Today, the Pontian dialect, like any other regional Greek dialect, is not used in daily communication except by only a small portion of people, who in the near future will naturally continue to decrease in number. It is almost inevitable that as time passes, in Greece and in general worldwide, we are heading towards a «linguistic homogenization» as a result of various reasons.
There is, however, also an optimistic side to this unfortunate phenomenon.
On this optimistic side, belong some examples of people who, using various expressions of their love for the Pontian dialect, try to preserve and pass on their knowledge of their ancestral cultural heritage to future generations.
One example of such an effort is the book you are holding in your hands titled «Atimeton», which in Pontian means «Invaluable» (or «cherished», something therefore that is «priceless»).
The title is of course symbolic, and I chose it based on the importance of a dialect that raised and nurtured my ancestors. The writing for many years of songs - poems included in this publication, as well as the thought for their final availability to the public in written form, along with their audio version, is presented to all of you with great love and respect for my Pontian heritage and the ancient Pontian dialect, having as my cornerstone of thought the preservation, transmission and promotion of the linguistic beauty and wealth which is found hidden within the broad depth the vocabulary of the dialect possess.
May this attempt assist all readers to connect with the dialect. My hope is that through this body of work (written lyrics and audio recordings) those who are not familiar with the dialect will have an opportunity to engage with it in an accessible manner in order to develop familiarity and fall in love with it and those who are already familiar with it, to assist them to deepen their knowledge even further.
Indeed, the book presents a unique opportunity as reading song lyrics, combined with the ability to listen to the song, is admittedly a pleasant, alternative and at the same time entertaining way of capturing one’s attention and immerse them into the unique and often enigmatic paths of the Pontian dialect.
Enjoy the adventure…
With respect
Diogenis Ainatzis