Prof. Dr. Kosta Peev
Macedonian Language from Greece
‘ Speaks’ of
the Macedonians living there.
by Odisej Belchevsky
January, 2006
 Dr.
Prof. Kosta Peev a Macedonian scholar and a Linguist-Dialectologist.
Currently one of the most advanced and known linguists in Macedonia.
Professor –Doctor Kosta Peev dedicated a large portion of
his life in exploring documenting and recording the language of
the Macedonian people from the Aegean Macedonia. After a great
effort and two decades of work his books
"a Dictionary of the Macedonian Dialects from the South
east part of Aegean Macedonia" in three volumes and 1500 pages
was published as the first Dialectical Monograph based directly
on
materials collected analysed and recorded by the author.
Dr. Kosta Peev was born in Strumica Macedonia, where he completed
his Public School and gymnasium-High School. He continued his higher
education in Skopje Macedonia. Here he graduated from the Faculty
of Philosophy and after the Masters on the ‘Dojranski Govor’ he
obtained his Doctorate with the Book –Study of the Kukushki
Govor.He was a professor in Strumica Macedonia and later became
Assistant Professor at the Institute for Macedonian Language, and
Professor at the Faculty of Philology.
His Life Work has epic significance as it is an official and documentary
work and proof of the existence of Macedonian people in what for
long time was called Northern Greece. His work includes numerous
live encounters with the people from this region and recording
their tragic stories from the periods of 1913- 1918 and 1948-1949.
What motivated this great scholar to spend over two decades of
his life working on the subject of Aegean Macedonian language?
‘During the first world war in this part of the world, the
Greek regime leashed their armies in Macedonia and literarily slaughtered
the Macedonian population in the fields and their homes. The farmers
were working in their fields, and as they were shot they ran not
knowing what happened to their wives and children The families
separated as they ran in all directions and many of them never
saw each other again. Mothers with young babies and children ran
for their lives, in many instances forced to leave their children
on the roads and fields as they could not carry all of them. The
elderly men and women and the sick were left behind.
It was one of the most brutal and uncalled for extermination of
human life in this region of the world. The city of Kukush and
the surrounding 36 villages were completely burned and destroyed.
This region was the most industrious and established of Macedonia
and the nucleus of Macedonians.
Many eye witnesses that escaped and survived told the tragic stories
of the genocide to the Macedonian population. These stories are
very tragic and are living proof of the atrocities inflicted on
the innocent population.
This tragic event greatly touched the heart of the author .His
desire to record these events reflected in his work in recording
and documenting the language of these Macedonians.
This was not an easy task as the Greek regime of the 1960’s
in Macedonia did not allow anyone to conduct official work related
to language and history of this region of Macedonia from the older
generation of Macedonians that remained there.
It was necessary to locate the now aged refugees from the First
World War that had crossed the border between Greece and Yugoslavia
.Therefore most of the work was carried out in Yugoslavia. The
author had to travel to the various villages to meet with the Macedonian
refugees and conduct the interviews and recordings.
The author has also used various related literature and information
that was available in other European Centers such as Belgrade,
Prague, Warszawa, Krakow, Paris and others.
What is the situation with the Macedonian spoken Language in Aegean
Macedonia (Greece)?
According to Dr. Kosta Peev although minimal, the Macedonian Language
is still spoken. However due to the current situation in Greece,
where the Macedonian Language is not allowed and is under powerful
influence of a ‘foreign language system’ this language
is in the process of quick decline as less and less people of the
younger generation have a chance to hear it or speak it.
Acceding to Dr. Kosta Peev and his work the Macedonian Language
Spoken in the vicinity of Solun was the Language of the well known
Macedonian brothers Kiril and Metodij who lived in the 9th Century
in Macedonia and were the initiators, promoters
And educators of all the Slavic Nations. There are archaic forms
that have been preserved in the Solun (Salonica) Macedonian Dialect
that are only present in the Macedonian Language.Originaly similar
type of work was carried in the late 1800’by some Slovenian
Educators . These are Vatroslav Oblak in 1896, and his Professor
at the University of Vienna Vatroslav Jagic .These Vienna Scholars
traveled to Macedonia in 1890’near Solun (Salonica) recorded
and confirmed the Macedonian Language spoken in this part of Macedonia.
The Importance of the Life Work of Dr. Kosta Peev is increasing
everyday. His book is currently on the desks of the Russian University
Scholars who are using his work to create the Russian Etymological
Dictionaries. Kosta Peev’s has received a very high recognition
by scholars, educators and professors, throughout the world.
Odyssey Belchevsky
|
