November 5th-6th, 2021
Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation, A.U.Th., Thessaloniki, and via internet
The Institute of Modern Greek Studies [Manolis Triandaphyllidis Foundation] of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, within the framework of the annual international conferences on the study of the Greek language in its entire historical and geographical range, organizes the “2nd International Conference on the Koine, koines, and the formation of Standard Modern Greek” on November 5-6, 2021, in Thessaloniki. The aim of the conference is to examine the problems associated with the emergence of koines in Greece, as well as in the other Balkan countries, giving the opportunity to revisit the theoretical problems in question and re-examine aspects of the Hellenistic Koine.
Keynote speakers:
professor David Britain (University of Bern, Switzerland),
professor Vit Bubenik (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada), and
professor Peter Mackridge (University of Oxford, Great Britain),
leading scholars on issues related to the conference’s focus areas.
Given the decisive contribution of the founder of the Institute, Manolis Triandaphyllidis (1883-1959), to the development of Standard Modern Greek studies, and having realized the need for a mature and calm debate on issues that often concern us but tend to go unnoticed, we are posing some key questions: Was there a historical compromise between dimotiki and katharevousa? If so, what are its consequences for the current language situation? Is there a language problem in Greece? What would the definition of a “language problem” be today? Are there solutions to the problems of a “bi-systemic” Standard Modern Greek, and if so, where will they come from?