Yunanllar

Yunanllar is a Turkish-language ethnonym that appears in some texts as a variant spelling of Yunanlılar, meaning Greeks. The standard Turkish term is Yunanlılar; Yunanllar is generally considered nonstandard, archaic, or dialectal and may occur in historical documents or transliterations. The word refers to people of Greek ethnicity or to citizens of Greece, and may also be used to describe Greek communities in or around Turkey.

Etymology and usage: The root Yunan refers to Greece and is derived in Turkish from older Persian- and Arabic-language usage (yūnān). The plural suffix -lar yields Yunanlılar, literally "Greeks." The form Yunanllar typically results from orthographic variation, typographical error, or dialectal spelling.

Geography and populations: Today Greeks live primarily in Greece, with notable diaspora communities across Europe and North America. In Turkey, Greek communities exist in Istanbul, in Western Thrace, and among the country’s Greek-origin populations; many members of these communities are bilingual and maintain Greek cultural and religious traditions, including Orthodox Christian rites.

History and context: During the Ottoman period, Greeks were organized within the Rum millet and formed a distinct minority. The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey reshaped Greek communities in both countries, while subsequent generations established diaspora networks and maintained cultural ties through language, religion, and national identity.

See also: Greeks, Turkey–Greece relations, Greek diaspora.