Tsakonian is a unique hellenic language spoken in Tsakonia (Greek Τσακωνιά), a group of villages in the Kynouria district of the Eastern Peloponnese (part of the Prefecture of Arkadia).  It is believed to be the only living descendant of Laconian, the dialect of ancient Sparta, and the only modern direct relative of the Doric or West Greek dialects of Ancient Greek (AG). Nowadays the number of speakers is reduced, due to factors such as the dialect's prohibition in schools during the 1950s, migration etc.  Despite this, the Tsakonians are proud of their linguistic heritage and great efforts are currently being made get young people in the area to learn Tsakonian.

Although described as a dialect of Modern Greek, Tsakonian and Modern Greek are not mutually comprehensible. There were instances of Tsakonian speakers up to relatively recent times (1950s-60s) who could not speak Modern Greek.  Speakers of Modern Greek cannot understand Tsakonian without some effort to learn it; despite many similarities between the languages and much common history, there are key differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and noun and verb formation.

Features of Tsakonian

• /a/ derived from Doric and Indo-European /a:/ instead of MG /i/ derived from Attic-Ionic /ε:/ (from original /a:/) e.g. α μάτη [a máti]'the mother' from Doric ἁ μάτηρ [ha: ma:te:r].  Contrast Modern Greek η μητέρα [i mitéra], derived from the Attic-Ionic Koine ἡ μήτηρ [he: me:te:r]


• /s/ in a limited number of words the reflex of AG Θ (tʰ) from a likely Ancient Laconian /s/, e.g. αλέσουρ ένι [alésur éɲi] 'I grind' v. MG αλέθω [aléθo].   Compare Laconian inscriptions with ΑΝΕΣΗΚΕ [anese:ke] '<he>dedicated' instead of the more usual ΑΝΕΘΗΚΕ [anetʰe:ke] or later [aneθe:ke].


• rhotacism - /r/ at the end of a word when Modern Greek and most dialects of Ancient Greek would have an /s/.  In Modern Tsakonian word-final /r/ only occurs when the following word begins with a vowel although it seems to be the continuation of a Late Laconian feature.  Compare Tsakonian τЁειρ αμέρε [ʧir amére] 'three days' with MG τρεις ημέρες [tris iméres] on the one hand, and Late Laconian inscriptions with ΝΕΙΚΑΑΡ [ni:ka:a:r] 'having won' for Koine ΝΕΙΚΗΣΑΣ [ni:ke:sa:s] on the other.


• Verb system - the present and imperfect indicative tenses are formed periphrastically using the verb 'to be' + an active or (medio-) passive participle, inflected for number and gender. This participle is derived from the AG inflected active and passive present participles. These forms have completely replaced the AG present and imperfect indicatives (except in the verb 'to be'), although the present subjunctive survives. Examples (active voice) are:
  • ένι παρίου [éɲi paríu] I (masc.) come / am coming (< Late Laconian *ἐμμι παριών cf. Attic εἰμι παριών < παριέναι)
  • έσα παρία [ésa paría] you (fem. sing.) were coming / used to come
  • έμε παρίντε [éme parínde] we (masc. or fem.) are coming (< Late Laconian *ἐμμὲρ παριόντερ cf. Attic ἐσμὲν παριόντες < παριέναι)
  • το καμπζί έЈι παρίντα [to kambzí éni parínda] the child (neut.) is coming
  • τα καμπζία είνι παρίντα [ta kambzía íɲi parínda] the children (neut.) are coming
  • Passive voice:
  • ένι ορούμενε [éɲi orúmene] I (masc.) am seen (< Late Laconian *ἐμι ὁρώμενορ cf. Attic εἰμι ὁρώμενος < ὁρᾶν)
  • έσα ορουμένα [ésa oruména] you (fem. sing.) were being seen (fem. participle < Doric ὁρωμένα cf. Attic ὁρωμένη < ὁρᾶν)
  • έμε ορουμένοι [éme oruméni] we (masc. or fem.) are seen
  • το καμπζί έЈι ορούμενε [to kambzí éni orúmene] the child (neut.) is seen
  • τα καμπζία είνι ορούμενα [ta kambzía íɲi orúmena] the children (neut.) are seen


• [nd] < [dː] 'δδ' and [mb] < [bː] 'ββ' of Laconian (and other dialects of AG): ένι σερίντου [éɲi seríndu] I reap (AG (Attic etc) and MG θερίζω) , ένι Єαμπαίνου [éɲi kʰambénu] I go down (AG (Attic etc) καταβαίνω MG κατεβαίνω . Cf. θερίδδειν (Aristophanes Acharnians l. 947 - admittedly in Boeotian dialect),  'κάβασι· κατάβηθι. Λάκωνες' (Hesychius), μικιχιδδομένων (Spartan inscription (dedication to Artemis Orthia, 2nd c. AD.), an alternative form of μικκιχίζομαι)


• aspirated consonants (voiceless stops) derived from various consonant clusters in AG (e.g. fricative + stop, nasal + aspirate): 
  • σπ [sp]  >  ππ [pː]  >  Њ [pʰ] εЊέЂι [epʰéʒi] yesterday, cf. ΑG ἑσπέρα
  • στ [st]  >  ττ [tː]  >  Ћ [tʰ] εЋάκα [etʰáka] I stood up, I got up, cf. ΑG ἕστηκα, Doric ἕστακα
  • σκ [sk]  >  κκ [kː]  >  Є [kʰ] αЄό [akʰó] bag made of animal skin, < ΑG ασκός, Hesychius 'ἀκκόρ· ἀσκὸς. Λάκωνες'
  • μφ [mpʰ]  >  ππ [pː]  >  Њ [pʰ] όЊακα [ópʰaka] unripe grape, < ΑG ὄμφαξ
  • νθ [ntʰ]  >  ττ [tː]  >   Ћ [tʰ] γροЋία [ɣrotʰía] clenched fist, πρβ. ΑΕ γρόνθος
  • γχ [ŋkʰ]  >  κκ [kː]  >  Є [kʰ] ЁούЄο [ʃúkʰo] nose, < ΑΕ ῥύγχος


• Isolated words with [v] from the AG digamma Ϝ [w]: βάννε [váne] lamb < ΑG *Ϝάρνος, πρβ. Ϝαρήν (inscription from Gortyn, Crete),  νταβελέ [davelé] fire-brand < AG *δαϜελός cf. Hesychius 'δαβελός· δαλός. Λάκωνες'


• Loss of σ between vowels in certain verb endings: ορούα [orúa] seeing (feminine present participle active) < Laconian *ὁρῶhα, (cf. νικάhας in Laconian inscriptions (masc. aorist part. active), αλήωι [alíoi] they say (subjunctive) < ΑG λαλήσωσι, ερέκαϊ [erékai] they found < ΑG εὑρήκασι


• palatalisation -  τσ [tsʰ] ή τЀ [tˢ] frequently correspond with κι /ki/, κε /ke/ in MG and AG e.g. κάτσι [kátsʰi] something, τЀαιρέ [tˢeré] time, weather.  This phenomemon, known as 'tsitakismos' is found in many MG dialects.  In Tsakonian however effects of palatalisation are more extensive, going as far as  the assimilation of labial and dental consonants before /i/ or /i/+vowel.  E.g. π [p] > κ [c] κηρούνι [cirúɲi] πηρούνι fork, τ[t] > κ[c] κινή [ciɲí] τιμή honour, φ[f] > θ[θ] νύθη [ɲíθi] νύφη bride, [t]+[j]_[u] > [cu] κιουρέ [curé] κεφαλοτύρι type of cheese (AG τυρός [tyros] cheese), [xt] > [xc] χκηνέ [xciné] γίδι goat (AG κτήνος [kteːnos] herd, beast).


• personal pronouns very different to their MG equivalents (due to Laconian derivation): εζού [ezú] I, ενίου [eɲíu] me (cf. ΑG ἐμεῖο, Doric ἐμεῦ), εκιού [ecú] you (sing.) (ΑG Doric τυ) , νι [ɲi] him, her, it (clitic 3rd person sing. accusative / dative), e.g. νι οράκα [ɲ oráka] I saw him / her / it (ΑG Doric νιν), σι [si] his, her, its (clitic 3rd person sing. genitive), e.g. το καμπζί σι [to kabzí si] his / her child (ΑG σφι), νάμου [námu] us/our, (clitic accusative / dative / genitive 1st person plural) e.g. εν' ορού νάμου [en' orú námu] he sees us α γρούσσα νάμου [a ɣrúsa námu] our language (ΑG Doric ἁμῶν > αμούν > νάμου - the /n/ being the product of boundary reanalysis with accusative nouns in -n), εμού [emú] you (pl.), e.g. εμού κια 'Ћ' έγγουντε; [emú ca tʰ égude] where are you going? (ΑG Doric ὑμές > ὑμέρ > ὑμέ > ουμέ > (metathesis) εμού), σι [si] them (clitic accusative / dative 3rd person pl.), e.g. ένι νίου σι, μα όνι ορού σι [éɲi ɲíu si ma óɲi orú si] I can hear them but I can't see them (ΑG σφε), σου [su] their, (clitic genitive 3rd person pl.), e.g. ετήνα έν' α τЀέα σου [etína en a tˢéa su] that is their house (ΑG σφῶν).


• reduction of case-endings - many nouns and adjectives only have one case per number, e.g. ο / τον / του άντε [ánde] bread, οι / τουρ άντου [ándu] loaves of  bread (ΑG ἄρτος). This is also a tendency in MG however it is at a more advanced stage in Tsakonian.


• 'ε' /e/ in place of 'ο' /o/ in MG and AG, following a palatal or dental consonant, or the vowel /i/ in the singular of masculine and neuter nouns, adjectives, participles and pronouns. E.g. άλλε [ále] other (masc.), ουρανέ [urané] sky, ορατέ [oraté] seen (past participle passive) (< ΑG ὁρατός), ατЁέ [atʃé] big (< ΑG ἁδρός). Cf. άτЁωπο [átʃopo] man and λιούκο [ʎúko] wolf where the ending follows a labial and velar consonant respectively. This change probably occurred under the influence of the preceding 'frontal' (phonetically) consonant and the following /r/  of the nominative.


• Change of /r/ to /ʒ/ before /i/. E.g. μακάЂι [makáʒi] if only (< μακάρι), ЂάτЀι [ʒátˢi] stream (< ρυάτσι), έЂιφο [éʒifo] kid (young goat) (< ΑΕ ἔριφος). In Northern Tsakonian this sound is pronounced [rʒ] and that is assumed to have been the more widespread pronunciation in the 19th century in both Northern and Southern varieties. Male speakers generally do not use the/ʒ/ pronunciation, preferring the MG /r/ .

Speakers of Tsakonian can be found in Tyrós, Sapounakéika, Mélana, Pragmateftí, Vaskína, Leonídio, Prastós, Ághios Andréas and other villages in the coastal zone between Poúlithra in the south and Karokovoúni in the north, the slopes of Mt Parnon to the west and the Argolic Gulf to the east. In this area the Southern variety of Tsakonian is spoken and nowadays this is almost exclusively the only subgroup of Tsakonian in regular use.   To the west and northwest respectively of Prastós are the villages of Kastánitsa and Sítaina, where the Northern variety of Tsakonian was once spoken.  It is probable that this variety has now died out (Kostakis (Lexikó vol. 1, p.θ) states that use of Tsakonian had already declined significantly by 1930 in these villages) - I hope someone can prove me wrong on this point in the near future.

A variety of Tsakonian was also spoken up to 1923 (when the enforced exchange of populations took place between Greece and Turkey under the Treaty of Lausanne following the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922) in the villages of Vátika and Havoutsí in the Propontis region of Asia Minor - today known as Misakça and Havutça in the Belıkesir Province of Turkey.  These villages were probably settled by Tsakonians from the Peloponnese, displaced in the violent aftermath of the Orlov Incident in 1770.  Their dialect (recorded for posterity by Thanasis Kostakis, well-known Tsakonian expert from Mélana) sheds interesting light on the history of Tsakonian, being conservative in a number of respects compared to Southern Tsakonian, despite the obvious influence of more 'mainstream' Greek dialects and Turkish. In particular Propontis Tsakonian made extensive use of the past active participle ending in /-kú -kúa -kúnda/ which derives from the Ancient Greek perfect participle in -κώς -κυῖα -κός.

Initially this site will offer a brief description of the sounds of Tsakonian, basic grammatical features (mainly noun and verb inflexions), some written texts and a small number of sound recordings with transcriptions and translations into English and Standard Modern Greek. As time progresses I hope to add discussions of the various interesting diachronic and synchronic linguistic features of Tsakonian, as well as a blog. I am a regular visitor to Tsakonia and I have received a great deal of assistance from Tsakonian speakers, including members of the Tsakonian Archive. The aim of the site is to provoke greater interest in Tsakonian both internationally and within Greece before this cultural and linguistic treasure is lost for ever.

Joe Warr, Whitby, England.