By Γεωργιος Ντουνης
THE ‘NATIONAL’ NARRATIVE ON DIGLOSSIA among the Arvanite populations of Southern Greece… MYTHS, FABRICATIONS, and MYTH-MAKING CONSTRUCTIONS…
WHO WROTE THE HISTORY OF THE ALBANIAN-SPEAKERS / ARVANITES of 1821…
After the imaginary narratives: Arvanites as Greeks… Greeks as Arvanites… Arvanites as ancient Greeks… Arvanites as Romioi… in the 1980s the term “DIGLOSSIA” of the Arvanites was also added (sic).
Indeed, diglossia was quite widespread, but after the establishment of Greek schools in the early 20th century, and already from the late 19th century in some urban areas, a systematic “eradication” of the Arvanitic language began (the “stick method” used to punish students who spoke Arvanitic was also well known, even into the 1960s).
It should be noted that the words Arvanite / Albanian / Shqiptar / Romios / Greek do not exist in the Arvanitic of Southern Greece. The Arvanite is called Arbëror(e) / Arbëresh, and the language Arbërisht.
The word “Greek” and “Greek (language)” were unknown to Arvanitic-speaking populations even at the beginning of the 20th century. In Mesogeia, Attica, etc., in Arvanitic a “Greek” was called sskliás (Greek-speaking Romios) and ssklíra (Greek-speaking Romia), while the Greek language was called sskljeríshte.
“Agio kur vate në Athinë ede bie e sklira…” they would say about a woman who went or married in Athens and learned Greek / became “Greek.”
“Moi bju sklira” = I become a lady / I speak Greek, etc.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Before analyzing the issue of Greek education (in another post), in the 1879 census almost the entire population of the villages of Attico-Boeotia, Argolid-Corinth, etc., was Albanian-speaking, as shown by the official census of the Greek state: they did not speak Greek (as stated in the statistics), but only Albanian.
For example, in the old municipality of Kropia (Koropi – Spata – Markopoulo – Liopesi – Charvati – Vari), 5,841 out of 6,507 inhabitants (of whom 540 were non-residents) did not speak Greek (see 1879 census, Ministry of the Interior). No bilinguals are mentioned due to education.
In 1879, in the entire municipality: 5 male teachers, 0 female teachers; 320 boys, 20 girls (out of a total of 860 children aged 6–12). 20 priests, 4 doctors, 3 midwives. Schools were practically nonexistent; teaching took place in rented buildings.
Attendance for boys was initially optional (with tuition) and became more structured in 1890. Girls’ education became compulsory in 1900 for the first two primary grades.
Another example: in the municipality of Solygeia (Corinth), out of 2,958 inhabitants, 2,942 spoke only Albanian (census of 1881).
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Until 1860, the official language of the Navy was Arvanitic, and it remained in use until the Balkan Wars (for example, Kountouriotis on the battleship Averof). (See Karl Reinhold, “Pelasgica – The Language of the Fleet,” 1855).
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Until 1970, especially elderly women signed notarial documents through an interpreter.
Women in Boeotia said: “Nukë vame në stratoi ede nukë besuam/dzuame sskljerishtete” = we do not go to the army and we do not learn Greek.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Election speeches in 1860 (documented) in Athens, for Arvanitic-speaking villages (Chalandri, Marousi, Kifisia), were written in Arvanitic.
In 1923–1924, G. Weigand studied the entry of Greek words (“Hellenisms”) into the Arvanitic of Attica, Hydra, and Poros, publishing in Leipzig in 1928 the book Das Albanische in Attika.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Many Greek-speaking teachers resigned because they could not teach children due to the language barrier, or they learned Arvanitic in order to teach.
In the 1879 census, municipal spending on primary schools was 1,549,654 drachmas, while state spending was only 211,132.
The “stick method” for punishing those who spoke Arvanitic was widespread even into the 1960s.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Many of us remember great-grandparents and grandparents using Arvanitic among themselves to understand each other. Everyone has personal experiences.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Women in villages, on spring and summer evenings—what language did they speak? And the elderly in cafés? Jokes and stories were in Arvanitic.
After World War II, the elderly spoke Arvanitic so that children would not understand them.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Many elderly people went to church without understanding the liturgical language. When asked what they were hearing, they replied: “the words of Christ.”
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Entire army regiments from Attico-Boeotia were composed of Arvanitic speakers, with Arvanitic-speaking officers for communication, up until the Balkan Wars.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
Arvanitic-speaking populations, often illiterate, lived within their local world, limited to nearby villages. “Further than Chalkida,” they would say—Chalkida was the edge of their world.
WHAT DIGLOSSIA??
When carriage roads and means of communication only appeared in the 19th century (Athens–Piraeus road 1835, Argos–Nafplio 1829, etc.).
Etc. etc.
See also Paparrigopoulos, Dimaras, George Finlay, Ludwig Ross, etc.
Comments
Post a Comment