The word barbarian in Ancient Greek Linguistics

[akritas]

I have heard many Greeks and not Greeks that the word barbarian (in Greek varvaros) called the people that :

1-Were not Greeks
2-They didn’t speak the Hellenic language or the Greek dialects

Many ancient writers (specially Greeks) used this term in them work to describe other nation (usually the Persians and Pelasgians).
But some others Greeks used to insult other Greeks (e.g. Athenian Demosthenes against Spartans, Macedonians e.t.c.)

What from the above is true?

I think Strabo has gave the correct etymological meaning of the barbarian in the ancient period.

[14,II,28]

“I suppose that the word "barbarian" was at first uttered onomatopoetically in reference to people who enunciated words only with difficulty and talked harshly and raucously, like our words "battarizein," "traulizein," and "psellizein";for we are by nature very much inclined to denote sounds by words that sound like them, on account of their homogeneity.

Wherefore onomatopoetic words abound in our language, as, for example, "celaryzein," and also "clange," "psophos," "boe," and "crotos," most of which are by now used in their proper sense.

Accordingly, when all who pronounced words thickly were being called barbarians onomatopoetically, it appeared that the pronunciations of all alien races were likewise thick, I mean of those that were not Hellenic.

Those, therefore, they called barbarians in the special sense of the term, at first derisively, meaning that they pronounced words thickly or harshly; and then we misused the word as a general ethnic term, thus making a logical distinction between the Greeks and all other races.

The fact is, however, that through our long acquaintance and intercourse with the barbarians this effect was at last seen to be the result, not of a thick pronunciation or any natural defect in the vocal organs, but of the peculiarities of their several languages.

And there appeared another faulty and barbarian-like pronunciation in our language, whenever any person speaking Hellenic did not pronounce it correctly, but pronounced the words like barbarians who are only beginning to learn Hellenic and are unable to speak it accurately, as is also the case with us in speaking their languages.

This was particularly the case with the Carians, for, although the other peoples were not yet having very much intercourse with the Greeks nor even trying to live in Hellenic fashion or to learn our language--with the exception, perhaps, of rare persons who by chance, and singly, mingled with a few of the Greeks --yet the Carians roamed throughout the whole of Greece serving on expeditions for pay.

Already, therefore, the barbarous element in their Hellenic was strong, as a result of their expeditions in Greece; and after this it spread much more, from the time they took up their abode with the Greeks in the islands; and when they were driven thence into Asia, even here they were unable to live apart from the Greeks, I mean when the Ionians and Dorians later crossed over to Asia.

The term "barbarize," also, has the same origin; for we are wont to use this too in reference to those who speak Hellenic badly, not to those who talk Carian. So, therefore, we must interpret the terms "speak barbarously" and "barbarously-speaking" as applying to those who speak Hellenic badly. And it was from the term "Carise" that the term "barbarize" was used in a different sense in works on the art of speaking Hellenic; and so was the term "soloecise," whether derived from Soli, or made up in some other way.�

Of course Demosthenis and Barbarians is another issue.

[akritas]

The distribution of Greek way of life had as consequence the Hellenization certain barbarian and thus the old opposition between Greeks and barbarians was differentiated somehow, was maintained however live in the Pan-Hellenic movement.
Why however officiated the nomenclature of barbarians (not with the linguistic significance that Strabo rightly had written) but with the cultural way of life they were the Athenians?

The better explanation as regard the culture had given from Isocrates into Panygurika (50) that Athens surpasses so much in the thought and the reason what " tosouton d' apoleloipen hê polis hêmôn peri to phronein kai legein tous allous anthrôpous, hôsth' hoi tautês mathêtai tôn allôn didaskaloi gegonasi, kai to tôn Hellênôn onoma pepoiêke mêketi tou genous alla tês dianoias dokein einai, kai mallon Hellênas kaleisthai tous tês paideuseôs tês hêmeteras ê tous tês koinês phuseôs metechontas.."

and in English

“ And so far has our city distanced the rest of mankind in thought and in speech that her pupils have become the teachers1 of the rest of the world; and she has brought it about that the name Hellenes suggests no longer a race but an intelligence, and that the title Hellenes is applied rather to those who share our culture than to those who share a common blood�

The meaning of this phrase is that the Isocrates considers as the real Greeks only the Greeks that have received Attica education.

As also mentioned by German historical I. Juthner in the work of "Hellenen und Barbaren " first Arhelaos tried the import of Attica education in the Macedonian kingdom but with success applied from the Phillip with the event to called for the upbringing of son of Alexandros the philosopher from Stagira Aristotle. The great Hellene philosopher had teach him the Greek culture via the Greek poetry (Homer) and the glorification of his ancestor the Achilles.

Alexandros continued the cultural policy of his ancestors with the make that he rendered I Anatolia accessible in the Greek culture and created completely new bases for entire the next development of Eastern and western world.

Also Droysen, Wilcken, Bosworth e. t. c. "The Hellenistic period that was inaugurated by Great Alexander as a period at which the Greek culture became worldwide, has exceptionally big importance and for the ancient Greek history.

[Andrew]

Here is a quote from Sextus Empeirikus about the verbs βαρβαρίζειν , σολοικίζειν and ἑλληνίζειν fro mthe book edited by A.F. Christidis "History of Greek : from the beginnings to late antiquity".


[url=http://g.imageshack.us/img82/hoghellenizeinsextusyh7.png/1/][IMG

As it is clearly seen , Sextus talking about GRAMMATIC labels the grammatical errors as barbarisms and solecisms , meanwhile uses the verb hellenizein as "speaking Greek grammaticaly correct". He continues by stating that there are two kinds of Hellenism : one who speaks Greek with the correct grammatic (Hellenizein) and one who speaks the greek by usage , that is the everyday variety of his family/town/region. That everyday Greek has inevitably some grammatical errors , which Sextus labels as Barbarisms and Solecisms.

Now the "official" greek grammar was that of the official greek dialect , that is the Attic "koine" from a certain point and on. So the ones who continued speaking their local greek dialects -which were in some points diverging from the proper Attic grammar - were commiting "Barbarisms and Solecisms" ,which is equivalent to the "uneducated" (απαίδευτος) as Sextus states clearly.

[Orphic_Hymn]

Originally Posted by akritas

The better explanation as regard the culture had given from Isocrates into Panygurika (50) that Athens surpasses so much in the thought and the reason what " tosouton d' apoleloipen hê polis hêmôn peri to phronein kai legein tous allous anthrôpous, hôsth' hoi tautês mathêtai tôn allôn didaskaloi gegonasi, kai to tôn Hellênôn onoma pepoiêke mêketi tou genous alla tês dianoias dokein einai, kai mallon Hellênas kaleisthai tous tês paideuseôs tês hêmeteras ê tous tês koinês phuseôs metechontas.."

and in English

“ And so far has our city distanced the rest of mankind in thought and in speech that her pupils have become the teachers1 of the rest of the world; and she has brought it about that the name Hellenes suggests no longer a race but an intelligence, and that the title Hellenes is applied rather to those who share our culture than to those who share a common blood�

The meaning of this phrase is that the Isocrates considers as the real Greeks only the Greeks that have received Attica education.

Just wanted to requote this, underline and place in blod the conclusion, since this quote is widely misinterpreted and thus misunderstood that Isokates' Panegyrikos implies anyone that receives the education in question, when in reality his speech is the most nationalistic text that exists in the entire Hellenic anthology and of course implies nothing remotely close.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Orphic_Hymn

... his speech is the most nationalistic text that exists in the entire Hellenic anthology

+1 !!!

It reminds of of Plato's "Athens is the Greece of Greece" !!!