Pontic Greek

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File:Greek Asia Minor dialects.png

Anatolian Greek dialects until 1923; Demotic in yellow. Pontic in orange. Cappadocian in green, with green dots indicating individual Cappadocian Greek villages in 1910.

Pontic Greek (Template:Langx,Template:Efn Template:Langx;Template:Efn Template:Langx or Romeika),<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> also referred to as Pontic, is a variety of Modern Greek indigenous to the Pontus region on the southern shores of the Black Sea, northeastern Anatolia, and the Eastern Turkish and Caucasus region. An endangered Greek language variety,<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Pontic Greek is spoken by about 778,000 people worldwide, who are known as Pontic or Pontian Greeks.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Like nearly all of Greek varieties spoken today, the linguistic lineage of Pontic Greek stems from the Hellenistic Koine, itself based on Attic–Ionic Greek, which later developed into the Byzantine Greek of the Middle Ages. Following its geographic isolation from the rest of the Greek–speaking world, Pontic continued to develop separately along with other Anatolian Greek dialects, like Cappadocian, from the 11th century onwards.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> As a result, Pontic Greek is not completely mutually intelligible with the standard Demotic Greek spoken in mainland Greece today.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Popov">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Pontic also contains influences from Russian, Turkish, Kartvelian (namely Laz and Georgian) and Armenian.

Today, Pontians live predominantly in Northern Greece, following the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Out of their total population, around 200,000–300,000 are considered active Pontic speakers.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Pontic Greek is also spoken in Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan, as well as by the Pontic diaspora. It remains spoken in pockets of the Pontus region, mostly by Pontic Greek Muslims in the eastern districts of Trabzon Province. Pontic is primarily written in the Greek script; the Latin script is sporadically used in Turkey, while the Cyrillic alphabet is rarely used in Russia and former Soviet countries.<ref name=":1" />

Classification

Pontic Greek is classified as an Indo-European, Greek language of the Attic-Ionic branch.<ref name=":0" />

Name

Historically, the speakers of Pontic Greek referred to their language as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, also spelled in Latin as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Langx); a historical and colloquial term also used for the Modern Greek language as a whole. Originating in Byzantine times, the term reflects the identification of the Greek–speaking Byzantine subjects as Rhomaioi ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and the Medieval Greek language as Rhomaikḗ ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). The term "Pontic" originated in scholarly usage, but it has been adopted as a mark of identity by Pontic Greeks living in Greece, where the language is commonly called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Langx).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Pontians also refer to their language as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Pontiakón lalían (Template:Gloss) and at times as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Laziká.Template:Citation needed The variety is also called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Pontiakḗ diálektos (Template:Gloss) in standard modern Greek.

In Turkish, there is no special name for Pontic Greek; it is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}), derived from the Turkish word Rum, denoting Byzantine Greeks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Özkan" /> Nowadays, Pontic speakers living in Turkey call their language {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref name="Özkan" />

History

Similar to most modern Greek dialects, Pontic Greek is mainly derived from Koine Greek, which was spoken in the Hellenistic and Roman times between the 4th century BC and the 4th century AD. Following the Seljuk invasion of Asia Minor during the 11th century AD, Pontus became isolated from many of the regions of the Byzantine Empire.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Pontians remained somewhat isolated from the mainland Greeks, causing Pontic Greek to develop separately and distinctly from the rest of the mainland Greek.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> However, the language has also been influenced by the nearby Persian, Caucasian, and Turkish languages.

Dialects

Greek linguist Manolis Triantafyllidis has divided the Pontic of Turkey into two groups:

• the Western group (Oinountiac or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) around Oenoe (Turkish Ünye);
• the Eastern group, which is again subdivided into:
  • the coastal subgroup (Trapezountiac) around Trebizond (Ancient Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and
  • the inland subgroup (Chaldiot) in Chaldia (around Argyroupolis (Gümüşhane) and Kanin in Pontic), its vicinity (Kelkit, Baibourt, etc.), and around Kotyora (Ordu).

Speakers of Chaldiot were the most numerous. In phonology, some varieties of Pontic are reported to demonstrate vowel harmony, a well-known feature of Turkish (Mirambel 1965).

Outside Turkey one can distinguish:

• the Northern group (Mariupol Greek or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), originally spoken in Crimea, but now principally in Mariupol, where the majority of Crimean Pontic Greeks of the Rumaiic subgroup now live. Other Pontic Greeks speak Crimean Tatar as their mother tongue, and are classified as "Urums". There are approximately half a dozen dialects of Crimean (Mariupolitan) Pontic Greek spoken.
• Soviet Rumaiic, a Soviet variant of the Pontic Greek language spoken by the Pontic Greek population of the Soviet Union.

Ophitic

The inhabitants of the Of valley who had converted to Islam in the 17th century remained in Turkey and have partly retained the Pontic language until today.<ref name="Mackridge">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Asan">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Özkan 2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="The cost of language">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Their dialect, which forms part of the Trapezountiac subgroup, is called "Ophitic" by linguists, but speakers generally call it {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. As few as 5,000 people are reported to speak it.<ref name="Cambridge">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Independent">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are however estimates that show the real number of the speakers as considerably higher.<ref name="Özkan">Template:Cite journal</ref> Speakers of Ophitic/Romeyka are concentrated in the eastern districts of Trabzon province: Çaykara (Katohor), Dernekpazarı (Kondu), Sürmene (Sourmena) and Köprübaşı (Göneşera). Although less widespread, it is still spoken in some remote villages of the Of district itself. It is also spoken in the western İkizdere (Dipotamos) district of Rize province. Historically the dialect was spoken in a wider area, stretching further east to the port town of Pazar (Athina).

Ophitic has retained the infinitive, which is present in Ancient Greek but has been lost in other variants of Modern Greek (except Italiot Greek); it has therefore been characterized as "archaic" or conservative (even in relation to other Pontic dialects) and as the living language that is closest to Ancient Greek.<ref name="Cambridge" /><ref name="Independent" /> Because a majority of the population of these districts converted to Islam during the 17th to 19th centuries, some Arabic and Turkish loanwords have been adopted in the language. According to Vahit Tursun, writer of the Romeika-Turkish dictionary, loanwords from the neighboring Laz speakers of Rize province are strikingly absent in the Romeika vocabulary of Trabzon natives.

A very similar dialect is spoken by descendants of Christians from the Of valley (especially from Kondu) now living in Greece in the village of Nea Trapezounta, Pieria, Central Macedonia, with about 400 speakers.<ref name="urlwww.latsis-foundation.org">Anthi Revythiadou and Vasileios Spyropoulos (2009): "Οφίτικη Ποντιακή: Έρευνα γλωσσικής καταγραφής με έμφαση στη διαχρονία και συγχρονία της διαλέκτου" [Ophitic Pontic: A documentation project with special emphasis on the diachrony and synchrony of the dialect] {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Revythiadou">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Geographic distribution

Though Pontic was originally spoken on the southern shores of the Black Sea, from the 18th and 19th century and on substantial numbers migrated into the northern and eastern shores, into the Russian Empire. Pontic is still spoken by large numbers of people in Ukraine, mainly in Mariupol, but also in other parts of Ukraine such as the Odesa and Donetsk region, in Russia (around Stavropol) and Georgia. The language enjoyed some use as a literary medium in the 1930s, including a school grammar (Topkharas 1998 [1932]).

Though many were displaced as a result of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as of 2024 the majority of Mariupol's Greeks have opted to remain in the city and its adjacent villages.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Ukraine: (Greek) Mariupol is no more Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa, published 6th of May 2022, retrieved 19th of October 2024</ref>

After the massacres of the 1910s, the majority of speakers remaining in Asia Minor were subject to the Treaty of Lausanne population exchange, and were resettled in Greece (mainly northern Greece). A second wave of migration occurred in the early 1990s, this time from countries of the former Soviet Union.<ref name="isbn0-7391-0565-5">Template:Cite book [1]</ref>

In urban areas in Greece the language is no longer spoken in daily life but in villages and towns with more homogeneous Pontic population, located mostly in the northern part of country, the language is still in active daily usage. Many radio stations broadcast in the Pontic language, and many associations exist for its safeguard.

• Greece: 400,000 speakers, mostly in Macedonia (East, Central and West) and in Attica<ref name="e17" />
• Turkey: Unknown (certainly more than 5,000), mostly in eastern Black Sea Region and in Istanbul<ref name="UCambridge">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="e17">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• • Of-dialectical region:
    • Of: multiple villages
    • Çaykara: (24–70 villages)
    • Dernekpazarı: (13 villages)
    • Köprübaşı: (5 villages)
    • Sürmene: (31 villages)
  • To the west of Trabzon:
    • Maçka: A handful of villages, settled from the Of-Çaykara region
    • Tonya: (17 villages)
    • Beşikdüzü: 1 village
    • Giresun: (3 villages in Bulancak district)
    • Gümüşhane: Sparsely in Torul-ardasa, Yağlıdere-kromni, Dumanlı

Official status

Greece

In Greece, Pontic has no official status, like all other Greek dialects.

Soviet Union

Historically, Pontic Greek was the de facto language of the Greek minority in the USSR, although in the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, All-Union Conference) of 1926, organised by the Greek–Soviet intelligentsia, it was decided that Demotic should be the official language of the community.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Later revival of Greek identity in the Soviet Union and post-Communist Russia saw a renewed division on the issue of Rumaiic versus Demotic. A new attempt to preserve a sense of ethnic Rumaiic identity started in the mid-1980s. The Ukrainian scholar Andriy Biletsky created a new Slavonic alphabet, but though a number of writers and poets make use of this alphabet, the population of the region rarely uses it.<ref>Survey carried out in 2001–2004, organized by St. Petersburg State University</ref>

Culture

The language has a rich oral tradition and folklore and Pontic songs are particularly popular in Greece. There is also some limited production of modern literature in Pontic, including poetry collections (among the most renowned writers is Kostas Diamantidis), novels, and translated Asterix comic albums.<ref>Asterix in Pontic Greek Template:Webarchive.</ref> The youth often speak standard Greek as their first language. The use of Pontic has been maintained more by speakers in North America than it has in Greece.<ref name=":0" />

Alphabets

Pontic, in Greece, is written in the Greek alphabet, with diacritics: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for {{#invoke:IPA|main}} (phonological {{#invoke:IPA|main}}). Pontic, in Turkey, is written in the Latin alphabet following Turkish conventions. In Russia, it is written in the Cyrillic alphabetTemplate:Citation needed. In early Soviet times, Pontic was written in the Greek alphabet phonetically, as shown below, using digraphs instead of diacritics; {{#invoke:IPA|main}} were written out as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. The Pontic Wikipedia uses Greek script: it has adopted εα, εο for these vowels, to avoid clashes with Modern Greek ια, ιο, and uses digraphs from the Soviet system instead of diacritics, but otherwise follows historical orthography.

Greek alphabet	Turkish alphabet	Latin-English alphabet	Cyrillic alphabet	IPA	Example
Α α	A a	A a	А а	Template:IPAblink	ρωμαίικα, romeyika, romejika, ромейика
Β β	V v	Bb/Vv/Ww	В в	Template:IPAblink	κατηβαίνω, kativeno, katibënô, кативено
Γ γ	Ğ ğ	G g	Г г	Template:IPAblink Template:IPAblink	γανεύω, ğanevo, ganeyô, ганево
Δ δ	DH dh	D d	Д д	Template:IPAblink	δόντι, dhonti, dónti, донти
Ε ε	E e	E e	Е е	Template:IPAblink	εγάπεσα, eğapesa, egápesa, егапеса
Ζ ζ	Z z	Z z	З з	Template:IPAblink	ζαντός, zantos, zantóſ, зантос
Θ θ	TH th	Þ þ	С с, Ф ф, Т т	Template:IPAblink	θέκω, theko, þékô, теко
Ι ι	İ i	I i	И и	Template:IPAblink	οσπιτόπον, ospitopon, ospitópon, оспитопон
Κ κ	K k	K k	К к	Template:IPAblink	καλάτσ̌εμαν, kalaçeman, kalácheman, калачеман
Λ λ	L l	L l	Л л	Template:IPAblink	λαλία, lalia, lalía, лалиа
Μ μ	M m	M m	М м	Template:IPAblink	μάνα, mana, mána, мана
Ν ν	N n	N n	Н н	Template:IPAblink	ολίγον, oliğоn, olígon, олигон
Ο ο	O o	O o	О о	Template:IPAblink	τ'εμέτερον, themeteron, þeméteron, ҭеметерон
Π π	P p	Pp	П п	Template:IPAblink	εγάπεσα, eğapesa, egápesa, егапеса
Ρ ρ	R r	R r	Р р	Template:IPAblink	ρωμαίικα, romeyika, romejika, ромейка
Σ ς	S s	S s	С с	Template:IPAblink	ασπαλώ, aspalo, aspalō, аспaло
Χ̌ χ̌	Ş ş	SH sh	Ш ш	Template:IPAblink	χ̌έριν, şerin, shérin, шерин
Τ τ	T t	T t	Т т	Template:IPAblink	νόστιμεσσα, nostimesa, nóstimesa, ностимеса
ΤΖ̌ τζ̌	C c	C c	Ц ц	Template:IPAblink	κεμεντζ̌ έ, kemence, kemencé, кemenце
ΤΣ τς	Ç ç	CH ch	Ч ч	Template:IPAblink	μανίτσα, maniça, manícha, манича
Υ υ	U u	Uu/Yy	У у	Template:IPAblink	υίαν, uian, uían, уи́aн
Φ φ	F f	F f	Ф ф	Template:IPAblink	έμορφα, emorfa, émopfa,.эморфа
Χ χ	Hh, KHkh	Hh/Xx	Х х	Template:IPAblink	χάσον, hason, háson, хасон

Archaisms

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} The following are features of Pontic Greek which have been retained from early forms of Greek, in contrast to the developments of Modern Greek.

Phonology

• The vowel "η" sometimes merged with "ε" rather than "ι" (κέπιν = κήπιον, κλέφτες = κλέπτης, συνέλικος = συνήλικος, νύφε = νύ(μ)φη, έγκα = ἤνεγκον, έτον = ἦτον, έκουσα = ἤκουσα etc.).
• The vowel "ω" merged with "o" even in those cases where Koine Greek received it as "ου" (ζωμίν = ζουμί, καρβώνι, ρωθώνι etc.).
• Preservation of the Ionic consonant pair "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" instead of Koine "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

Declension of nouns and adjectives

• Preservation of the ancient nominative suffix "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" in neuter diminutive nouns from Ancient Greek "-{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; Pontic {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
• Preservation of the termination of feminine compound adjectives in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• The declension of masculine nouns from singular, nominative termination "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" to genitive {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• The ancient accenting of nouns in vocative form: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}

Conjugation of verbs

• The second aorist form in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• The middle voice verb termination in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.
• The passive voice aorist termination in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (anc. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}): {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} etc.
• The imperative form of passive aorist in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (anc {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• The sporadic use of infinitives {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• Pontic {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("is") from Koine idiomatic form {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (standard Ancient Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), compare the Biblical form {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("there is"), Modern Greek ine ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}})

Infinitive

One of the most striking features of the Romeyka dialects spoken in the Trabzon region is the preservation of the ancient Greek infinitive, which has disappeared from all other Modern Greek varieties.<ref name="Sitaridou2014a">Template:Cite journal</ref> In Standard Modern Greek, finite subjunctive clauses are used instead (e.g. Standard Greek θέλω να πάω “I want that I go” → “I want to go”), but Romeyka retains an aorist-based infinitive formed with the suffix -ίν(ι) or -είν(ι) (e.g. φαγίνι “to eat,” πιείνι “to drink,” κόψινι “to cut”).<ref name="Sitaridou2014a" />

Unlike earlier stages of Greek, however, the infinitive in Romeyka is no longer freely distributed. Sitaridou’s research shows that it behaves as a negative polarity item: it is licensed only in specific environments that entail the non-occurrence of the event, such as:<ref name="Sitaridou2014b">Template:Cite journal</ref>

• in the complement of a negated past-tense modal or volitional verb:

ούτσ’ επορέσα τρέξινι – “I couldn’t run”

• in clauses headed by πριν (“before”):

πριν δοσίνι τα παράν ο Αϊσέ – “before Aise gives the money”

• in certain counterfactual constructions, especially in the Sürmene variety:

είχε ειπίν-α – “if I had said”

Furthermore, some sub-varieties, particularly in Sürmene, preserve an inflected (personal) infinitive: person and number endings are attached directly to the infinitive form, producing paradigms such as ειπίν-α “(for) me to say,” ειπίν-ες “(for) you to say,” ειπίν-ε “(for) him/her to say,” etc.<ref name="Sitaridou2014a" /> This phenomenon has parallels in some Romance languages, notably Portuguese and Galician, which also feature personal infinitives with overt subjects in temporal clauses (e.g. Portuguese antes de tu ires “before you go”).<ref name="Raposo1987">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Lexicology

• The sporadic use of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in the place of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• Pontic {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; "ours") from Ancient Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in contrast to Modern Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}

Comparison with Ancient Greek

1. Attachment of the /e/ sound to the ancient infinitive suffix {{#invoke

Lang|lang}} (in Trapezountiac Pontic)

Pontic	Ancient
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}

2. Preservation of the Ancient infinitive suffix {{#invoke

Lang|lang}}

Pontic	Ancient
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}

3. Ancient first aorist infinitive suffix -αι has been replaced by second aorist suffix -ειν

Pontic	Ancient
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}

4. Attachment of the /e/ sound to the ancient aorist infinitive suffix {{#invoke

Lang|lang}}

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}

5. Same aorist suffix {{#invoke

Lang|lang}} was also the regular perfect suffix)

Pontic	Ancient
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}
lang}}	lang}}

6. Ancient Greek Template:Transliteration {{#invoke

Lang|lang}} infinitive > Pontic Greek Template:Transliteration {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} infinitive

Pontic	Ancient
lang}}	ἐλθεῖν

See also

• Mariupolitan Greek
• Caucasus Greeks
• Cappadocian Greek
• Italiot Greek

Further reading

• Template:Cite JIPA

Bibliography

• Berikashvili, Svetlana. 2017. Morphological aspects of Pontic Greek spoken in Georgia. LINCOM GmbH. Template:ISBN
• Özhan Öztürk, Karadeniz: Ansiklopedik Sözlük. 2 Cilt. Heyamola Yayıncılık. İstanbul, 2005. Template:ISBN
• Τομπαΐδης, Δ.Ε. 1988. Η Ποντιακή Διάλεκτος. Αθήνα: Αρχείον Πόντου. (Tompaidis, D.E. 1988. The Pontic Dialect. Athens: Archeion Pontou.)
• Τομπαΐδης, Δ.Ε. ϗ Συμεωνίδης, Χ.Π. 2002. Συμπλήρωμα στο Ιστορικόν Λεξικόν της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου του Α.Α. Παπαδόπουλου. Αθήνα: Αρχείον Πόντου. (Tompaidis, D.E. and Simeonidis, C.P. 2002. Additions to the Historical Lexicon of the Pontic Dialect of A.A. Papadopoulos. Athens: Archeion Pontou.)
• Παπαδόπουλος, Α.Α. 1955. Ιστορική Γραμματική της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου. Αθήνα: Επιτροπή Ποντιακών Μελετών. (Papadopoulos, A.A. 1955. Historical Grammar of the Pontic Dialect. Athens: Committee for Pontian Studies.)
• Παπαδόπουλος, Α.Α. 1958–61. Ιστορικόν Λεξικόν της Ποντικής Διαλέκτου. 2 τόμ. Αθήνα: Μυρτίδης. (Papadopoulos, A.A. 1958–61. Historical Lexicon of the Pontic Dialect. 2 volumes. Athens: Mirtidis.)
• Οικονομίδης, Δ.Η. 1958. Γραμματική της Ελληνικής Διαλέκτου του Πόντου. Αθήνα: Ακαδημία Αθηνών. (Oikonomidis, D.I. 1958. Grammar of the Greek Dialect of Pontos. Athens: Athens Academy.)
• Τοπχαράς, Κονσταντίνος. 1998 [1932]. Η Γραμματική της Ποντιακής: Ι Γραματικι τι Ρομεικυ τι Ποντεικυ τι Γλοςας. Θεσσαλονίκη: Αφοί Κυριακίδη. (Topcharas, K. 1998 [1932]. The Grammar of Pontic. Thessaloniki: Afoi Kiriakidi.)

External links

• Mark Janse, "Aspects of Pontic grammar", a Review Article of Drettas (1997). The paper summarizes the high points of the book.
• Committee for Pontian Studies (Επιτροπή Ποντιακών Μελετών)
• Trebizond Greek: A language without a tongue
• Pontic Greek: A cost of a language
• The Pontic Dialect
• Argonautai Komninoi Association
• Pontic Greek - English Dictionary
• Development of the Pontic Greek Dialect
• Austrian Academy of Sciences: Vanishing Languages and Cultural Heritage - Pontic Greek video collection
• Archaic Greek in a modern world video from Cambridge University, on YouTube
• Hakan Özkan (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität), The language of the mountains - the Rumca dialect of Sürmene (Conference, 8 December 2010)