Editing Hellenic Languages (section)

=== Arcadocypriot Greek ===
At the time of the great <u>Mycenaean</u> expansion, a dialect with a high degree of uniformity was spoken both in <u>Cyprus</u> and the <u>Peloponnese</u> but at some point, <u>West Greek</u> speakers intruded upon the <u>Peloponnese</u> and occupied its coastal states but made no significant inroads into <u>Arcadia</u>. The remnants of the original dialect became the speakers of <u>Arcadocypriot Greek</u>.

Arcadocypriot (sometimes called <u>southern Achaean</u>) is closely related to the <u>Mycenean</u> dialect recorded in '''Linear B''' inscriptions in <u>Crete</u>, but it was written using an innovative '''Cypriot syllabary''' (from ~1000 BCE) until it too was replaced by the '''Greek alphabet'''. 

Compared to the <u>Arcadocypriot</u> dialect, <u>Mycenaean Greek</u> preserved more archaic consonantal forms, such as the retention of /w/ ('''digamma'''), which is often lost in later <u>Greek</u> dialects (including <u>Arcadocypriot</u>). The vowel system and '''diphthongs''' in <u>Mycenaean</u> show earlier forms that undergo various changes by the time of the <u>Arcadocypriot</u> dialects. For example, the long ā ('''Alpha''') in <u>Mycenaean</u> often corresponds to a long ō ('''Omega''') in <u>Classical Greek</u>, a change that is inconsistently applied in <u>Arcadocypriot</u>. 

While both dialects share many similarities in verb '''conjugations''' and noun '''declensions''' due to their common heritage, there are differences in specific forms and uses. <u>Arcadocypriot</u> shows developments in the morphology that are more aligned with later <u>Classical Greek</u> forms, whereas <u>Mycenaean</u> retains more archaic features. The '''pronominal''' system of <u>Mycenaean Greek</u> displays forms that are often more archaic than those in later dialects, including <u>Arcadocypriot</u>. Additionally, the use and frequency of certain particles and prepositions differ, reflecting changes in the language over time. 

Given the nature of the Linear B records, which are largely administrative and inventory lists, much less is known about the '''syntax''' of <u>Mycenaean Greek</u> compared to the more extensive literary and inscriptive evidence available for <u>Arcadocypriot</u>. However, it is reasonable to assume that there were syntactical evolutions from the <u>Mycenaean</u> period to the later dialects.

There are differences in '''vocabulary''', partly reflecting the time gap between the two and the different cultural and technological contexts. <u>Mycenaean Greek</u> contains words related to palace administration, trade, and production that are not as prevalent in later periods. <u>Arcadocypriot</u>, especially on <u>Cyprus</u>, was influenced by its geographical context, including contact with non-Greek languages, which introduced new words and meanings missing from <u>Mycenaean Greek</u>.