Pontic

Classification and Dialects
Pontic is an Anatolian language of the Indo-European language family spoken in Pontus. The Pontic vocabulary was very influenced by Ancient Greek and by Old Persian; the Greek alphabet was even adopted during the Classical era to write Pontic.

Writing System

 * 1) At the end of a word, sigma is written as such ς, e.g. Ποντος (=Pontus)
 * 2) The h-sound is written by adding an accent to the following vowel, e.g. άρηνος (=sports - harenos)

Nouns
Nouns may be feminine or masculine, singular or plural and are declined depending on the used case. Masculine nouns may be changed into the feminine by adding the suffix -κα to the word stem instead of the masculine ending -ος, e.g. μιτιλος -- μιτιλκα (=woman artist)

Definiteness
In Pontic the definiteness is expressed by the definite pronoun το : The plural doesn't make the difference between the two genders in the plural, e.g. Ήψο τηι λαρη να τηι βφιρι. (=I see the women and the men.)

More expressive definiteness forms like the distal and the proximal do not have a special pronoun, but are attached to the word stem following the case ending. The proximal suffix is -ηγ- and the distal one is -ην-, e.g. Ήψο λαρηγαν. (=I am seeing this woman.), Ήψο λαρηναν. (=I am seeing that woman.)

The definite pronoun has to be reduced to τ'  if the following noun begins with a vowel or an h-sound and if the pronoun ends with a vowel, e.g. Ήψο τ' ά γγαρι. (=I am seeing the windows.), but : Ήψο το ν  άγγαρον. (=I am seeing the window.)

Adjectives
The adjectives in Pontic are exactly declined like the nouns. The definite pronoun follows the adjective and respects the same rule for the shorten form of these pronouns with the adjectives like with the nouns.

Comparative
The comparative is formed by the prefix τα(ρ)- (rho is added if the adjective begins with a vowel or an h-sound), e.g. τανηος (=newer). Comparison is done by the adjective put in the comparative form followed by the compared noun in the ablative case, e.g. Κολια μου αξτ τανηα κολιη του. (=My car is newer than your car.)

Superlative
The superlative is formed by the suffix -αν- to the stem of the adjective in the comparative, e.g. τανηανος (=newest). Comparison in the superlative is done by the adjective in its superlative form followed by the compared noun in the genitive, e.g. Άμ το ταλημανος κλαςηι μου. (=I am the tallest of my class.)

Verbs
Verbs in Pontic are relatively regular compared to the most Indo-European languages. There are only two ambiguities : the verb βηχηι (=to be) and the aorist stem is different from the infinitive-present stem. Notice that in Pontic there are two different conjugation classes : a-type and η-type.

Conjugation
As conjugation example the verb καρδαι (=to do / to make) is taken for the α-conjugation and άψηι (=to hear) for the η-conjugation.

Indicative

 * 1) The present expresses present actions, e.g. Ήψο λαραν. (=I am seeing a woman.)
 * 2) The present expresses repetitive present actions, e.g. Ξηκο ζιο ήψο λαρηγαν. (=Everyday I see this woman.)
 * 3) The present expresses planned future actions, mostly schedules, e.g. Τ'αφτοβουσος βφημη 15:45'ο. (=The bus comes at 15:45.)
 * 4) The near past is simply formed by the present tense of the main form with the prefix η(ν)- (nu is added if the verb begins with a vowel or an h-sound), which is inherited from the Ancient Greek past suffix ε-.
 * 5) The near past expresses past actions having resulted to some situation or state in the present, e.g. Ηρηκη. (It has rained. - the raining occurred in the past, but the result is that the streets are now wet)
 * 6) The perfect is formed by the aorist stem followed by the perfect endings. The aorist stem is regular for the α-type, since the suffix -ουσ- has just to be added to the verb stem, but the aorist stem for the η-type is irregular and has to be learnt.
 * 7) The perfect expresses past actions enduring to the present moment (there are mostly time adverbials in sentences with the perfect tense), e.g. Ήψουσαμ ξηκαδ λαρηγαν. (=I have always seen this woman.)
 * 8) The perfect may be used in a inferential sense like in Persian and Turkish, e.g. Ήψουσαστι λαρηγαν. (=It seems that you saw this woman.)
 * 9) The aorist is formed by the aorist stem followed by the aorist endings.
 * 10) The aorist expresses past actions which are finished and completed, e.g. Βφηται βιβλιον. (=I read a book.)
 * 11) The imperfect expresses ongoing past actions which are not finished and completed, e.g. Καδ βφηξτησι τον βιβλιον, ήψουσαι λαραν. (=While you were reading the book, I saw a woman.)
 * 12) Notice the difference of the verb βηχηι in the aorist and in the imperfect : in the aorist the state of being is completely finished, so the subject does not exist longer; in the imperfect the state of being is partially finished, so the attribute does no longer qualify the subject, e.g. Πατρος μου βουδι καμαρος. (=My father was doctor. - the verb is in the aorist, so the father is dead), but : Πατρος μου βηχι καμαρος. (=My father was doctor. - the verb is in the imperfect, so the father is no longer doctor, he may be pensioner...)