Perceptions and Social Uses of the Ancient Greek Dialects

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Perceptions and Social Uses of the Ancient Greek Dialects

Edited by: Andreas Willi and Philomen Probert

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2026

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This book is in the series

Volume 7 | Trends in Classics – Greek and Latin Linguistics

About this book

Research on the ancient Greek dialects traditionally focusses on the grammatical description of these regional varieties. But dialects are more than geographically conditioned varieties of a language: in antiquity no less than in modern times, dialects may assume a range of social meanings, as speakers associate specific forms of speech with communicative situations and purposes that are independent of geographical location as such. This volume aims to complement research on the grammars of the ancient Greek dialects by exploring sociolinguistic and socio-pragmatic dimensions of dialect variation in the Greek world. For example, what factors determine the choice of a given variety, in situations of competition between different dialects—including competition between Koiné Greek and regional dialects? How are regional dialects represented in literature, and what do ancient sources tell us about the para-linguistic associations evoked by the use of a given dialect? How do ancient scholars and grammarians evaluate dialect usage—including ‘unexpected’ dialect features in literary texts? How do social and historical changes impact on the relationship between epichoric and literary dialects?

Author / Editor information

Andreas Willi, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Philomen Probert, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	v
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
List of Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed
List of Tables Publicly Available Download PDF	XIII
List of Figures Publicly Available Download PDF	XV
Introduction: Perceptions and Social Uses of the Ancient Greek Dialects Andreas Willi and Philomen Probert Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
Section I: Poetic Dialects and Epigraphic Poetry
A Polymorphic Goddess: The Multiple Dialectal Variants of Athena’s Name in Attic Poetry Sara Kaczko Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	31
Alternative Literary Traditions in Greek Epigrammatic Poetry down to 400 BCE? Paloma Guijarro Ruano Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	53
Local Dialects and “Literary Language(s)” in Classical and Hellenistic Inscribed Sacred Songs: Tradition, Linguistic Adaptation, and Transmission Alcorac Alonso Déniz Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	81
Hellenistic Epigrams from Cos: Between Pan-Hellenic Dialectal Trends and Local Influence Dalia Pratali Maffei Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	107
Section II: Regional Histories of Dialect Use and Variation
Dialect Competition: Arcadian as a Test Case Araceli Striano Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	137
The Cretan Dialect and its Socio-political Context (8th-1st Centuries BCE) Monique Bile Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	159
The Boeotian Dialect (Late 8th or Early 7th to 2nd Century BCE): Ecology of a System Guy Vottéro Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	179
Dialect, Koine, and Latin on Lesbos René Hodot Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	209
Section III: When and How to Switch to Koine Greek
Competing Influences and Dialectal Models in the Language of Boeotian Proxeny Decrees (4th to 2nd Century BCE) Matilde Garré Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	229
Koineization in NW Doric Areas and the Onomastic Evidence: The Κλεύμαχος/Κλεόμαχος-type Compound Names Revisited Panagiotis Filos Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	253
Socio-dialectal Koineization in the Argive Onomasticon: A Quantitative Analysis of a Cohort of 275 Personal Names (6th cent. BCE – 2nd cent. CE) Sophie Minon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	285
Section IV: Perceptions and Classifications of the Greek Dialects in Antiquity and Beyond
Perceptions of Linguistic Divergence in Greek Comedy Anna A. Novokhatko Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	313
Sounding Attic in Imperial Inscriptions Olga Tribulato Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	333
“Unlicensed Greek”: The “Dialect of Alexandria” in Ancient Greek Scholarship Federico Favi Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	365
*The Grammaticus Leidensis* on the Aeolic Dialect: A Study in Textual Criticism and Historical Perceptual Dialectology** Niels Schoubben Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	395
The Aeolodoric Theory: A Reflection on the Perception of the Ancient Greek Dialects Chiara Monaco Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	415
List of Contributors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	439
General Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed
Index of Authors and Passages Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed
Index of Inscriptions and Papyri Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

November 17, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9783111679112

Hardcover published on:

November 17, 2025

Hardcover ISBN:

9783111678740

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Front matter:

14

Main content:

474

Illustrations:

12

Tables:

38

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111679112

eBook ISBN: 9783111679112

Hardcover ISBN: 9783111678740

Keywords for this book

Ancient Greek; dialectology; Ancient Greece; Historical Sociolinguistics

Audience(s) for this book

Classicists as well as linguists interested in ancient Greek or historical Sociolinguistics

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Perceptions and Social Uses of the Ancient Greek Dialects

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Bibliographic data