουκέων broukeon (Attic βραχύ brachy short) (Sapph.fr. 2,7)
• δράσειν drasein (Attic θύειν to sacrifice)
• δνόφος dnophos (Attic ζόφος zophos ,dark)
• εἴδη eide (Attic ὕλη ,forest) (εἴδη Ionian also)
• Ἐννησιάδες Ennesiades Lesbian Nymphs
• ἐφέλης epheles (Attic ephialtes nightmare) (ἐπιάλλης epialles ἐπωφέλης epopheles)
• ζάδηλον zadelon (Attic diadelon obvious) ([[[Alcaeus]] 30 D 148P)
• ἴμβηρις imberis (Attic ἔγχελυς enchelys ,eel) Μηθυμναῖοι
• ἴρος iros (Attic ἱερός hieros holy)
• Ἰσσα old name of Lesbos Island see Antissa
• ἴσσασθαι issasthai (Attic κληροῦσθαι to take sth by lot)
• καγκύλη kangyle (Attic κηκῖς kekis wet,vapour,,mordant(dyeing),οak-fruit)
• κάμμαρψις kammarpsis dry Measure (Attic τὸ ἡμιμέδιμνον half of Medimnos)
• καραβίδες karabides (Attic γρᾶες graes old women) Μηθυμναῖοι
• καυαλέον kaualeon or καυαλές kauales (Attic αἶθος aithos fire, burning heat)
• κλᾷδες klaides (Attic ζυγά evens,pairs,juga)
• Mεσοστροφώνια Mesostrophoniai Lesbian festival
• μέσσυϊ messui (Attic ἐν μέσῳ in the middle)
• μόλσος molsos (Attic δημός ,fat)
• ξίμβα ximba (Attic ῥοιά rhoia pomegranate-tree)
• ὄθματα othmata (Attic ὄμματα eyes)
• οἷα oia (Attic τὰ δυνατά ,possible,powerful (οἷός τ’εἰμι I can)
• πασσύριον passyrion (Attic πασσυδία totally,all together,with the whole army)
• πεδαμείβω pedameivo (Attic metameivo exchange) (πεδέχω pedecho μετέχω metecho) peda instead of meta
• πέμπε pempe (Attic πέντε pente five,πε(μ)πάσσειν pempassein to count per five
• Πέῤῥαμος Perrhamos aeolic type of Priamus (Alcaeus 74D,111P)
• πέσδος pesdos (Attic pezós pedestrian,infantry)
• πές(ς)ον pes(s)on (Attic πεδίον pedion,plain)
• πέσσυρες pessyres Lesbian πίσυρες pisyres Boeotian πέτταρες pettares (Attic τέσσαρες tessares four)
• ῥόδον rhodon rose vagina
• σάω sao σαόω (Attic σῴζω sozo save) (Homeric σαόω saoo)
• στρότος strótos (Attic stratós army)
• συρξ syrx (Attic σάρξ flesh) (dative plural σύρκεσιν syrkesi Attic σαρξίν sarxin)
• τενεκοῦντι tenekounti (Attic ἐνοικοῦντι dative singular of ἐνοικῶν enoikon inhabiting)
• τράγαις tragais
• τῦδε tyde (Attic τοίδε here)
• ύσδος usdos (Attic ozos twig,branch)
• φαυόφοροι phauophoroi (Attic ἱέρειαι ,priestesses)
• φηρία pheria (Attic θηρία theria beasts)
• Ψάπφα Psappha Σαπφώ Sappho

• βαιδύμην baidymen (Attic ἀροτριᾶν to plough)
• βάλαρες balares (Attic οἱ μαλακοί,soft,effeminate)
• βανά bana (Attic γυνή gyne woman) (βανῆκες,banekes βάττικες battikes Attic gynaikes,women)
• βάστραξ bastrax (Attic τράχηλος trachelos neck)
• βλεερεῖ bleerei (Attic οἰκτείρει he feels pity)
• ἐμπυρία empyria manteia seercraft (Attic ἐμπυρία public oath)
• ζακελτίδες zakeltides or zekeltides gourds ^[2] (Phrygian zelkia vegetables)
• ἴδηφιν idephin sweet-voiced ἴδαις idais (Attic ἡδύς sweet)
• ἰστάκη istake (Attic δρέπανον scythe)
• ἰυγοδρομεῖν iygodromein (Attic ἐκβοηθεῖν,run to help) <Ἰύγγυϊ> Dionysus <ἰυγή>· voice,scream (Soph. Phil. 752)
• ἰώγα ioga (Attic ἔγωγε egoge Me off course) (Ar. Ach. 898)
• Καραιός Karaios Boeotian epithet for Zeus meaning tall,head
• κριδδέμεν kriddemen (Attic γελᾶν gelan to laugh) (Strattis fr. 47)
• μηλάτας melatas (Attic ποιμήν poimen shepherd) (homeric μῆλον mēlon sheep)
• μνάριον mnarion (Attic κάλλυντρον kallyntron cosmetic and broom ) <μναρόν>· μαλακόν. ἡδύ. sweet [κόρημα] θυμῆρες (Cratinus. fr. 431)
• ὀπισθοτίλα opisthotila (Attic σηπία sepia cuttlefish) (Strattis. fr. 47,3)
• ὀπίττομαι opittomai (homeric ὀπίζομαι I care,respect)
• ὀφρυγνᾷ ophrygna (Attic ὀφρυάζει ophryazei he winks raising the eyebrow)
• σεῖα seia I persecuted (Attic ἐδίωξα) (Laconian σεῖν sein run) (Attic θεῖν thein run)
• Συοβοιωτοί οἱ Βοιωτοὶ σύες Boeotian pigs
• τρίπεζα tripeza (Attic τράπεζα,table)
• ψώσματα psosmata παρὰ Ἀριστωνύμῳ πέπαικται ἡ λέξις τῇ Βοιωτῶν διαλέκτῳ

• ἀβρεμής abremes (Attic ἀβλεπής ablepes ἀνάξιος του βλέπεσθαι unworthy seeing, despicable (Cypriotic also)
• Ἀγορά agora (Attic λιμήν limen port,harbour)
• αελεῖς aeleis recent,new-comers (Homeric,Attic νεήλυδες neeludes)
• ἀστραλός astralos (Attic ψάρ -ος psar Starling)
• βεβυκῶσθαι bebukosthai πεπρῆσθαι to be swollen (Homeric βυκτάων buktaon blowing)
• βουσία bousia (Attic γογγυλίδι gongylidi turnip)
• δέσποινα despoina (Attic γυνή woman)
• ἔνορμος enormos (Attic ἀγορὰ Agora,assembly,market)
• ἐντεθετταλίσθαι entethettalisthai (Attic ἐνκεχλαμυδῶσθαι to have worn Chlamys)
• ἐρέας ereas τέκνα children
• θεανῶσται theanostai (Attic ξυστῆρες xysters)
• Θετταλοί Thettaloi Thessalians
• ἰθείη itheie (Attic ἁμαξιτός chariot-road) (Homeric ἰθεῖα ὀρθή Ψ 580) (Attic ithys,eytheia straight line)
• ἴμψας impsas participle of impto? (Attic ζεύξας zeuxas zeugnymi join together)(Ἴμψιος Impsios Ποσειδῶν ὁ ζύγιος Poseidon Zygius on horses)
• κάλαφος kalaphos (Attic ἀσκάλαφος,Ascalaphus a bird Magnetes
• ξεῖνοι xeinoi foreigners (Attic xenoi)

• Hesychius of Alexandria

• Aeolian
• Sappho
• Alcaeus
• Ancient Macedonian language