This paper discusses changes in the vowel system of contemporary Mišótika, the Cappadocian
variety originally spoken in Misti. We compare the speech of native speakers
from two Cappadocian refugee communities and analyse the differences between the
two, taking into consideration mechanisms of language contact and linguistic change,
and also the social parameters that influence the dialectal system.
The study is based on recordings of native speakers of Mišótika who live in two different
villages, one in the prefecture of Kilkis (Neo Agioneri), and the other in Thessaloniki
(Xirohori).
Although these villages are very close to one another, they present two major differences.
Neo Agioneri is a homogeneous village, whereas Xirohori is a mixed village, since
not only Cappadocians but also other Greek-dialect speakers live there.
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Another distinguishing characteristic between the two villages is the attitude of the inhabitants
towards Mišótika. It seems that speakers from Neo Agioneri are more receptive
to the use of the dialect. The inhabitants from Xirohori, by contrast, present a different
attitude, reflecting the consequences of social stigmatization and linguistic attrition
that their dialect has undergone after the population exchange of the 1920s.
To conclude, the current vowel system of Mišótika seems to diverge significantly from
the older one described by Dawkins (1916). At the same time, the preliminary findings
of our research indicate that there are also differences in the phonological status of the
vowels between speakers of the same linguistic system.
Dawkins, R. M. 1916. Modern Greek in Asia Minor: a Study of the Dialects of Sílli, Cappadocia
and Phárasa with Grammar, Texts, Translations and Glossary. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press