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Pontic Greek

NamePontic Greek
NativenameΠοντιακά/Pontiaká
FamilycolorIndo-European
StatesGreece, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Germany, Netherlands
RegionSoutheastern Europe
Speakers324,535
FamilycolorIndo-European
Fam2Hellenic
ScriptGreek alphabet, Latin alphabet, Russian alphabet
Iso3pnt
NoticeIPA

     Home | Language | Pontic Greek



Pontic Greek is a form of the Greek language originally spoken in the Pontus area on the southern shores of the Black Sea, and today mainly in Greece. Its speakers are referred to as Pontic Greeks or Pontian Greeks.

Pontic's linguistic lineage stems from Ionic Greek via Koine and Byzantine Greek and contains influences from Turkish and to a lesser extent, Persian and various Caucasian languages. Pontic is most closely related to Cappadocian Greek, and the Greek spoken in Mariupolis (and formerly in Crimea, Ukraine) (see Mariupolitan Greek).

The language is called Rumca in Turkish, derived form the Turkish word Rum denoting ethnic Greeks living in Turkey in general; however, this term comprises other Greek speakers in Turkey such as those from Istambul or Smyrna who speak a language close to Standard Modern Greek.


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