Editing Hellenic Languages (section)

=== Attic Greek ===
For a fuller treatment focused on linguistics and language-learning, see [[Classical Greek]].

<u>Attic</u> is the <u>Greek</u> dialect of the ancient region of <u>Attica</u>, including in '''Athens'''. Often called <u>Classical Greek</u>, it was the prestige dialect of the Greek world for centuries. It is also the basis for the modern <u>Greek Koine</u>. Attic is traditionally classified as a member or sister dialect of the <u>Ionic</u> branch and is closely related thereto.

<u>Ionic</u> vowel evolution was characterized by the use of ει (ei) for ancient ē and ου (ou) for ō; the dialect showed a tendency for the simplification of diphthongs. In contrast, <u>Attic</u> retained the long vowels η (ē) and ω (ō) more frequently than <u>Ionic</u>, resisting the change to ει (ei) and ου (ou) in certain contexts. <u>Attic Greek</u> also exhibits less diphthong simplification compared to <u>Ionic</u>.

<u>Ionic</u> tended to omit the /h/ sound ('''psilosis'''), especially in its <u>Anatolian</u> language regions. <u>Attic</u>, however, consistently retained this '''aspirate''', marking a clear phonological distinction between the two dialects. Both dialects exhibit '''palatalization''', but there are nuanced differences in their treatment of consonants before front vowels.

<u>Attic Greek</u> often uses η (ē) in the '''genitive''' and '''dative''' '''singular''' endings of '''first declension''' nouns, where <u>Ionic</u> might show a different form or more variation. <u>Attic</u> features a significant use of '''contract nouns''' and '''contract adjectives''', which undergo '''vowel contraction''' in certain cases more systematically than in <u>Ionic</u>. <u>Attic</u> also shows extensive contraction in verbs, a feature that is present but less systematically applied in <u>Ionic</u>, resulting in distinctive forms in <u>Attic</u> conjugation patterns. <u>Attic Greek</u> sometimes forms the '''future tense''' differently than <u>Ionic</u>, reflecting divergent morphological developments.

The '''syntax''' of the dialect set is more extensively documented due to the wealth of literary and historical texts. While <u>Ionic</u> and <u>Attic</u> share many syntactical structures due to their common heritage, there are distinctions. <u>Attic Greek</u> uses '''particles''' in a way that is often more nuanced and complex, contributing to the stylistic sophistication of the dialect. The syntactical handling of '''relative pronouns''' in <u>Attic</u> can differ from <u>Ionic</u>, affecting the flow and clarity of complex sentences.

As relates to the eastern dialects of <u>Ionic</u> and <u>Attic</u>, certain words and expressions are preferred or found exclusively in one dialect or the other, reflecting regional differences, cultural practices, and historical developments. <u>Ionic</u>, due to its geographical proximity to <u>Asia Minor</u>, incorporates more loanwords from <u>Anatolian</u> and other <u>Near Eastern</u> languages. <u>Attic</u>, while also open to external influences, exhibits a slightly different set of borrowings. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Attic Greek alphabet
! colspan="3" |letters
!
! colspan="2" |equivalents
!
|-
!capital
!lowercase
!combinations
!name
!Britannica preferred
!alternatives
!approximate Classical Attic pronunciation
|-
| colspan="7" |*Old-style character.
|-
| colspan="7" |**Final, ç.
|-
|Α
|α, α*
|
|alpha
|a
|
|are
|-
|
|
|αι
|
|ae in proper nouns, ai in common words
|e
|ice
|-
|
|
|αυ
|
|au
|
|now
|-
|Β
|β
|
|beta
|b
|
|baby
|-
|Γ
|γ
|
|gamma
|g
|
|go
|-
|
|
|γγ
|
|ng
|
|angle
|-
|
|
|γκ
|
|nk
|nc
|ink
|-
|
|
|γξ
|
|nx
|
|thanks
|-
|
|
|γχ
|
|nch
|nkh
|in case
|-
|Δ
|δ, ∂*
|
|delta
|d
|
|dog
|-
|Ε
|ε
|
|epsilon
|e
|
|bet
|-
|
|
|ει
|
|ei
|e or i
|day
|-
|
|
|ευ
|
|eu
|
|bet + now
|-
|Ζ
|ζ
|
|zeta
|z
|
|used
|-
|Η
|η
|
|eta
|ē
|e
|air
|-
|
|
|ηυ
|
|ēu
|eu
|airway
|-
|Θ
|θ, ϑ*
|
|theta
|th
|
|tin
|-
|Ι
|ι
|
|iota
|i
|
|even or pin
|-
|Κ
|κ
|
|kappa
|c in proper nouns, k in common words
|
|pocket
|-
|Λ
|λ
|
|lambda
|l
|
|lily
|-
|Μ
|μ
|
|mu
|m
|
|maim
|-
|Ν
|ν
|
|nu
|n
|
|not
|-
|Ξ
|ξ
|
|xi
|x
|
|ax
|-
|Ο
|ο
|
|omicron
|o
|
|German so
|-
|
|
|οι
|
|oe in proper nouns, oi in common words
|
|German so + day
|-
|
|
|ου
|
|ou
|
|own
|-
|Π
|π
|
|pi
|p
|
|spin
|-
|Ρ
|ρ
|
|rho
|initial, rh; medial, r
|
|rose
|-
|
|
|ρρ
|
|rrh
|
|German Naturrecht
|-
|Σ
|σ**
|
|sigma
|s
|
|sand
|-
|Τ
|τ
|
|tau
|t
|
|stay
|-
|Υ
|υ
|
|upsilon
|y
|u
|French du
|-
|
|
|υι
|
|ui
|
|French concluiez
|-
|Φ
|ϕ, ϕ*
|
|phi
|ph
|
|pin
|-
|Χ
|χ
|
|chi
|ch
|kh
|kin
|-
|Ψ
|ψ
|
|psi
|ps
|
|perhaps
|-
|Ω
|ω
|
|omega
|ō
|o
|call
|} 

[[Category:Linguistics]]