Geographical Distribution of The Macedonian Language - Greece

Greece

The Macedonian language is spoken in the Greek region of Macedonia. In Greece the language is often called "Slav-Macedonian", "Macedonian Slavic" or "Slavic". An estimated 180,000 - 250,000 people speak the Macedonian language in Greece.

The Macedonian language is most widespread in the Florina, Kastoria, Edessa, Serres and Kilkis regions. Approximately 77 villages speak the Maceodnian language in the Kastoria area, and 70-72 in the Florina prefecture. however, these villages are of medium to small sizes, and some of them are deserted due to immigration or the civil war. The actual speakers of all these villages in Kastoria and Florina is unknown. The same can be said for the other regions in Greece, so the estimation today is that the actual speakers are over 180 thousand people, compared to the up to 250 thousand before the war. The stunning differences are partly the result of immigration to USA or Australia and other countries, but also of the outcome of the last war, were the majority of the Slav-Macedonians were members of the side, that eventually lost the civil war.

There are many dialects native to the Greek region of Macedonia. They are the Lerin Dialect, Lower Prespa dialect, Maleševo-Pirin dialect, Nestram-Kostenar dialect, Kostur dialect, Korča dialect, Solun-Voden dialect and the Ser-Drama-Lagadin-Nevrokop dialect.