The Greek language, one of the oldest continuously spoken languages, has undergone significant changes in pronunciation throughout its history. This article explores the evolution of Greek pronunciation from its earliest recorded forms to its modern state.
The first traces of the Greek language appear around 1500 BCE in Mycenaean documents written in Linear B script. While the pronunciation of this ancient form is speculative, linguists rely on comparisons with other early Indo-European languages to draw conclusions.
Between the end of the Bronze Age and the Archaic era (circa 700 BCE), Greek pronunciation underwent several changes. Notably, it lost its labialized velar consonants, sounds like 'kwh,' 'kw,' and 'gw,' which evolved into 'p,' 't,' or 'k' depending on the context. For instance, the sound 'kw' in some words evolved into 't,' while in others it became 'p.'
During the Classical Period (5th and 4th centuries BCE), Greek was spoken over a vast area, leading to the development of various dialects. Attic Greek, Ionic Greek, Doric Greek, Aeolic Greek, and others emerged. Some dialects lost the 'h' sound during this period. Attic Greek, however, retained its diphthongs, two distinct vowel sounds within the same syllable, until the transition to Koine Greek.
The spread of Greek by Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BCE led to the emergence of Koine Greek, a common Greek dialect that was more similar to Modern Greek than the ancient Greek of the Archaic Era. This period saw the loss of the 'h' sound and the simplification of diphthongs into single vowel sounds. Additionally, the distinction between vowel lengths, a feature present in earlier forms of Greek, was lost.
The simplification of Greek pronunciation during the Koine Greek period was influenced by its adoption by diverse populations across the ancient world. This process of simplification is common in languages that spread widely and are adopted by speakers with different linguistic backgrounds.