Emmanuel Kriaras
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel G Kriaras (born April 8, 1906) is a Greek
lexicographer
and philologist
, he is Emeritus Professor of the School of Philosophy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
. A student of Jean Psychari
and the practice and ideology of demotic Greek
, his work encompasses all the language matters of Greek and of Greece.
in Attica
, Greece
in 1906 and spent his early childhood on the island of Milos
, the most southerly of the Cyclades
. In 1914 his family moved to Khania
, Crete
, where he completed his secondary education. He studied at the University of Athens
from 1924, where he graduated from the School of Philosophy in 1929.
, where he started in 1930. He was appointed principal in 1939. While working at the Academy he carried out post-graduate research, his work included period at Munich
(Μόναχο) (1930) and Paris (1939 and 1945-1948). Some of his research was on Erotókritos
the early 17th century romantic epic which represents the high point of renaissance literature in Crete. This work was published in 1938 as Essays concerning the sources of Erotókritos (Μελετήματα περί τας πηγάς του Ερωτοκρίτου) for which he was awarded his doctorate by the University of Athens. In 1950 he was elected to the chair of Medieval Greek Philology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In addition to the main courses on his subject, he taught medieval Greek history and modern Greek philology until 1968 when his political views resulted in his dismissal by the right wing military junta
.
His writings cover a wide field. Probably his most important work has been the Lexicon of Medieval Greek Demotic Literature 1100-1669 (Λεξικό της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100-1669), published in 16 volumes since 1968 and now supplemented with a 2-volume condensed edition. In 1997 he entrusted his medieval lexicon
and its associated archives to the Centre for the Greek Language (Thessaloniki). His Greek Dictionary of the Modern Demotic Language, Written and Oral (Νέο ελληνικό λεξικό της σύγχρονης ελληνικής δημοτικής γλώσσας, γραπτής και προφορικής) (1995) is the most authoritative modern Greek monolingual dictionary. Kriaras worked on, and promoted research in, the problems related to medieval and modern Greek philology, lexicography and comparative grammatology
, with his heart in the demotic language and the movements connected with its promotion.
In 2006, in recognition of his work and to mark his 100th birthday, he was awarded the "Golden Aristotle" by the University of Thessaloniki
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
lexicographer
Lexicography
Lexicography is divided into two related disciplines:*Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries....
and philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, he is Emeritus Professor of the School of Philosophy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university, and the largest university in the Balkans. It was named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of Thessaloniki, in Central Macedonia...
. A student of Jean Psychari
Ioannis Psycharis
Ioannis Psycharis was a French philologist of Greek origin, author and promoter of Demotic Greek.- Biography :...
and the practice and ideology of demotic Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, his work encompasses all the language matters of Greek and of Greece.
Early life and education
He was born in PiraeusPiraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
in Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 1906 and spent his early childhood on the island of Milos
Milos
Milos , is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete...
, the most southerly of the Cyclades
Cyclades
The Cyclades is a Greek island group in the Aegean Sea, south-east of the mainland of Greece; and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name refers to the islands around the sacred island of Delos...
. In 1914 his family moved to Khania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, where he completed his secondary education. He studied at the University of Athens
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in Southeast Europe and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. Today, it is the second-largest institution of higher learning in Greece,...
from 1924, where he graduated from the School of Philosophy in 1929.
Professional life
Kriaras worked in the medieval archives of the Academy of AthensAcademy of Athens (modern)
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
, where he started in 1930. He was appointed principal in 1939. While working at the Academy he carried out post-graduate research, his work included period at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(Μόναχο) (1930) and Paris (1939 and 1945-1948). Some of his research was on Erotókritos
Erotokritos
Erotokritos is a romance composed by Vikentios Kornaros in early 17th century Crete. It consists of 10,012 fifteen-syllable rhymed verses....
the early 17th century romantic epic which represents the high point of renaissance literature in Crete. This work was published in 1938 as Essays concerning the sources of Erotókritos (Μελετήματα περί τας πηγάς του Ερωτοκρίτου) for which he was awarded his doctorate by the University of Athens. In 1950 he was elected to the chair of Medieval Greek Philology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In addition to the main courses on his subject, he taught medieval Greek history and modern Greek philology until 1968 when his political views resulted in his dismissal by the right wing military junta
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
.
His writings cover a wide field. Probably his most important work has been the Lexicon of Medieval Greek Demotic Literature 1100-1669 (Λεξικό της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100-1669), published in 16 volumes since 1968 and now supplemented with a 2-volume condensed edition. In 1997 he entrusted his medieval lexicon
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
and its associated archives to the Centre for the Greek Language (Thessaloniki). His Greek Dictionary of the Modern Demotic Language, Written and Oral (Νέο ελληνικό λεξικό της σύγχρονης ελληνικής δημοτικής γλώσσας, γραπτής και προφορικής) (1995) is the most authoritative modern Greek monolingual dictionary. Kriaras worked on, and promoted research in, the problems related to medieval and modern Greek philology, lexicography and comparative grammatology
Grammatology
Grammatology is a term coined by the linguist Ignace Gelb in 1952 to refer to the scientific study of writing systems or scripts. It includes the typology of scripts, the analysis of the structural properties of scripts, and the relationship between written and spoken language...
, with his heart in the demotic language and the movements connected with its promotion.
In 2006, in recognition of his work and to mark his 100th birthday, he was awarded the "Golden Aristotle" by the University of Thessaloniki
Sources
- Βικιπαίδεια: Εμμανουήλ Γ. Κριαράς (The Greek Wikipedia)
- http://www.academyofathens.gr/