Tsakonian grammar

What is the Tsakonian language?

Tsakonian Greek is a critically endangered variety of Greek spoken in the Southeastern coast of the Peloponnese, Greece. Unlike most other Greek varieties, which evolved from Attic or Ionic Greek, Tsakonian is considered to be the only variety living descendant of the Doric Greek dialect spoken in ancient Sparta (Liosis, 2016) and used by King Leonidas on his well-known saying Μολών λαβέ (Molón lavé, Come and take them) during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

The Ancient Greek language was divided into several dialects, with Doric being one of the most prominent ones, spoken in the Peloponnese and the islands of the Southern Aegean.

After the sacking of Sparta by the Visigoths in the 396 AD, Spartans relocated to isolated areas in the mountains, where the language was preserved over the centuries with reduced contact with nearby populations. As Liosis (2019) states, after the references to Neo-Laconians by Hessychius in the 5th century, it wouldn't be until 1668 when the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi would mention the Tsakonians again and provided a short list of 35 words. More through documentation of the language would start in the 19th century, with the work of several linguists. Among them, German Michael Deffner works, including a grammar (1881) and a dictionary (1923), stand out, demostrating the Laconian roots of the language. On the the second half of the 20th century, the Tsakonian-born linguist Thanasis Kostakis would publish a series of works on the language. These include the most comprehensive dictionary of the language, the Dictionary of the Tsakonian Dialect (Λεξικό της Τσακωνικής Διαλέκτου) in a 3-volume edition covering both Peloponnesian and Propontis Tsakonian.

The language isolation shifted in the 20th century when exposure to radio systems and the improvement of road connections led to a sharp decline in Tsakonian usage from the 70’s onwards. Restrictions to the usage of the language at schools and the lack of written materials have also contributed to the language’s decline. Currently, it is estimated that it is used by around 2000 speakers, mostly aged 50 or more and with reduced exposure to younger generations (Endangered Languages Project, 2024). Other reports (Nicholas, 2019) indicate even lower estimates of around 1000 speakers.

However, revitalization efforts have been undertaken, driven mainly by the Tsakonian Archives. Founded in 1954, it has gathered and published a significant amount of material on Tsakonian language and culture. The book Για να κ̇οντούμε τα γρούσσα νάμου (To preserve our language) by Ioannis Kamvysis (2020) is a recent example of this effort and can be found on the Archive's webpage. Designed as an introductory book for Tsakonian learners, it includes valuable materials for learning the language, such as grammar explanations, vocabulary and texts.

Besides, despite limited daily usage, local communities acknowledge the language’s value as a cultural heritage by their eagerness to share information about the language and the presence of signs in Tsakonian. Current academics such as Maxim Kisilier have also contributed to the endeavors and study of the language by imparting Tsakonian lessons and producing scientific publications. Other local figures include Panos Marneris, author of the book Το βιβλίε νάμου (Our book, 2024), aimed at promoting the language among the younger generations. More informal Tsakonian sources can be found in certain Facebook groups, such as Vaskina's friends.

Despite the efforts, written material is extremely scarce and requires Modern Greek knowledge to be understood. Hoping to collaborate to the endeavors, the Tsakonian Digital group is currently working on the digitalization and preservation of Tsakonian using electronical means: a digital open dictionary based on existing sources has been put forward while aiming at developing an artificial intelligence capable of speaking Tsakonian for a richer and innovative preservation approach.

Dialects of Tsakonian

Tsakonian is traditionally divided into three main dialects: Northern, Southern, and Propontis. Each dialect has its own unique features and variations, but all share the common Doric roots that distinguish Tsakonian from other Greek varieties.

Following Nicholas (2019), Southern Tsakonian is spoken in the villages of Melana (Μέλανα), Prastos (Πραστός), Tyros (Τυρός), Pramateftis (Πραγματευτής) and Sapunakeika (Σαπουνακαιίκα) and the town of Leonidio (Λεωνίδιο), called Agielidi (Αγιελίδι) by locals. Nothern Tsakonian is spoken in the villages of Sitena (Σίταινα) and Kastanitsa (Καστάνιτσα) in the mountains of Arcadia. These Northern towns have been more exposed to Standard Modern Greek due to the presence of primary schools and the mobility of the population . Kamvysis (2020), in his description of Tsakonia, also includes the towns of Sampatigi (Σαμπατηγή), Vaskina (Βασκίνα), Livadi (Λιβάδι) and Agios Andreas (Άγιος Ανδρέας).

The Propontis Tsakonian was used in the towns of Vatika (Βάτικα) and Havutsi (Χαβουτσί) in the Sea of Marmara region. After the population exchange of 1922, Propontis Tsakonian speakers were scattered throughout Greece, leading to the dissapearance of the dialect. However, Thanasis Kostakis was able to interview some exiled speakers and cover it in his Dictionary of the Tsakonian Dialect. The dialect was more conservative than Peloponnesian Tsakonian and underwent significant influence from Thracian Greek used by Greeks in the area, bringing it closer to the Standard Modern Greek (Nicholas, 2019).