Ποντιακά
Pontic Greek
Hellenic
Pontic Greek descends from the medieval Greek of the Pontus region on the southern Black Sea coast of Anatolia. The 1923 Greek-Turkish population exchange relocated most speakers to Greece (especially Macedonia and Thessaly), with smaller diasporas in Russia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan after the Russian Empire's earlier resettlement. Pontic preserves several archaic features lost in Modern Standard Greek, including infinitive forms and Ionic vocabulary, attesting to its Byzantine heritage.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Pontic Greek
Water
νερόν
/neˈron/
Fire
φωτία
/foˈtia/
Sun
ήλιον
/ˈilion/
Moon
φέγγον
/ˈfeŋɡon/
Mother
μάνα
/ˈmana/
Father
κύρης
/ˈciɾis/
Eat
τρώγω
/ˈtɾoɣo/
Drink
πίνειν
/ˈpinin/
Love
αγάπην
/aˈɣapin/
Heart
καρδί
/karˈði/
Tree
δέντρον
/ˈðendron/
House
σπίτ
/spit/
Dog
σκύλος
/ˈskilos/
Cat
γάτα
/ˈɣata/
Hand
χέρ
/xer/
Eye
ομμάτιν
/omˈmatin/
Hello
καλημέρα
/kaliˈmera/
Thank you
ευχαριστώ
/efxariˈsto/
One
εν
/en/
Good
καλό
/kaˈlo/
Words compared
Compared with related Hellenic languages
| Meaning | Pontic Greek | Greek | Greek (Katharevousa) | Papuan Malay | Bosnian | Esperanto | Lojban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | νερόν /neˈron/ | νερό /neˈɾo/ | ὕδωρ /ˈiðor/ | air /aer/ | voda /ˈvoda/ | akvo /ˈakvo/ | djacu /ˈdʒaʃu/ |
| Fire | φωτία /foˈtia/ | φωτιά /foˈtʲa/ | πῦρ /pir/ | api /ˈapi/ | vatra /ˈvatra/ | fajro /ˈfajro/ | fagri /ˈfaɡri/ |
| Sun | ήλιον /ˈilion/ | ήλιος /ˈiʎos/ | ἥλιος /ˈilios/ | matahari /mataˈhari/ | sunce /ˈsunt͡se/ | suno /ˈsuno/ | solri /ˈsolri/ |
| Moon | φέγγον /ˈfeŋɡon/ | φεγγάρι /feˈŋɡaɾi/ | σελήνη /seˈlini/ | bulan /ˈbulan/ | mjesec /ˈmjɛset͡s/ | luno /ˈluno/ | lunra /ˈlunra/ |
| Mother | μάνα /ˈmana/ | μητέρα /miˈteɾa/ | μήτηρ /ˈmitir/ | mama /ˈmama/ | majka /ˈmajka/ | patrino /paˈtrino/ | mamta /ˈmamta/ |
| Father | κύρης /ˈciɾis/ | πατέρας /paˈteɾas/ | πατήρ /paˈtir/ | bapa /ˈbapa/ | otac /ˈotat͡s/ | patro /ˈpatro/ | patfu /ˈpatfu/ |
| Eat | τρώγω /ˈtɾoɣo/ | τρώω /ˈtɾo.o/ | ἐσθίω /esˈθio/ | makan /ˈmakan/ | jesti /ˈjɛsti/ | manĝi /ˈmandʒi/ | citka /ˈʃitka/ |
| Drink | πίνειν /ˈpinin/ | πίνω /ˈpino/ | πίνω /ˈpino/ | minum /ˈminum/ | piti /ˈpiti/ | trinki /ˈtrinki/ | pinxe /ˈpinxe/ |
| Love | αγάπην /aˈɣapin/ | αγάπη /aˈɣapi/ | ἀγάπη /aɣaˈpi/ | sayang /ˈsajaŋ/ | ljubav /ˈʎubav/ | amo /ˈamo/ | prami /ˈprami/ |
| Heart | καρδί /karˈði/ | καρδιά /kaɾˈðʲa/ | καρδία /karˈði.a/ | hati /ˈhati/ | srce /ˈsr̩t͡se/ | koro /ˈkoro/ | risna /ˈrisna/ |
| Tree | δέντρον /ˈðendron/ | δέντρο /ˈðendɾo/ | δένδρον /ˈðenðron/ | pohon /ˈpohon/ | drvo /ˈdr̩vo/ | arbo /ˈarbo/ | tricu /ˈtriʃu/ |
| House | σπίτ /spit/ | σπίτι /ˈspiti/ | οἶκος /ˈikos/ | rumah /ˈrumah/ | kuća /ˈkut͡ɕa/ | domo /ˈdomo/ | zdani /ˈzdani/ |
| Dog | σκύλος /ˈskilos/ | σκύλος /ˈskilos/ | κύων /ˈkion/ | anjing /ˈandʒiŋ/ | pas /pas/ | hundo /ˈhundo/ | gerku /ˈɡerku/ |
| Cat | γάτα /ˈɣata/ | γάτα /ˈɣata/ | αἴλουρος /ˈeluros/ | kucing /ˈkutʃiŋ/ | mačka /ˈmat͡ʃka/ | kato /ˈkato/ | mlatu /ˈmlatu/ |
| Hand | χέρ /xer/ | χέρι /ˈçeɾi/ | χείρ /çir/ | tangan /ˈtaŋan/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | mano /ˈmano/ | xance /ˈxanʃe/ |
| Eye | ομμάτιν /omˈmatin/ | μάτι /ˈmati/ | ὀφθαλμός /ofθalˈmos/ | mata /ˈmata/ | oko /ˈoko/ | okulo /oˈkulo/ | kanla /ˈkanla/ |
| Hello | καλημέρα /kaliˈmera/ | γεια σου /ˈʝa su/ | χαῖρε /ˈçere/ | halo /ˈhalo/ | zdravo /ˈzdravo/ | saluton /saˈluton/ | coi /ʃoj/ |
| Thank you | ευχαριστώ /efxariˈsto/ | ευχαριστώ /efxaɾiˈsto/ | εὐχαριστῶ /efxariˈsto/ | terima kasih /təˈrima ˈkasih/ | hvala /ˈxvala/ | dankon /ˈdankon/ | ki'e /kiʔe/ |
| One | εν /en/ | ένα /ˈena/ | εἷς /is/ | satu /ˈsatu/ | jedan /ˈjɛdan/ | unu /ˈunu/ | pa /pa/ |
| Good | καλό /kaˈlo/ | καλό /kaˈlo/ | ἀγαθόν /aɣaˈθon/ | bae /ˈbae/ | dobar /ˈdobar/ | bona /ˈbona/ | xamgu /ˈxamɡu/ |
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