Pomak language (Greek: πομακική γλώσσα, pomakiki glosa or πομακικά, pomakika, Bulgarian: помашки език, pomaški ezik, Turkish: Pomakça) is a term used in Greece and Turkey to refer to some of the Rup dialects of the Bulgarian language spoken by the Pomaks in Western Thrace in Greece and Eastern Thrace in Turkey. These dialects are native also in Bulgaria, and are classified as part of the Smolyan subdialect. Some grammatical forms of the Rup dialects, published by the Danish linguist Pedersen in 1907, have striking resemblance to the grammatical forms of the Armenian language. As well, the Rup dialects have slightly different forms of demonstrative suffixes (exercising also functions of the possessive pronouns) from the Bulgarian Tran dialect and the modern standard Macedonian language. There are publications concerning the vocabulary of the Rup dialects and anthroponyms of Armenian origin which overlap areas, populated by Paulicians from the 15th to 18th centuries.
According to an alternative opinion, the Pomak language is an original Slavic language with many dialects.
According to the 1935 census in Turkey, 3881 people in Eastern Thrace identified their mother tongue as Bulgarian and 18 382 as Pomak. The overall statistic from 1935 shows that 41 041 people speak Pomak as their mother tongue or as a secondary dialect.
The Pomak language was used mainly in oral communication. Currently in the formation of the literary standard Pomaks attempts to create script based on both the Greek and Latin alphabets. Recently, the Pomak Institute has published an alphabet with 29 letters for the Pomak language.
Examples
1. Some Phrases and Words
Some words and phrases, in the Pomak language, are borrowed from Turkish, Greek, and other languages.
2. A Sample of the Grammar
Spatio-pragmatic and Temporal-modal Uses of Nominals and Noun Modifiers
Three deictics (-s-, -t- and -n-) are used for spatio-pragmatic and temporal-modal reference in nominals. These deictics are used among others in noun modifiers such as definite articles and demonstratives:
The cat (close to the speaker, here and now): Koteso.
The cat (close to the addressee or realis past): Koteto.
The cat (distal, realis future, irrealis or habitual): Koteno.
This is grand-father's snake: Aisos e dedvasa zmie.
That is grand-father's chair: Ainos e dedvasa skemle.
3. A Text in Pomak Language
Isojzek kitape zafatih da go pisovam iki bin bešte, aga čuh dve-tri dumi at stareh insana faf Mustafčevo. Seftja gi čuešo inezi stari dumi i pačudih so oti trjabava da ima ešte mlogo stari dumi, aga gi nema nikade izpisani. Mifko godini napreš mlozi insan, ne Pomaci, zafatiho da spisavot Pomackoso dumene i kakna sa pravet Pomacise ešte at starite godini. Ja so pačudih, oti naj-napreš nie, Pomacise, trabjava da zafatime da pisavame našoso dumene i našise adeteve i tačila. At kak izpisah isozek kitape, vjaravom oti pamagom i ja Mifko da so na zabaravi pomackoso dumene. Sas isozek kitape ištom da kažom kak dumet bugjun Pomacise ad Mustafčevo nadol da Skeče. Za mone isazi kitap bešo kakta adin borč za majko, za bubajka i za mone deti. Našise deti na možot ešte da so učot faf mečitene Pomackokse ezika. Faf Mjusljumanckise mečiteve učot Urumckokse ezika (I trjabava da go učot, oti živeme faf Janana). Ala učot našise dečija zorlo i turckokse ezika i nikutri na pita nami: „Ištete li našise deti da so učat na turcki?" Turckoso so ne mehne le hič sas pomackoso. Pǎk nie sme Pomaci. Oti da so učime turcki? Za kakna ni e turckoso, at kak živeme faf Janana? Hane da dojde adin den da možame pres straha i pres srama da dumime kakna so dumili našite djadove i da pisavame na našokse ezika. Sebadin Karahođa, Skeče