Pontic

Pontic is an adjective and noun associated with Pontus, a historic region along the southern shore of the Black Sea in what is now northeastern Turkey. The term is used to describe geography, people, language, and culture tied to this area, as well as to things derived from Pontus.

Geographically, Pontus roughly corresponds to the coastal zone between Trabzon and Samsun with the Pontic Mountains running parallel to the coast. Historically, Pontus was the center of the Hellenistic Kingdom of Pontus, notably under Mithridates VI, and later became part of Roman and Byzantine domains before the region was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. The term also appears in discussions of the regional landscape, biodiversity, and archaeology.

The Pontic Greeks are an ethnic Greek community originating in Pontus. They developed distinct religious, social, and cultural practices, including unique folk traditions and music. In 1923, the Greco-Turkish population exchange led many Pontic Greeks to relocate to Greece and other countries, while smaller communities persisted in Turkey and formed diasporic networks worldwide.

Linguistically, Pontic Greek (Pontiako) refers to a modern Greek dialect or branch spoken by Pontic Greeks. It features distinctive phonological and lexical elements and has contributed to the cultural heritage of Pontic communities through liturgy, songs, and everyday speech. The label Pontic can also apply more broadly to other cultural and historical attributes associated with Pontus, including cuisine, architecture, and religious practices.

In summary, Pontic denotes the connections to the Pontus region, encompassing its geography, historic states, Greek-speaking communities, and cultural traditions.