Arvanitic

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Arvanites and Arvanitika in the Greek Region

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Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction: Name, Historical Sources, and Settlement
• 2. Arvanitika: Linguistic Classification and Diversity
• 3. Archaic Elements, Greek Influence, and Arbëresh in Italy
• 4. Linguistic Myths and Historical Misconceptions
• 5. Historical Testimonies, the Botsaris Dictionary, and the Greek War of Independence
• 6. Oral Tradition: Proverbs, Anecdotes, and Political Text
• 7. Language and Identity: History Repeats Itself
• 8. Audio Recordings, External Links, and Sources

Note: Click on any speaker icon 🔊 for speech narration, on images to zoom in, or on the video to open it in a popup window.

1. Introduction: Name, Historical Sources, and Settlement 🔊

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The Arvanites are historic Albanian-speaking communities of the Greek region. Their presence is linked to various movements of Albanian-speaking populations toward the Greek lands during the Middle Ages and subsequent centuries.

Their history is of particular interest because language, cultural tradition, and national identity do not always coincide. For centuries, the Arvanites preserved Arvanitika while simultaneously becoming deeply integrated into Greek society and actively participating in the history of the modern Greek state.

The language is called Arbërisht by its native speakers. Click on the image to expand.

Brief Timeline

• 12th Century: Early Byzantine account in Anna Komnene's Alexiad (reference to Arbanon).
• Middle Ages – Early Modern Period: Successive settlements of Albanian-speaking populations in the Greek area.
• 19th Century: Widespread use of Arvanitika in the Peloponnese, Central Greece, and the Argo-Saronic Gulf.
• 1809: Compilation of the "Dictionary of Romaic and Simple Arvanitika," associated with Markos Botsaris.
• 1821: Active participation of the Arvanites in the Greek War of Independence and the formation of the first Greek state.
• 1980: Critical philological edition of the dictionary manuscript by Titos Yochalas (Academy of Athens).
• Modern Times: Gradual language shift from Arvanitika to Greek.
• Since the 1990s: A new chapter in Greek-Albanian contact due to modern Albanian migration.

Name, Byzantine Accounts, and Settlement

The Arvanites constitute historic Albanian-speaking communities of the Greek region. Their presence is associated with different movements of Albanian-speaking populations to the Greek lands during the Middle Ages and subsequent centuries. They settled in many regions, particularly in Central Greece, Attica, Boeotia, the Peloponnese, southern Euboea, and the islands of the Argo-Saronic Gulf.

The name "Arvanites" is historically connected to earlier forms such as Arvanitai, Arbër, and Arbën. An important early Byzantine reference is found in Anna Komnene's Alexiad from the early 12th century. In the context of Alexios I Komnenos' wars against the Normans of Robert Guiscard (1081–1085), Arbanon is mentioned, while the Alexiad itself was written later, in the 12th century.

Manuscript of Anna Komnene's Alexiad (12th century), containing one of the earliest Byzantine references to Arbanon. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to expand.

In later medieval sources, the forms Arbanon and Arbanitai also appear. These specific early attestations refer to the western Balkans and should not be automatically identified with the later Arvanites of the Greek lands.

Settlements in Greece took place during different periods and through distinct population movements, rather than as a single, unified migration. Over the centuries, Arvanite communities became deeply integrated into the social and cultural environment of the Greek region, while preserving their language, traditions, and unique local characteristics.

Arvanitika in the Peloponnese during the 19th Century

The speaking of Arvanitika in the 19th-century Peloponnese was extensive and covered vast areas, especially in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the peninsula. Arvanitika was spoken in the following regions of the Peloponnese:

• Troezenia and Methana
• A large part of the Corinthia prefecture, especially the Geraneia region
• The eastern part of Corinthia (Sofiko and the broader area of the former municipality of Solygeia) and the Stymfalia region (Klimenti and surrounding villages)
• The larger eastern part of the Argolis prefecture
• Part of the Achaea prefecture (west of Patras)
• Part of the Triphylia province in the Messenia prefecture (Dorio and surrounding villages, known as Soulimochoria, in the present-day municipalities of Dorio and Aetos)
• The village of Daras in Arcadia, as well as a small enclave in the Gerakas area of Laconia

Arvanitika-speaking villages were also located in Elis, Arcadia, and the Kalavryta province of the Achaea prefecture.

The Arvanitika spoken in southern Greece is distinctly more archaic, particularly in its vocabulary, and closer to the medieval form of the Tosk dialect.

Map showing Arvanitika speech in the Peloponnese in the 19th century, particularly widespread in the northeast and southwest of the peninsula. Click on the image to expand.

2. Arvanitika: Linguistic Classification and Diversity 🔊

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Arvanitika belongs to the Albanian branch of languages and is linguistically linked to the Tosk group.

There was no completely uniform form of Arvanitika across all regions. Local variations and differing degrees of language retention existed, with distinct features in the communities of Attica, Boeotia, the Peloponnese, Euboea, and the Argo-Saronic Gulf.

Arvanitika does not constitute a single, unvarying speech form, but rather a group of local varieties that evolved within different social and geographical environments.

Albanian dialects and the position of Arvanitika within the Tosk group. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to expand.

3. Archaic Elements, Greek Influence, and Arbëresh in Italy 🔊

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Archaic Elements and Strong Greek Influence

Arvanitika holds special interest for historical linguistics as it preserves certain older and conservative features of Tosk Albanian. However, its development did not freeze in time; for centuries, it developed as speech varieties in a Greek-speaking environment.

Longstanding and intense contact with Greek left a significant mark on Arvanitika. The influence is especially evident in vocabulary and phrasing, while influences are also observed in syntax, morphology, and phonology. The degree of Greek influence is not uniform everywhere, varying depending on the region, the intensity of contact, and the historical trajectory of each community.

It is not "ancient Albanian"

The conservative nature of certain Arvanitika elements does not imply that it represents an "ancient Albanian" language. Rather, it consists of varieties of Albanian preserving archaic features, which evolved over centuries under unique conditions of language contact with Greek.

Relationship to the Arbëresh of Italy

The Arbëresh varieties of Italy are closely related to Arvanitika and, like it, belong to the Tosk group of Albanian. The populations from which the Arbëresh descended originated primarily from southern Albania and adjacent areas of the southern Balkans. From the 15th to 16th centuries, they migrated to Italy; some groups previously passed through or settled in parts of Greece before finally settling mainly in Southern Italy and Sicily.

Thus, Arvanitika and Arbëresh represent closely related yet separately evolved varieties, shaped in different linguistic environments and influenced significantly by Greek and Italian languages and dialects, respectively.

4. Linguistic Myths and Historical Misconceptions 🔊

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Myth: "Ancient Origin"

Theories linking the Arvanites to Dorians, Pelasgians, or other ancient populations have been formulated, often based on arbitrary etymologies and superficial word similarities. These do not constitute scientifically grounded theories.

Myth: "Corrupted Greek"

Equally incorrect is portraying Arvanitika as "corrupted Greek." Arvanitika belongs to the Albanian linguistic branch, while the strong Greek influence is the outcome of centuries-long language contact.

5. Historical Testimonies, the Botsaris Dictionary, and the Greek War of Independence 🔊

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An important early document is the "Dictionary of Romaic and Simple Arvanitika," associated with Markos Botsaris and dated to 1809. The manuscript is connected to Corfu and the Souliote Arvanitika variety. A critical philological edition of the manuscript was edited by Titos Yochalas and published by the Academy of Athens in 1980.

First page of the Botsaris dictionary. Click on the image to expand.

Note: The exact extent of Markos Botsaris's personal contribution to the compilation of the dictionary has been a topic of scholarly debate; therefore, it is preferable to refer to it as "the dictionary of Markos Botsaris" without uncritically attributing the entire compilation exclusively to him.

Arvanites and other Orthodox Albanian-speaking populations actively participated in the Greek War of Independence. Well-known revolutionary leaders include Markos Botsaris, Notis Botsaris, and Kitsos Tzavellas.

The early modern Greek state included a substantial number of Arvanite communities, and in certain regions, Arvanites made up a large portion of the local population. Their presence was particularly strong in parts of Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, the Peloponnese, and the Argo-Saronic islands. The Arvanites played an active role both in the Revolution and in the establishment of the modern Greek state.

Note: However, there is no reliable unified census that allows an exact percentage of Arvanites relative to the total population of the early Greek state to be calculated.

Ali Pasha of Ioannina ruled a vast territory of the Ottoman Empire in which Greek speakers, Albanian speakers, and other ethnic groups coexisted. This region was multi-ethnic and multilingual and should not be described as a "Greek-Albanian state" in the modern national sense.

Portrait of Markos Botsaris, associated with the "Dictionary of Romaic and Simple Arvanitika" (1809). Source: Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to expand.

Ali Pasha of Ioannina, portrait by Spyridon Ventouras (1818). Source: Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to expand.

6. Oral Tradition: Proverbs, Anecdotes, and Political Text 🔊

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Arvanite oral tradition encompasses proverbs, expressions, anecdotes, and historical sayings. This material should be treated as folklore and linguistic evidence, making a distinction between documented historical sources and recent or anonymous collections.

• Njatre ha aguridhene, njatre mbixhete. "One eats the sour grapes, another sets his teeth on edge."
• Po te pestis ljarte, pestima vgen nte prosopia gjote. "If you spit upward, the spit will fall on your own face."
• E mbartexh, e trase, e kuke, e mbukure. "Fair, plump, rosy, and beautiful."
• Si nto stros, nto fljes. "As you make your bed, so you must lie on it."
• Fteks gaidhurin rexhamarin. "It's the donkey's fault, yet he beats the pack-saddle."
• I a thom ljedhit te gkigjet nusea. "I tell the wall so the bride hears it."
• Ntale! Ntale! Tje sidzhi njere ndufek Karaiskakit. "Hold on! Hold on! See Karaiskakis' rifle fire just once."

Anecdote

"Re, pse kruan kriet, shipr gka tragjaska?" ("Hey, why are you scratching your head over your cap?") — "Gka pse, ti po t' ha mbitha tzijer panteloni?" ("Why? When your bottom itches, do you take off your trousers?")

Political Text

"Polit. Sintagmai thot tse ishtë paranomi Kivernisi t' anakatosete me dinami t' esagjia ede epiroi nt' eklogi. Nuk ishtë pun' esagjia, eklogia ishtë dikeoma i laoit. Esixhni fort mire tse Kivernisi per simfero t' esagjia anakatosete; nuk prep lipon t' stini psifo nte ata tse ou protinen, pse nto ti keni tauljete."

Source: Unknown / unidentified. This political text is presented as an anonymous Arvanitika transcription rather than a verified historical political document. The rendering here uses Greek characters and diacritics, with σ̌ rendering the sound sh.

Proverbs, idioms, jokes, and political texts should not be equated in terms of evidential value with older written historical records.

Georgios Karaiskakis, referred to in one of the proverbs above. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to expand.

7. Language and Identity: History Repeats Itself 🔊

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Language Shift

In modern times, a widespread language shift took place from Arvanitika toward Greek.

Greek gradually became the dominant language in education, administration, public space, and much of social life. Consequently, the use of Arvanitika declined in many communities, and its intergenerational transmission decreased.

This process led from bilingual usage to the gradual abandonment of Arvanitika and, in some families, complete linguistic and social assimilation. Lukas D. Tsitsipis studied this phenomenon extensively in the Arvanite communities of Attica and Boeotia.

Identity and Modern Migration

Modern Albanian migration to Greece opened a new chapter in Greek-Albanian relations. Among younger generations, a wide spectrum of identities emerges: ranging from the preservation of the Albanian language and heritage to a Greek-Albanian identity, strong Greek identification, and complete linguistic and social integration.

This contemporary phenomenon is distinct from the historical experience of the Arvanites, yet it displays parallels regarding language adaptation, social integration, and identity formation.

Conclusion

Regarding language: Arvanitika belongs to the Albanian branch and is linked to the Tosk dialect group; long-standing contact with Greek influenced it deeply, while modern language shift led to its significant decline. Oral tradition and older written records, such as the dictionary associated with Markos Botsaris, remain valuable material for its study.

Regarding identity: the Arvanites demonstrated that language, culture, and national identity are not necessarily identical — a community can retain a distinct linguistic heritage while remaining an integral part of the society in which it lives. Under new historical conditions, modern migration brings back these same questions regarding language, integration, and identity.

8. Audio Recordings, External Links, and Sources 🔊

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Audio Recordings and External Links

There is an interesting website containing Arvanitika field recordings of local speakers from Greek Arvanite villages, alongside recordings from villages in other countries where Albanian or related languages are spoken — Italy (Arbëresh), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Villages in Greece where Arvanitika is still spoken. The recordings listed below originate from these villages. Click on the image to expand.

Note: This specific site presents all these speech forms as a single "Albanian language" with its dialects, which is not strictly precise — Arvanitika, as analyzed above, represents a distinct, archaic variety with its own historical trajectory. Nevertheless, it is valuable for its audio recordings, as well as showing how local pronunciations have been noticeably influenced by the national language of each respective country.

• dialects.albanianlanguage.net/GR — Arvanitika recordings from villages in Greece
• albanianlanguage.net/voices.htm — Audio recordings from the broader Albanian-speaking region

Sources

• Anna Komnene, Alexiad, regarding the early Byzantine reference to Arbanon. See related Wikipedia entry.
• Markos Botsaris, Dictionary of Romaic and Simple Arvanitika, Corfu, 1809. See related article.
• Titos P. Yochalas (ed.), The Greek-Albanian Dictionary of Markos Botsaris: Philological Edition from the Autograph, Academy of Athens, 1980. See publication entry.
• Lukas D. Tsitsipis, A Linguistic Anthropology of Praxis and Language Shift: Arvanítika (Albanian) and Greek in Contact, Oxford University Press, 1998. See Oxford Academic.
• Lukas D. Tsitsipis, studies on language shift and Arvanitika–Greek language contact.
• Dimitrios Ainian, Biography of Karaiskakis, for relevant historical accounts. See full text at Open Book.
• Political text and certain proverbs/expressions: unknown or unidentified source; provided as folklore material rather than confirmed historical documents.

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