The Greek dialect of Cyrene

Abstract

The aim of this thesis has been to present a detailed linguistic study of all the dialect inscriptions from Cyrene which have been published. The introduction contains a brief history of Cyrene and a description of the dialect material. In the following chapters on Phonology, Morphology and Word Formation, all dialect features have been noted, with a full discussion of the more important and disputed questions. To this has been added a study of various proper names which are of interest, and a chapter on certain notable features of syntax. On the basis of this descriptive survey, it has been attempted in the final chapter to trace the historical development of the dialect spoken at Cyrene, as far as it can be judged from the epigraphical material available, from the fifth century BC till the third century AD. This has mainly entailed tracing the gradual process by which the dialect was modified by the Koine, and giving an evaluation of how far the written material represents the spoken language. For these important questions, and many problems of phonology and morphology, the Cyrenean material is of considerable interest and value.