Opinions - Testimonies

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• Jacqueline de Romilly, professor at the Sorbonne (1957), first woman professor at the Collège de France (1973), member of the French Academy (1988), honorary Greek citizen (1995) and Ambassador of Hellenism (2000):
  
  Dear Sir, I strongly wish that accents be preserved... read it
• ✝Peter Fraser, emeritus lecturer at Oxford University:
  
  I was glad to hear about your Movement for the reintroduction of the polytonic system of accentuation... read it
• Alain Segonds, directeur de recherche du CNRS, directeur général des Éditions Les Belles Lettres:
  
  Cher ami, j'avais longuement traîné à vous écrire sur cette délicate question [des accents], non que... read it
• Gregorios Sifakis, prof. emeritus of classical Greek philology at the University of Thessaloniki and New York University:
  
  Why do I insist on the polytonic accentuation system? A short—as well as precise—answer would be:... read it
• Zyranna Zateli, writer:
  
  I use accents and breathings in my writing because, first of all, I like them and love them... read it
• Vangelis Hadzigiannidis, writer:
  
  I remember I was in the swimming pool for my weekly hydrotherapy session, when... read it
• Yorgos Brounias, writer:
  
  I would say, now that I’m asked about it—because before I considered it as a fact without too many explanations—... read it
• Carlos Steel, professor of ancient philosophy, University of Leuven:
  
  I am a scholar in ancient Greek philosophy and an editor of ancient Greek texts in numerous prestigious international series... read it
• Concetta Luna, researcher at Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy):
  
  Like millions of other Italians who went through the Classical Lyceum (high school), I learned ancient Greek... read it
• Philippe Brunet, professor of ancient Greek at Rouen university:
  
  The decision to switch from the polytonic to the monotonic system belongs to the Greeks and I have no right to interfere into their choices, but I can... read it
• François Patte, mathematician-sanskritist, professor at Paris V University:
  
  Some years ago I went to see a greek newspaper and was very astonished... read it
• Vernon E. Kooy, Retired Philosopher and Font Designer - Hastings, Nebraska, USA:
  
  By legislating in favor of the monotonic system, Greek has been “dummied down” short and simple... read it
• Phidias N. Bourlas, computer engineer:
  
  Twenty years later I found my beloved, lost, polytonic system again!... read it
• Chrissostomos Papaspyrou, chemist/linguist, educator at the Athens Special Lyceum for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing:
  
  I’m deaf. When I was three years old, I permanently lost my hearing. I don’t remember anymore... read it
• Nikos Dimitriadis, classical scholar:
  
  The goal of the Organization for the Internationalization of Greek Language is to widespread... read it
• Dimitrios Filippou, engineer:
  
  First of all I have to say that I am not a follower of the polytonic system, but... read it
• Nikolaos Ventouras, computer engineer:
  
  The arguments of both the (so-called) progressists as of the (so-called) rightists all start from... read it
• Yannis Gekas, private sector employee:
  
  I was born after the establishment of the monotonic system and so I was taught polytonic in secondary education (Gymnasium - Lyceum). Today, all young Greeks are required to attend school from the age of six to the age of fifteen (in other words, primary school and the Gymnasium). This compulsory education includes three years of compulsory instruction in ancient Greek. Furthermore, most also attend Lyceum where ancient Greek is a compulsory subject in the first and second years, and optional in the third. The conclusion is that with the current system, all the Greek youth has been taught the polytonic system for three to six years. Therefore, as is natural, most (if not all) of them know how to write in polytonic. If the government wanted to restore the polytonic system tomorrow, it would not be to hard for the citizens to adjust to it.

  Like most supporters of the polytonic system, I doubt the moral ‘legitimacy’ of the method used to establish the monotonic system. I believe that such a change to the people’s language should only have been made with a referendum. I know many people who would like the restoration of the polytonic system and the only reason they are hesitant is technical restrictions, in other words, how will they write on computers. I must admit that it is much harder when compared with monotonic to write polytonic. The only way to change their mind in my opinion would be to distribute programs which would make writing polytonic easier, and a fast way to convert monotonic text to polytonic (for texts which already exist). Such programs would be able to be distributed on the website of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (which so far only distributes polytonic fonts).

  I believe that only someone who is indifferent to his cultural heritage could do that to his language. Similar changes were made by Mao Zedong’s communists in China ‘simplifying’ the Chinese script by eliminating hundreds of ancient ideographs, and the communists in Bulgaria, who inspired by the theories of Comintern on the existence of a ‘Macedonian nation’ in Skopje, ‘reformed’ their script to emphasize the differences between Bulgarians and ‘Macedonians’ eliminating old (Slavonic) letters such as the ‘yat’ (Ѣ/ѣ).

  People do not forget their heritage though: in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, the Chinese persist to this day in using the original Chinese script, and Bulgarian politicians have expressed the desire to reverse the communist reforms. So and also the Greeks will not forget the ancient Greek script. There were indeed difficulties in the past which lead to the establishment of the monotonic system, but thanks to modern technology, those difficulties no longer exist. If the Chinese, who even with the simplified script have several thousand ideographs, can write comfortably, then of course Greeks can also write comfortably with the polytonic system.

• Andreas Stalidis, mathematician - analyst:
  
  I will not speak about the reasons why the polytonic system should be re-introduced. There are well-argumented analyses on that, by worthy people... read it
• Yorgos Valsamis, director of ellopos.net:
  
  The wealth of the Greek language grown through all the periods of Greek history, doesn’t mean just a larger amount of words... read it
• Katerina Sokratidou, employee in a shipping agency:
  
  When the monotonic system was introduced I was in secondary school, which means that I have already been taught accents for about 7 years. At start... read it
• Nikos Theodorou, mathematician:
  
  I got acquainted with the polytonic system very young, in primary school, when my mother... read it
• Jacob J. Adams, high school student:
  
  Our world is one of many choices.  We choose what to eat and what to wear.  We choose our careers and hobbies.... read it
• Hadjinikolaou Dimitrios, teacher of English language:
  
  Why I do not approve of monotonous, spiritless spelling. ... read it
• Avgoustinos Tsirimokos, reporter:
  
  ... read it
• Nikolaos Papadopoulos, sports teacher:
  
  ... read it
• Archimidis Anagnostou, (doctor, microbiologist):
  
  ... read it
• Ioannis Vamvakas:
  
  EN1... read it
• Dimitris Tabaoglou Computer engineer:
  
  EN1... read it
• Maria Kontarini, employee in the private sector, retired:
  
  EN1... read it
• Dimitris Armaos, Philologist, poet, essayist:
  
  EN1... read it
• Yannis Flytzanis, Student in Law:
  
  ... read it
• Athina Antoniadou, Conservation of antiquities:
  
  ... read it