Aeolic Greek is a linguistic term used to describe a set of rather archaic Greek sub-dialects, spoken mainly in Boeotia (a region in Central Greece), in Lesbos (an island close to Asia Minor) and in other Greek colonies.

It is probable that the Aeolic speakers represent the second (i.e. Achaean) migratory wave of Greeks (Hellenes) from the plains of Central Europe (or, according to other opinions, from what is present-day Ukraine) into their current homeland. The Aeolic dialect shows many archaisms, in comparison to the other Greek dialects (i.e. Ionian-Attic, Doric, Northwestern and Arcado-Cypriot), as well as many innovations.

Main traits of the Aeolic dialect

• The original proto-Indo-European (and Proto-Greek) labiovelar, *, turned into p everywhere, whereas the Attic-Ionic, Arcadocyprian and Doric dialects have t before e and i (e.g. Attic , Ionic , Doric ~ Lesbian , Boeotian < PIE *). This treatment of the labiovelar finds its exact counterpart in the so-called P-Celtic languages and in the Sabellic languages. This trait may point to an especially close relationship between the Greek (Hellenic), Celtic and Italic branches of the Indo-European language family.
• The Proto-Greek long ā was retained everywhere, in contrast to the Attic-Ionic dialect, which turned it into a long open ē (e.g. Attic-Ionic ~ Aeolic "mother" < IE *).
• The Aeolic dialect made extensive use of the so-called "athematic" verb conjugation, i.e. the conjugation ending in -mi (e.g. Attic-Ionic ~ Aeolic "love"). The same is also found in Irish, where this selection has been generalized, i.e -im.
• In the Lesbian dialect, the tonic accent of all words appears recessive ("barytonesis"), as is typical only in the verbs of other dialects (e.g. Attic-Ionic ~ Lesbian "river").
• The athematic infinitive ending of the Aeolic dialect is -men (Lesbian also -menai) as in the Doric dialects, whereas Attic-Ionic has -(e)nai (e.g. Attic-Ionic ~ Lesbian , Thessalian, Boeotian ). In the Lesbian dialect this ending also extends to the thematic conjugation (e.g. ).
• In Lesbian Aeolic, the phenomenon of "psilosis" occurred, as in the Ionic dialect; this is the absence of the aspiration of initial vowels, frequently the result of the loss of sigma or digamma (e.g. Attic ~ Ionic , Lesbian "sun" < Proto-Greek *hāwelios < PIE *).
• In Thessalian and Boeotian, the proto-Indo-European (and Proto-Greek) semi-vowel w ("digamma") was retained word-initially, as it was in the Doric dialect (e.g. Attic-Ionic ~ Boeotian, Doric "word, epic" < PIE , cf. Latin vōx).
• In Boeotian, the vowel-system was, in many cases, changed in a way reminiscent of the modern Greek pronunciation: Attic-Ionic ~ Boeotian ~ Modern Greek ; Attic-Ionic ~ Boeotian ~ Modern Greek ; Attic-Ionic ~ Boeotian ~ Modern Greek .
• The original Indo-European consonant clusters * were assimilated to . The Attic-Ionic and Doric dialects have a short nasal / liquid and compensatory lengthening instead (e.g. Attic-Ionic ~ Aeolic < PIE *).

Hellenic languages and dialects

Aiolisches Griechisch | Aeolisch (dialect)