Discussion of Boeotian phonological features: the reflex of η as ει diphthong, local pronunciation of patr- and matern- forms, and the treatment and accentuation of -ας endings with examples and proper names.
Ἰοβάκχοις, ὅπερ ἀποκέκοπται τοῦ χρυσοέθειρος. οἱ μέντοι Βοιωτοὶ πολλὴν ἴσασι τὴν 'ειρ' κατάληξιν, καθὸ παρ´ αὐτοῖς εἴωθε τὸ 'η' εἰς τὴν 'ει' δίφθογγον τρέπεσθαι· τὸ γὰρ πένης πένεις γράφουσι διὰ τῆς 'ει' διφθόγγου καὶ τὸ πατήρ καὶ μήτηρ παρ´ ἡμῖν μὲν διὰ τοῦ 'η', παρ´ αὐτοῖς δὲ διὰ τῆς 'ει' διφθόγγου. {1Περὶ τῶν εἰς 'ας' ὑπὲρ μίαν συλλαβήν.}1 Τὰ εἰς 'ας' ὑπὲρ μίαν συλλαβὴν ἐκτεταμένον ἔχοντα τὸ 'α' βαρύνεται καὶ περισπᾶται. καὶ βαρύνεται μὲν Αἴας Θόας, Ποίας, Δοίας, ἀφ´ οὗ Δοίαντος πεδίον Φρυγίας καὶ Δοιάντειον ἄλσος, Βίας, Πρίας, Ὕας ἔθνος περὶ Ἀλαλκομένιον, Δρύας, Εὔας, ἔστι δὲ ἐπίθετον τοῦ Διονύσου, Κλεύας, Λάας τὸ κύριον, Λαίας, Καίας. περισπᾶται δὲ ἀτταγᾶς, πελεκᾶς καὶ Μαρικᾶς ὄνομα βάρβαρον παρὰ τῷ κωμικῷ «Εὔπολις τὸν Μαρικᾶν πρώτιστον παρείλκυσεν» (Nub. 553), κλίνεται δὲ καὶ περιττοσυλλάβως «ἀλλ´ οὖν ἔγωγέ σοι λέγω Μαρικᾶντα μὴ κολάζειν». τὸ δὲ Γλισᾶς— ἔστι δὲ ἥρως καὶ πόλις Βοιωτίας—«ἠδ´ οἳ Γλισᾶντα νέμοντο» (Β 504) ἡ μὲν συνήθεια περισπᾷ, ἡ δὲ ἱστορία παροξύνει. Διονύσιος γὰρ ἱστορεῖ τοὺς ἐγχωρίους συστέλλειν τὸ 'ι' καὶ μὴ περισπᾶν. ἀλλ´ οὐ πάντως ἐπικρατεῖ ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν χρῆσις καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν Ὁμηρικὴν ἀνάγνωσιν. τὸ δὲ ἀλλᾶς παρὰ τῷ κωμικῷ ἡ μὲν κοινὴ συνήθεια βαρύνει, ἀλλ´ ἐπειδὴ
In Ἰοβάκχοις, which is cut off from χρυσοέθειρος. The Boeotians, however, are well acquainted with the ending -ειρ, inasmuch as among them the η is accustomed to be changed into the diphthong ει; for they write πένης as πένεις with the diphthong ει, and πατήρ and μήτηρ among us with η, but among them with the diphthong ει.
{1On words in -ας of more than one syllable.} Words in -ας of more than one syllable, having the α lengthened, are accented with a grave and with a circumflex. And they take the grave: Αἴας, Θόας, Ποίας, Δοίας—from which come Δοίαντος πεδίον Φρυγίας and Δοιάντειον ἄλσος—Βίας, Πρίας, Ὕας, a people around Ἀλαλκομένιον, Δρύας, Εὔας (it is an epithet of Διόνυσος), Κλεύας, Λάας as a proper name, Λαίας, Καίας. But they take the circumflex: ἀτταγᾶς, πελεκᾶς, and Μαρικᾶς, a barbarian name in the comic poet: «Εὔπολις τὸν Μαρικᾶν πρώτιστον παρείλκυσεν» (Nub. 553); and it is also declined with an extra syllable: «ἀλλ´ οὖν ἔγωγέ σοι λέγω Μαρικᾶντα μὴ κολάζειν». But Γλισᾶς—there is both a hero and a city of Boeotia—«ἠδ´ οἳ Γλισᾶντα νέμοντο» (Β 504): usage gives it a circumflex, but historical inquiry accents it on the penult. For Dionysius reports that the natives shorten the ι and do not give it a circumflex. But the usage derived from the ethnic forms does not in every case prevail also in the Homeric reading. But ἀλλᾶς in the comic poet: common usage gives it the grave, but since…