Aromanian language: Creole * Greek - latin language

-* Creole = mulatto, mixed -

    There is a belief and a fabrication, rooted for decades, which some people uncritically and without documents consider the Aromanian-Vlachic language the same  as  the Romanian language of  Dako-Romania and they call it ‘Roumanovlachic’ or ‘Vlachoroumanic’ in a silly way!

   Others consider it as a dialect of the Romanian language. And the question arises: Really, what are the relations between the Aromanian-vlachic language and the Romanian one? The answer is very simple. The Aromanian language is a branch of the folk (vernacular) Latin of the Balkans and not a branch of the Dako-Romanian. It has affinities with the Romanian language and this is because the 2 languages belong to the eastern Balkan group of Romance languages (Aromanian-Vlachic, Romanian, Istroromanian, Moglenitic). Similar affinities are between the languages belonging to the Western group of languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Rhaeto-Romanic). All Romance languages, Eastern and Western come from the Vulgar Latin,  oral spoken, in the Balkans and Western Europe respectively. 

   As far as the Aromanian-Vlachic language concerned, we can say that it is divided into 2 main dialects: 1. North group 2. South group. 

   Both teams should be recorded, in systematic and scientific validity, by any saved language material from every village, so that it can be available to specific researchers, linguists to examine it better. This has not unfortunately happened yet, and that why   those, who refer to the Aromanian language, the only thing they do, is to assume and speak in a teratology way, since they don’t have available the proper language material.

   All the dictionaries of the Aromanian language that released from late 18th century until nowadays contain a small percentage of the linguistic wealth of the Aromanians that it is still in use, so any studies based on these dictionaries can lead to wrong estimates and wrong conclusions. 

 However, the following notes should be stressed:

• In Aromanian-Vlachic language, words of Homer and pre-Homer period are preserved .These words are not found in Latin and Romanian languages and can be seen as strong evidence that the ancestors of Aromanians-Vlachs lived in the Greek peninsula since at least 8 B.C.  Century, at the time of Homer. 

• In Aromanian-vlachic language, words of the language of Ancient Macedonians, are preserved. Hesiod (5th century AC) recorded these words as ‘macedonic’ and this can be seen as strong evidence that  part of  Greek-Aromanians are descendants of the Macedonians (Philip and Alexander the Great). 

• In Aromanian-vlachic language, Tsakonic words are rescued. The Tsakonic dialect is on of the Greek dialects that are nearest to the language of the Dorians and this can be seen as strong evidence that Greek-Aromanians come from the Dorian race. It is well-known that   the Dorians are the first Greek race and later Greeks originate from them, a name (Greeks) that extended to other tribes of ancient people who inhabited Greek peninsula. 

Below there is a very small sample of the three previous cases. Besides, it is impossible to mention all the words in a small article like the present .

1. Homer and pre - Homer - Aromanian 

Ακή =  spike, peak (Homer) akou = needle ,spike (Αromanian). 

Aτραπός = path, a narrow path (Homer) trapou = path, narrow street (Aromanian)

Βαλιός = white,   pied (Homer) baliou =  with white spots (Aromanian) 

Κύων,gen: κυνός,ac:κύνα =dog (Homer) K'ni = dog, bitch (Aromanian) 

Μάλα = "very much" (Homer) Mal' = too many.(Αromanian)

Οις, όιος = sheep (Homer) Οi = sheep (Aromanian) 

Πόρκος = pig (Homer) porkou = pig (Aromanian)

Tύ = you, to you (Homer) tini = you, to you (Aromanian) 

Φρατήρ =  member, brother (Homer) Fratε= brother (Aromanian). 

Ωόν,ώιον,ώεον=egg (Homer) Oou=egg (Aromanian) 

etc.

2. Ancient  Macedonian - Aromanian

Ακαρα = strands (A.Macedonian) disk'k'rare=opening of strands (Aromanian) 

Αμαλή= gentle, soft (Α Macedonian) Moale = gentle, soft (Aromanian) 

Αρκόν = leisure,holiday (Α.Μacedonian) (Staou) arkatou =  I do nothing (Aromanian)

Βέσκεροι = bread (Α.Macedonian) Piskouri = bread funerals (Aromanian) 

Επιτέρναι=bread type (A. Macedonian) Pitouroanie = kind of pie (Aromanian)

etc.

3. Tsakonic - Aromanian 

Ζάρα =cut milk, wine or any liquid (Tsakonian) Tz'rou = whey, cut milk.(Aromanian) 

Κάλα/εσε=gray sheep (spots on head (Tsakonian) Kalesou=any animal (spots on head) (Aromanian)

Κατούνα= hut (Tsakonian) k'toun' = hut, hut village (Aromanian)

Kόρμπο= black, dark (Tsakonian) korbou= black, poor guy (Aromanian)

Kουτσούμπα = hump (Tsakonian) koutsioumb'=hump splinter tree trunk, log) (Aromanian)

etc. 

 The Aromanian-Vlachic language is nothing more than a mixed language (Greek-Latin) and a product of Greek Latin civilization after the conquest of Creek territories by the Romans.

(Source: “Ellinovlachi”, Volume A, by George Exarchos, Publications Kastaniotis, Athens 2001)

Original text by John Tsiamitros, translation in English by him, too.