Medieval Greek refers to the Greek language as it evolved during the Middle Ages. It is sometimes spelled "Mediaeval Greek" in British English, but the most common spelling in American English is "Medieval Greek". The word "medieval" is pronounced /ˌmɛdiˈiːvəl/ in IPA phonetics, while "Greek" is pronounced /ɡriːk/. Therefore, the phonetic transcription of "Medieval Greek" would be /ˌmɛdiˈiːvəl ɡriːk/. Despite variations in spelling, the pronunciation remains the same.
Medieval Greek refers to the variety of the Greek language spoken and written during the Medieval period, which spanned from around the 6th century to the 15th century. It is also known as Byzantine Greek, as it was mainly used in the Byzantine Empire.
Medieval Greek evolved from the earlier form of the Greek language known as Koine Greek, which was the lingua franca of the Eastern Mediterranean following the conquests of Alexander the Great. However, as the Byzantine Empire emerged, the Greek language underwent certain changes in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, leading to the development of Medieval Greek.
One of the defining features of Medieval Greek is its heavy influence from other languages, particularly Latin and various Slavic languages. This influence is reflected in the vocabulary, where loanwords from these languages became increasingly common. Additionally, the grammatical structure of Medieval Greek underwent certain changes, including the simplification of the declension system and the incorporation of Slavic inflectional forms.
Medieval Greek was primarily used in written form, particularly in religious and administrative texts. It played a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of ancient Greek literature, philosophy, and science. Notable works in Medieval Greek include theological treatises, Byzantine novels, historical chronicles, and legal texts.
Overall, Medieval Greek represents an important phase in the development of the Greek language, showcasing both continuity with earlier periods and the impact of cultural and linguistic exchanges during the medieval era.
The word "Medieval" is derived from the Latin word "mediēvālis", which is formed from the combination of the Latin terms "medius" meaning "middle" and "aevo" meaning "age". Therefore, "Medieval" refers to the Latin term "medium aevum" or "middle age".
On the other hand, the term "Greek" in "Medieval Greek" denotes the language itself, which has its origins in Ancient Greece and was spoken by the Greeks. The word "Greek" comes from the Late Latin word "Graecus", which was used to refer to the people of Greece. This term was eventually adopted into various languages and remains the prevalent term used to describe the language spoken by the Greeks.