The preconditions for the Greek language controversy

Abstract

This chapter outlines the historical, geographical, social, cultural, and ideological background to the emergence of the controversy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. First, it answers the questions: who thought of themselves as Greek at the time, what did they think it meant to be Greek, and what did they think was the geographical extent of the area in which the Greeks lived? It examines the three different names that the Greeks used for themselves (Romans, Greeks, and Hellenes) and the ideological connotations of each of them, and goes on to examine the way Greek-speakers perceived themselves in relation to the speakers of other languages (chiefly Albanian and Aromanian) among whom they lived. The prehistory of the Greek language question is outlined, together with its immediate historical and intellectual background. Lastly, Greeks' attitudes to language at the time are evaluated, and the relationship between language attitudes and social background is discussed.