Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
(a) comprehend in some depth the basic grammatical structure of Modern Greek,
(b) acquire a crucial view on grammars and grammatical descriptions of Modern Greek,
(c) understand the evolution of Ancient Greek and how exactly it developed into Modern Greek,
(d) familiarize themselves with the main typological differences between Ancient and Modern Greek,
(e) acquaint themselves with the tools for teaching the grammatical structure of Ancient and Modern Greek.
Course Content (Syllabus)
The aim of this course is the synchronic and diachronic description of Modern Greek. At the diachronic level, we examine the formation of Modern Greek at the phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical level. Some fundamental questions are the following: In which way did the phonological system of Ancient Greek developed into the one of Modern Greek? In which way did the declension and the conjugation of Ancient Greek evolve into the declension and the conjugation of Modern Greek? What changes have occurred at the syntactic level? How was the Modern Greek vocabulary formed? and so on. We also discuss the way the Modern Greek dialects have developed their basic characteristics.
At the synchronic level we examine key aspects of the Greek grammatical system, such as the phonological system, with special focus on the coexistence of the 'non-demotic/logio' and the 'demotic' sub-system, the examination of nominal declensions and verbal conjugations with emphasis on verb aspect, the investigation of compound formation, etc. This synchronic and the diachronic view on grammar aims at assisting the students to understanding and applying the main tools and methods of teaching grammar to native speakers and learners of Greek.
Keywords
Modern Greek, phonetics, morphology, syntax, Medieval Greek, Ancient Greek, language change, Greek diglossia, Modern Greek dialects, teaching Modern Greek
Additional bibliography for study
Browning R., 1991. Η ελληνική γλώσσα, μεσαιωνική και νέα. Αθήνα: Παπαδήμας.
Holton, D., P. Mackridge, Ει. Φιλιππάκη. 2004. Γραμματική της ελληνικής γλώσσας. Αθήνα: Πατάκης.
Horrocks, G. 2006. Ελληνικά: Ιστορία της γλώσσας και των ομιλητών της. Αθήνα.
Τριανταφυλλίδης Μ. 2017. Νεοελληνική Γραμματική: Ιστορική Εισαγωγή, 3ος τόμος των Απάντων, Ανατύπωση με διορθώσεις. Θεσσαλονίκη: Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών.