Researches in Greece

William Martin Leake published Researches in Greece in 1814. The book is a survey of the languages and dialects spoken in Greece and the Southern Balkans during the early nineteenth century. It broke new ground in linguistics and pioneered the critical study of modern Greek, Albanian, Wallachian and Bulgarian.

William MartinLeake (1777–1860) first published Researches in Greece in 1814. The book is a survey of the languages and dialects spoken in modern Greece and the Southern Balkans during the early nineteenth century. It was a pioneering work of linguistics that created great interest among Western European scholars. Chapter 1 deals with modern Greek, with sections on grammar, orthography, and phonetics; modern literature, including a catalogue of modern Greek authors; the Tzakonic dialect; and pronunciation and regional variation. Chapter 2 covers Albanian and includes sections on phonetics, grammar and vocabulary and Albanian history and geography. Chapter 3 gives a brief account of the Wallachian and Bulgarian languages. The volume includes useful comparative vocabulary lists in English, Greek, Albanian, Wallachian and Bulgarian. This key work of nineteenth-century scholarship was highly influential in generating scholarly interest in the study of modern Greek.