Ancient (Dorian) greek dialect still lives!

[AnthoniusII]

Magna Grecia (Μεγαλη Ελλας) was the total number of the greek colonies in central/south Itally and Sicily.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Through the centuries that followed the Roman qonquest many beleived that greek culture and language lost.
It is true that after all those qonquers (Romans ,Goths,Lombards,Arabs and Normans) greeks of sicily lost their cultural conection to the rest of central/south Itally.
But arround Napoly,Taranto and mainly in Calabria "Greakani" still continued to use mainly the dorian greek dialect (the same Macedonians and Spartans used).Its also true that medieval greek language additions have also apeared.
Italian language throught the last two centuries replaced a major part of the "every day use of that dialect".
Still greakani language is alive mostly in local songs. Tarantela is the most famous music of those greakani that became common in whole south Itally ,mainly in former Greek collonies like Neapolis (Napoly) ,Taras (Taranto) and Salerno (Calabria).
Never the less the existance of that dialect -even with the italian heavy influence- is the most close we have to the ancient Dorian dialect and its a proof that greeks of any race/tribe do not loose their heritage no matter the influences they come accross .
For "Callash" i will talk another time.
You can hear (among any italian words) that greek dorian dialect and music through the following videos.

Relative Videos

SO this is not a post to show some songs but to point that history is alive and close to us.
History is not an academic tool but we can live in it through many features of our common life.
Hear the songs and live the expirience of ancient greek language that is not very much diferend of modern one.
Example moder Greeks say kali nihta and dorians say kali nifta but both mean "good night".

[The Noble Lord]

Interesting, well we know that Southern Italy and Sicily was dotted with Greek cities since the antiquity and people of Syracuse were Dorians like the Spartans, but it's interesting to find out that dialect is till alive today.

[MAXlMUS]

cool! i had no idea that greek dialects were still spoken in italy. i'm surprised they've survived for this long. nice music by the way
+rep

[jo the greek]

yes but didnt this populations reinforced during byzantine age and later with other greekphones

[AnthoniusII]

yes but didnt this populations reinforced during byzantine age and later with other greekphones

That is why i mention "medieval greek language" in my text.
But those additions are too few..

[Manuel I Komnenos]

Also, even through the era of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily most of the population was made up of Greeks and Arabs.
There are many examples of Greek officials and officers in the army and navy of the Norman Kingdom..

I also know about an Italian team, Hellas Verona which has some connection with the Greeks living in the South I think..

[DAVIDE]

Hellas is just the name given by some local classical students with the help of their Greek professor

[Manuel I Komnenos]

Hellas is just the name given by some local classical students with the help of their Greek professor

Alright, thanks for the info..

[AnthoniusII]

In that dialect words like colasi (hell) or devol or scimilar simply do not exist.

[Carpathian Wolf]

This always makes me think of Vito Corleone when he ran away to Sicilia and how he or his friends were talking about "a local girl that looks more Greek than Italian."

[Last Roman]

"a local girl that looks more Greek than Italian."

How could you tell the difference?

[Carpathian Wolf]

How could you tell the difference?

Yeah exactly.

[The Noble Lord]

This always makes me think of Vito Corleone when he ran away to Sicilia and how he or his friends were talking about "a local girl that looks more Greek than Italian."

Yes, interesting thing in that movie.

[Akrotatos]

Tsakonian is also a Doric dialect that survives in Greece

[DAVIDE]

I have a greek nose and i m living in north Italy lol

[jo the greek]

I have a greek nose and i m living in north Italy lol

Yes but modern greeks have a more roman nose than greek lol

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

cool +rep

[jo the greek]

Local Italian referred in the past Grecanoi as Turks