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... read it
• 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. Dear readers, my name is Demetrios Hadjnicolaou; I was born in Berrhoea, Emathia, Greece in 1975; I am a teacher of English. Whenever I write in my mother tongue (Greek) and have the required technological facilities, I nearly always use the polytonic system. I do so deliberately for the reasons below:

  1. I am proud of the Hellenic language and literature, not only its ancient version, but also the New Testament Greek of the Hellenistic period, and the mediaeval Greek, including either the archaic patristic language and richly poetic hymns or the acritic songs. I also admire men of letters such as Dionysios Solomos, Costes Palamas, Alexandros Papadiamantes, Photes Contoglou and Costes Bastias, who, among others, consistently abided by Greek historical spelling rules. Apparently, the polytonic system of writing was introduced at a later time and is slightly, if to a negligible extent, costlier when it comes to printing, but I would never do away with it for these reasons. Likewise, I would never have the Parthenon in Athens or Hagia Sophia in Constantinople demolished. They are architectural masterpieces despite their having been constructed centuries past the first temples and churches of their kind started being built. Let the maintenance costs be high as well.
  2. It is a matter of aesthetics; monotonous writing compared to the polytonic one resembles stark, graceless blocks of flats in contrast to neo-classical buildings.
  3. There is an issue of prestige involved, too: it is shameful to abrogate the polytonic system in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, when we have managed to preserve it in spite of meagre education, even illiteracy in times of slavery, and virtually no technological means in the past.
  4. The imposition of the monotonous system by law is a monument of constitutional and parliamentary off-handedness as well as bigoted reaction. This becomes evident considering that, according to the constitution now in force, any law including clauses not related to its title would be null and void. (The clause stipulating that the monotonous spelling shall be used by state authorities was part of an Act “on technical schools”.) None-the-less, it is naïve to allege that whoever prefers the polytonic way of writing is an advocate of the 21^st April 1967 régime, e.g. it was not the junta that created the over 3,000-year-old Hellenic language, so, why should some of its critics fight Greek, too?
  5. Last but not least, let me bring up the issue of the continuation of Greek cultural identity. I do not refer to the practical benefits for learning Greek that the polytonic system has: the reasons for its initial invention may have expired, but other, equally remarkable objectives can be achieved. Beyond this, however, in my humble opinion, it is essential to preserve the connection and familiarisation with the entire Greek literature, which occurs far more easily and effortlessly thanks to the polytonic system.

  What do you think, then? Only the Pope claims to be infallible, and he is wrong, I trust. Let us admit to our mistake and go on like we used to: gracefully, clearly, consistently. If things seem to be hard in the beginning, remember Georgios Drosines: “I will despise an easy trophy and only relish a hard-won one”. Dr Haralambous’ www.polytonico.org site leads the way. Let us heed his call, as Plato’s prisoners of the cave should have done!

  Demetrios Hadjinicolaou

• 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