Performing Griko beyond ‘death’

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which Griko, a ‘dying’ language of Greek origins, may ‘live’ despite its limited use as a medium of daily communication and the death of its speakers. It argues that, while its use as a vehicle to convey information has progessively faded out, its performative and artistic use has increased, rendering Griko a cultural and social resource. This shift in the language ideology of the locals would have not occurred without the legacy of a variety of local actors and activists, which keeps allowing for Griko to be a performative post-linguistic vernacular, despite the death of its very speakers.