Dialect of Chalkidiki

The Dialect of Chalkidiki is a dialect of the Greek language spoken in Chalkidiki (Khalkidiki, Halkidiki, Greek Χαλκιδική), Greece. Regarding the words, as in any other language, the old dialect (frοm the Greek "διάλεκτος" [di΄alektos]) of Northern Greece and especially of Chalkidiki Prefecture', is divided into three parts:

1. The extra Greek words used in the dialect

2. The extra words of foreign 'origin

3. The pronunciation' of the words, and the intonation

What prevails, however, and is heard in the pronunciation of the words is the “Vowel Reduction”.

The Greek language, as other languages of Mediterranean countries, has five basic sounds of vowels, five cardinal vowels:

[i], monophthongs or diphthongs ι, η, υ, οι, ει

[e], monophthong or diphthong ε, αι

[a], monophthong α [o], monophthongs ο, ω

[u], diphthong ου

It is well known in linguistics (pronunciation, phonetics), that some vowels are created in the upper part of the [cavity] of the mouth (high vowels) (in front [i], in the back [u]), others in the middle of the mouth (mid vowels) (in front [e], in the back [o]), and others in the nether part of the mouth (low vowels) ([a]). As a rule the sounds of vowels that are to be articulated in the middle or upper part, when they are not accented (stressed), they are reduced, i.e. they tend to be created in the upper or uppermost part. As a result the sound [e] is reduced to [i], the sound [o] is reduced [u], and the sounds [u] and [i], in syllables (preceded by consonants), are reduced very much ([i] becomes [j], or even not sounded at all (dropped) (not dropped when with other vowels). One can find this also in other regions of the Greek mainland

Examples:

Αύριο θα πάμε (Θεσ)σαλονίκη, becomes: Αύριου θα πάμι (Θι)σαλουνίκj [΄avriu θa ΄pami (θi)salu΄nikj]

Έχει δουλειές στον Αη-Μάμα και στον Πολύγυρο, becomes: [Εχj δλειές στουν Αj Μάμα κι στουν Πουλύγjρου]. [stu bu΄liɣjru]

See: Varieties of Modern Greek