Aeolicum

Aeolicum refers to a dialect of Ancient Greek, specifically one spoken in Aeolis, a region in northwestern Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). It is one of the major dialects of Ancient Greek, alongside Ionic, Attic, Doric, and Arcado-Cypriot. Aeolic is primarily known from inscriptions and literary works, notably the poetry of Sappho and Alcaeus of Lesbos, who were native Aeolic speakers. These poets, active in the Archaic period, provide the most extensive and significant corpus of Aeolic literature.

Linguistically, Aeolic shares certain features with other dialects but also possesses unique characteristics. It exhibits distinct phonological developments, such as the preservation of certain consonant clusters and the outcome of vowels. Morphologically, Aeolic shows some variations in verb conjugations and noun declensions compared to other dialects, particularly Attic, which became the basis for Koine Greek. For instance, the use of the Aeolic vocative singular in -a for masculine nouns ending in -os is a notable feature.

While Aeolic as a distinct spoken dialect declined with the rise of Koine Greek, its influence can be traced in later Greek literature and in the dialectal variations of Modern Greek. The study of Aeolic is crucial for understanding the diversity and evolution of the Greek language throughout antiquity.