Pontic Greek - Name of The Language

Name of The Language

Historically the speakers of Pontic Greek called it Romeyka (Romeika, Greek: Ρωμαίικα), which, in a more general sense, is also a historical and colloquial term for the modern Greek language as a whole. When they wished to differentiate it from other forms of Greek, they called it Lazika. The term "Pontic" originated in scholarly usage, but has been adopted as a mark of identity by Pontic Greeks living in Greece.

Similarly, in Turkish the language is called Rumca, derived from the Turkish word Rum denoting ethnic Greeks living in Turkey in general; this term also comprises other Greek speakers in Turkey such as those from Istanbul or Smyrna who speak a language close to Standard Modern Greek.