IOAN CARAGIANI’S TRANSLATIONS OF MODERN GREEK FOLKLORE: A LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL STUDY
IOAN CARAGIANI’S TRANSLATIONS OF MODERN GREEK FOLKLORE: A LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL STUDY
Author(s): Mirela AverikiosSubject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Customs / Folklore, Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature, Romanian Literature, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Philology, Translation Studies
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: Modern Greek folklore; Ioan Caragiani; Klephtic Songs; Aromanian translation; Linguistic influences;
Summary/Abstract: The manuscript of Ioan Caragiani’s translations from Modern-Greek folklore, The Aromanians and Greek Folk Songs, is preserved at the Museum of Romanian Literature in Iași. It consists of 218 pages, including 115 folk songs translated from Arnoldus Passow’s 1860 collection, Τραγούδια Ρωμαίικα, and Caragiani’s notes on the historical figures mentioned in the poems. The manuscript reflects linguistic inconsistencies due to Caragiani’s Greek education, Aromanian dialectal influences, and evolving Romanian orthographic norms. His translations feature archaic verb forms, redundant superlatives, and unusual syntax. The lexicon integrates numerous borrowings from Turkish (aga, arnăut, harem), Greek (cleft, palicar, egumen), and Slavic (duhovnic, praznic), alongside French and Italian influences. Caragiani’s poetic style includes inversions, metaphorical imagery, and personifications, mirroring the oral tradition of folk poetry. Although unpublished, his work aimed to highlight Aromanian folklore within the broader Balkan cultural landscape, making a significant contribution to Romanian literary studies.
Journal: Journal of Romanian Literary Studies
- Issue Year: 2025
- Issue No: 40
- Page Range: 266-280
- Page Count: 15
- Language: Romanian
