Romeyka holds within it the echoes of ancient civilizations, colonization, and the enduring cultural heritage of its speakers. This article delves into the comprehensive history and development of Romeyka, tracing its origins, evolution, and the intricate influences that have shaped it over time.
Understanding the roots of Romeyka starts from ancient times, when Asia Minor was home to a mosaic of languages, from Hittite, Phrygian, and Lydian to numerous other local languages. With the advent of Greek colonization, however, there became a shift as the Greek language gained prominence and cultural dominance. Soon, most communities in the region had converted to the Greek language and way of living.
As Greek colonies flourished and spread across Asia Minor, the Greek spoken in various regions began to evolve independently from Classical Greek. The formation of dialects across Cappadocia and Pontus differentiated from the standardized forms of Greek spoken in major centers like Athens or Constantinople. The first colonies settling by the coast of the Black Sea spoke Pontic Greek.
Then, with the Turkic invasion, the region experienced the introduction of another dominant culture, language contact leaving an indelible mark on the Greek dialects of Asia Minor. The developments of the spoken languages were affected by neighboring communities, creating a melting pot of languages. Yet, the Pontus region was more unique.
Reached by the Turkish later and with geographical factors from mountains and high villages, there was less interaction with the Turkish speakers. This isolation and limited contact shaped the trajectory of the dialect, as it retained more archaic features from the old form of Greek.
Then, with the end of the Turkish war of independence in the early 1900’s, the Treaty of Lausanne decided on an exchange of populations. This was based on religion; Christians residing in the formed Turkish republic would move to the new Greek Kingdom, and Muslims residing in the Greek Kingdom would move to Turkey. This article meant that small enclaves of Muslim Pontic Greek speakers remained in Turkey, while the majority of other Greek speakers left.
The remaining of these Muslim Pontic speakers in Turkey meant that, unlike others who were largely influenced by Standard Greek and assimilated to the modern form, the language developed on its own without heavy Greek influence. It exhibited unique linguistic features akin to Ancient Greek lost from any other Greek dialect. And, with the passage of time, contact with languages such as Turkish and Armenian introduced elements that resulted in unique linguistic innovations.
Today, this form of the Pontic Greek dialect spoken in Turkey is known as Romeyka; differentiating from other languages and its features reflecting a complex history of cultural interactions.