*Dates (beginning with Ancient Greek) from Wallace D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. p. 12. ISBN 0310218950. 

Aeolic (pronounced /ilk/) or Aeolian (/ioln/) Greek (also known as Lesbian or Lesbic Greek) is a linguistic term used to describe a set of dialects of Ancient Greek spoken mainly in Boeotia (a region in Central Greece) Thessaly and in the Aegean island of Lesbos and the Greek colonies of Asia Minor (Aeolis).

The Aeolic dialect shows many archaisms in comparison to the other Ancient Greek dialects (Attic-Ionic Doric Northwestern and Arcadocypriot) as well as many innovations.

Aeolic Greek is most widely known for being the language of the writings of Sappho and Alcaeus of Mytilene. 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 Alcaic stanza (the latter two so named after Sappho and Alcaeus respectively).

In Plato's Protagoras (dialogue) Prodicus labelled the Aeolic dialect of Pittacus of Mytilene as barbarian (barbaros)2 because of its difference from the Attic literary style:3 he didn't know to distinguish the words correctly being from Lesbos and having been raised with a barbarian dialect Contents 1 Phonology 1.1 Consonants 1.1.1 Labiovelars 1.1.2 Sonorant clusters 1.1.3 Loss of h 1.1.4 Retention of w 1.2 Vowels 1.2.1 Long a 1.2.2 Boeotian 1.3 Accent 2 Morphology 3 Glossary 3.1 Aeolian 3.2 Boeotian 3.3 Thessalian 4 References 5 See also Phonology Consonants Labiovelars

Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Greek *k changed to Aeolic p everywhere. By contrast PIE *k changed to Attic-Ionic Arcadocypriot and Doric t before e and i. PIE *ketwores Lesbian psures Boeotian pttares Attic tttares Ionic tsseres Doric ttores "four

Labiovelars were treated the same way in the P-Celtic languages and the Sabellic languages. Sonorant clusters

A Proto-Greek consonant cluster with h (from Indo-European *s) and a sonorant (r l n m w y) changed to a double sonorant in Aeolic (rr ll nn mm ww yy) by assimilation. In Attic-Ionic and Doric the h assimilated to the vowel before the consonant cluster causing the vowel to lengthen by compensatory lengthening. PIE VsR or VRs Attic-Ionic-Doric VVR. VsR or VRs Aeolic VRR.4 PIE *hsmi Proto-Greek *ehmi Aeolic emmi Attic-Ionic mi ( ) Loss of h Lesbian Aeolic lost in initial h- (psilosis "stripping") from Proto-Indo-European s- or y-. By contrast Ionic sometimes retains it and Attic always retains it. PIE *sehuelios Proto-Greek *hwelios Lesbian lios Ionic lios Attic hlios "sun" Retention of w In Thessalian and Boeotian (sub-dialects of Aeolic) and Doric the Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Greek semi-vowel w (digamma) was retained at the beginning of a word. PIE wek-es- Boeotian Doric wpos Attic-Ionic pos "word" "epic" (compare Latin vx "voice") Vowels Long a In Aeolic and Doric Proto-Greek long remains. By contrast in Attic long changes to long in most cases; in Ionic it changes everywhere.5 PIE *mehter- Aeolic Doric mtr Attic-Ionic mtr "mother" Boeotian In Boeotian the vowel-system was in many cases changed in a way reminiscent of the modern Greek pronunciation. Attic-Ionic /ai/ Boeotian /e/ Modern Greek /e/ Attic-Ionic /e/ Boeotian /i/ Modern Greek /i/ Attic-Ionic /oi/ Boeotian /y/ Mediaeval Greek and Old Athenaean /y/ Modern Greek /i/ Accent In Lesbian Aeolic the accent of all words is recessive (barytonesis) as is typical only in the verbs of other dialects.6 Attic-Ionic potams Lesbian ptamos "river" Morphology Contracted or vowel-stem verbs that are thematic in Attic-Ionic are often athematic (-mi) in Aeolic.7 Ionic phil Attic phil Aeolic phlmi "I love" The same is also found in Irish where this selection has been generalized i.e. -im. Aeolic athematic infinitive active ends in -men or (Lesbian) -menai. Attic-Ionic has -enai. Lesbian mmen mmenai; Thessalian Boeotian emen Attic-Ionic enai (spurious diphthong) In the Lesbian dialect this ending also extends to the thematic conjugation where Attic-Ionic has -ein. All three of these Aeolic endings occur in Homer. Homeric agmen Proto-Greek -ans and -ons -ais and -ois (first- and second declension accusative plural). Attic-Ionic -s and -s ( -).89 Dative plural -aisi and -oisi. Attic-Ionic -ais and -ois. The participle has ois and ais for Attic s ( ) s.10 Glossary Aeolian lios "sun" Doric also (Attic hlios; Cretan abelios; Laconian bela; Pamphylian babelios) ( PIE *sawel- ) gnos "struggle" (Attic agn; Elean dat. pl. agnois for agsi) athrmata gifts sent by kin to Lesbian brides (Sappho fr.) (compare Homeric hedna eedna) Aiolnes "Aeolians" (Attic Aioles)(aioliz "speak Aeolic compose in the Aeolian mode trick out with false words" Sophocles Fr.912 ) (aiole varyadorndiversify (aiolos quick-movingglitteringshifty) aklades (unpruned vineyards) (Attic akladeutoi ampeloi) akontion (part of troops) (Attic spear) (Macedonian rhachisspine or backboneanything ridged like the backbone) - amens -tos (Attic humn) thin skin membrane. amnes (Attic anemones aoros (Attic ahypnos without sleep) arpys (Attic ErosLove) attested in Crinagoras harpazein to snatch. Homeric harpaleos attractivedevouring asphe to them (Attic sphe sphi) bakchoa (Attic bothros sacred dungeon pit) balla threshold ( Attic blos ) ( Doric balos ) belphin dolphin ( Attic delphis ) and Belphoi Delphi bama Doric also (Attic bema walkingstep) blr incitement (Attic delear) . bradaniz brandishshake off. ( Cf.Elean bratana Common rhatane ) bradinos slendersoft (Attic rhadinos) Sapph.90104. braidion (Attic rhaidion easy) brakein to understand (dysbrakanon imprehensible) brakos long robe Sapph.70 Homeric rhakos wrakos briza root (Attic rhiza) brodon (Attic rhodon rose) and vagina metaphorically in Erotic Glossary. brodopachus with pinkrosy forearms (Attic rhodopuches) ( brodopachun Sappho) and brododaktulos with rosy fingers brocheos or broukeon (Attic brachy short) (Sapph.fr. 27) drasein (Attic to sacrifice) dnophos darkness Ionic also (Attic zophos) (akin to knephas) eide (Attic forest) ( Ionian also) Ennesiades Lesbian Nymphs epialts and epials nightmare (Attic ephialts) (wiki Ephialtes) zadelon with holes in itopen (Attic diadelon obvious) (Alcaeus 30 D 148P) imbris eel (Attic enchelys) iron holy (Attic hiern ) (Doric hiarn) (Ionic hirn) Issa old name of Lesbos Island Cf. Antissa issasthai (Attic klerousthai to take sth by lot) kankul (Attic kkis wetvapour mordant dyeing) kammarpsis dry Measure (Attic hemimedimnon half of Medimnos) karabides (Attic graes ) kaualeon Hsch (Attic aithos fire burning heat) (Cf.kai burn) klaides Doric also (Attic kleides bars bolts keys) M Mesostrophonia Lesbian festival messui (Attic in the middle) molsos (Attic fat) xennos foreignerguest-friendstrange (Attic xenos) (Ionic xeinos) ximba (Attic rhoia pomegranate-tree) (Boeotian sida) othmata (Attic ommata eyes) n na (Attic an) uponthroughagain (Arcadocypriot also) passyrion (Attic passydia totallyall togetherwith the whole army) pedameiv (Attic metameivo exchange) ( pedecho metecho) pedoikos metoikos peda for meta pempe five (Attic pente Pamphylian pede ) ( pempassein to count per five) (Attic pempe imp. of pemp send) Perrhamos Priamus (Alcaeus 74D111P (it means also king) psdos pedestrianinfantry) (Attic pezs) pesson plain (Attic pedion) pessyres four (Lesbian pisyres) (Boeotian pettares) (Attic tessares) (Doric tetores) sami save (Attic siz ) (Homeric sao) siglai ear-rings (Attic entia Laconian exbadia) skiphos Attic xiphos sword (skipt given as etym. of skiphos and xiphos Sch.Il.1.220; cf. skipei: nussei it prickspierces) spla(Attic stol) equipmentgarment (spaleis the sent one for staleis) strtos (Attic strats) army syrx (Attic flesh) (dative plural syrkesi Attic sarxin) tenekounti (Attic enoikounti dative singular of enoikn inhabiting) tragais you break grow rough and hoarse and smell like a goat tude tudai and tuide here) (Ionic tde) usdos (Attic ozos twigbranch) phauophoros priestess (Attic hiereia) (light-keeper) (Aeolic phau for Homeric pha shine) (Homeric phaos light Attic phs and phtophoros) phria (Attic thria beasts) Psapph (Attic Sapph) Boeotian aas aestton tomorrow (Attic aurion) (Cf.Attic s dawn) amillakas wine Theban (Attic oinos) andorkas a fish baidumn (Attic arotrian to plough) bana ( balara) woman ( Attic gun ) ( bankes battikes women ( Attic gunaikes ) bastrax or bastax (Attic trachlos neck) pl.bastraches bleerei (Attic he feels pity) Cf. eleairei gadou ( wadou) (Attic hd) (Corinna.17) Deus instead of Zeus. Attested also in Laconian and Rhodian. empyria divination (Attic manteia) (Hsch. public oath Koine ordeal by fire) zekeltides gourds 11 Amerias zakeltides (Phrygian zelkia vegetables) idephin sweet-voiced Hsch. <> . (Attic hduphnon) ( Aeolic wad- ad- ) istake scythe (Attic drepanon) iugodromein (Attic ekbothein and bodromein run to help) (<> Dionysus <> voicescream (Soph. Phil. 752))(Iungios Thessalian month) i and hin (Attic eg I) (hinga iga for egge) Karaios Boeotian epithet for Zeus meaning tallhead. Boeotian eponym Karaidas12 karoux13 (Attic kryx herald) kriddemen (Attic gelan to laugh) (Strattis fr. 47) Cf. (Cf.Attic kriz creakscreech) korilla little girl (Koine korasion from Attic korasis girl) (Aetolian korudion) mlatas (Attic poimen shepherd) (homeric mlon sheep) (Attic mlon apple Aeolic-Doric malon) mnarion (Attic kallyntron broom brush) opisthotila (Attic spia cuttlefish) (Strattis. fr. 473) (squirts its liquor from behind) opittomai (homeric opizomai I carerespect) (Laconian opiddomai) ophrygnai (Attic ophryazei he winks raising the eyebrowto be haughty) seia I persecuted (Attic edioxa) (Cf.Homeric seu move quicklychase) syoboitoi Hog-Boeotians (Cratinus.310) tripeza (Attic trapezatable)(from tetrapeza four-footed) (tripeza three-footed) (in Aeolic it would-be tripesda) pssmata Boeotian word acc. Aristonymus Thessalian abrems (Attic ableps unworthy seeing despicable (Cypriotic also) (Hes.text <> agora (Attic limen portharbour) (Hes.text < alphinia white poplar (PIE *albho- 'white') (Attic leuk PIE *leuk- 'brightlight') (Macedonian aliza) Aploun Apollo (Attic Apolln) (DoricPamphylian Apelon) aspaleia safeness (Attic asphaleia)14 astralos (Attic - psar Starling) bebukousthai to be swollen (Homeric buktaon blowing) bousia (Attic gongylidi turnip) dmossos public (Attic dmsios) opp. iddiostikos privative (Attic iditiks)1516 daratos Thessalian bread (Macedonian dramis) (Athamanian dramix) (PIE *der- cutsplit) despoina woman (Attic gun Doric guna) (fem. of despotes) enormos (agoraassemblymarket and chra) (Attic enorme get in a harbour hormos bayanchorage ereas children (Hsch.Attic tekna) (Homeric ernos young sproutscion) (Neo-Phrygian eiroi children) theanoustai (Attic xysters) ithei (Attic hamaxitos chariot-road) (Homeric 580) (Attic ithyseytheia straight line) impsas past participle of impto (Attic zeuxas zeugnymi join together)( Impsios Poseidon Zygius on horses) kalaphos (Attic Ascalaphus a bird (Magnesian) kapan chariot (Attic apn) also a helmet(kapanikos plenteous kis who anyone (Attic tis) (Laconian tir) (Arcadocypriot sis) karpaia Thessalo-Macedonian mimic military dance (see also Carpaea) Homeric karpalimos swift (for foot) eagerravenous. kyrrhos or kyrros sirmaster (Attic kyrios) Maketoun17 'Macedonian man' (Attic Makedn) (Thessalian --oun suffix for Attic n in both nominative and genitive of participlespronouns and nouns. mattu a meat-dessert of Macedonian or Thessalian origin (Athenaeus)18(Macedonian mattus a kind of bird) naeleis new-comers newly caught ones (Cf.nealeisneludes) 19 nebeu pray (Macedonian neu) (Attic euchomai neu wink) onala onalouma (Attic analma expense cost) ( on- in the place of Attic prefix ana- ongrapsantas SEG 27:202 Ptthalos and (Boeotian Phttalos) (Attic Thettals) (Ionic Koine Thessals) 'Thesalian man' ( Petthalia Thessalia) (Petthaloi Thessalians) (Koine thessalisti the thessalian way) ( Attic entethettalizomai become a Thessalian i.e. wear the large Thessalian cloak ( Thettalika ptera feathers' ) Eupolis.201. ) tageu to be tagos archon in Thessaly References Hesychius of Alexandria Roger D. Woodard (2008) "Greek dialects" in: The Ancient Languages of Europe ed. R. D. Woodard Cambridge: Cambridge University Press p. 51. Protagoras and Meno by Plato - Greek text James A. Towle Commentary on Plato: Protagoras 341c V vowel R sonorant s is itself. VV long vowel RR doubled or long sonorant. Smyth Greek Grammar par. 30 and note 31: Attic long e long a Smyth par. 162 note: (Lesbian) Aeolic recessive accent Smyth Greek Grammar par. 656: contract verbs in Aeolic Smyth par. 214 note 9: first declension in dialects Smyth par. 230 note: second declension in dialects Smyth par. 305 note Athenaeus Deipnosophists -9.369 Boiotia Anthedon Boiotia Orchomenos early 1st c. BC Krannon ca. 250-215 BC SEG 23:437 7 Selected Papers in Greek and Near Eastern History 1 by David Malcolm Lewis Peter John Rhodes Skotoussa 197-185 BC SEG 43:311 Thessalia Larisa 220-210 BC - SEG 27:202 Deipnosophists 14.663-4(pp.1059-1062) Magnesia Demetrias late 2nd c. BC 2 v d eAges of Greek c. 3rd millenium BC c. 16001100 BC c. 800300 BC c. 300 BC  AD 330 c. 3301453 since 1453 Proto-Greek Mycenaean Ancient Greek Koine Greek Medieval Greek Modern Greek v d eAncient Greece Outline       Timeline Periods Cycladic civilization  Minoan civilization  Mycenaean civilization  Greek Dark Ages  Archaic period  Classical Greece  Hellenistic Greece  Roman Greece Geography Aegean Sea  Hellespont  Macedonia  Sparta  Athens  Corinth  Thebes  Thermopylae  Ionian Sea  Ionia  Aeolis  Doris  Antioch  Alexandria  Pergamon  Miletus  Ephesus  Delphi  Delos   Olympia  Troy  Rhodes  Crete  Peloponnesus  Epirus  Cyprus  Pontus  Magna Graecia  Ancient Greek Colonies Politics Apella  Ecclesia  Heliaia  Boule  Agora  Graph paranmn  Areopagus  League of Corinth  Diadochi Rulers Kings of Sparta  Kings of Athens  Archons of Athens  Kings of Macedon  Kings of Pontus  Kings of Paionia  Roman Emperors  Kings of Kommagene  Kings of Lydia  Attalid Kings of Pergamon  Diadochi   Kings of Argos  Tyrants of Syracuse Life Agriculture  Clothing  Cuisine  Democracy  Economy  Education  Festivals  Homosexuality  Law  Marriage  Mourning ritual  Olympic Games  Pederasty  Philosophy  Prostitution  Religion  Slavery  Warfare  Wine Military Wars  Army of Macedon  Antigonid Macedonian army  Pezhetairoi  Hoplite  Seleucid army  Hellenistic armies  Phalanx formation  Peltast  Sarissa  Xyston  Sacred Band of Thebes People Philosophers Anaxagoras  Anaximander  Anaximenes  Antisthenes  Aristotle  Democritus  Diotima of Mantinea  Diogenes of Sinope  Epicurus  Empedocles  Heraclitus  Hypatia  Leucippus  Gorgias  Parmenides  Plato  Protagoras  Pythagoras  Socrates  Thales  Themistoclea  Zeno Authors Aeschylus  Aesop  Aristophanes  Euripides  Herodotus  Hesiod  Homer  Lucian  Menander  Pindar  Plutarch  Polybius  Sappho  Sophocles  Thucydides  Xenophon Others Alexander the Great  Alcibiades  Archimedes  Aspasia  Demosthenes  Euclid  Hipparchus  Hippocrates  Leonidas  Lycurgus  Milo of Croton  Pericles  Ptolemy  Solon  Themistocles Buildings Parthenon  Temple of Artemis  Acropolis  Ancient Agora  Temple of Zeus at Olympia  Temple of Hephaestus  Samothrace temple complex Arts Architecture  Coinage  Literature  Music  Pottery  Sculpture  Theatre Sciences Astronomy  Mathematics  Medicine  Technology Language Proto-Greek  Mycenaean  Homeric  Dialects (Aeolic  Arcadocypriot  Attic  Doric  Ionic  Locrian  Macedonian  Pamphylian)  Koine Writing Linear A  Linear B  Greek alphabet Lists Ancient Greek tribes  Greeks  Thracian Greeks  Cities in Epirus  Ancient Macedonians  Playwrights  Theatres  Poets  Tyrants  Philosophers  Cities  Mythological figures  Place names Portal See also Aeolian (disambiguation) Sappho Alcaeus Ancient Macedonian language