What others wrote about M.Triandaphyllidis

A. Delmouzos, «Ο συνεργάτης», στο Μελέτες και Πάρεργα [«The fellow worker», in Studies and Works at the Sidelines], vol. 1, Athens, 1958, p. 92. Reprinted in Μανόλης Τριανταφυλλίδης (1883-1959) [Manolis Triandaphyllidis (1883-1959)], Thessaloniki, 1983, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, p. 13.

That expert linguist had to be found, skilled, though, not only in promoting science for its own sake, but also for meeting the needs of social life, so as to provide a realistic basis for all those efforts, which reflected a more universal desire and need, a need that was national indeed. Herein lies Triandaphyllidis’ significant contribution. Amidst a heated controversy over language, he managed to grasp the fluidity surrounding the language issues of our time and systematize the common key points, which lay the foundation for a vivid written language; a language capable of expressing not only the author’s inner world, but also the diverse needs of the intellectual and social life as a whole.

E. Venezis, «Ο άνθρωπος και η εποχή του» [«The man and his era»], Νέα Εστία 66, 1959, pp. 1400-1. Reprinted in Μανόλης Τριανταφυλλίδης (1883-1959) [Manolis Triandaphyllidis (1883-1959)], Thessaloniki, 1983, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, p. 14.

The debt my generation owes to Manolis Triandaphyllidis is too great to be calculated. At a time of anarchy with regard to Demoticism, when, eager to contribute to literature, we sought for the norm, the discipline of a grammar which did not yet exist, Manolis Triandaphyllidis stood by us, gave us the grammar we were looking for, and helped us transcend the futile struggle for words and focus on the essence of literature: the quest for style.

E. Papanoutsos, «Ο Τριανταφυλλίδης και η παιδεία μας», στο Μνήμη Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη. Είκοσι χρόνια από το θάνατό του [«Triandaphyllidis and our education», in In memoriam Manolis Triandaphyllidis. Twenty years since his death], Thessaloniki, 1979, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, pp. 55-56.

 

Contemplating Manolis Triandaphyllidis’ fifty-year labor from the perspective of today as well as the fruit it bore, it could be said that his contribution lies at the interface between the history of our language and the history of our education. It belongs equally to both. […] He loved nothing else, thought of nothing else, strove for nothing else other than how to get to know this vivid language better, how to take stock of its treasures, how to formulate its rules - not as a historian, a lexicographer or a grammarian interested in his research object per se, but as a master of the Nation who knows the role language plays in the life of humans and nations […].

I. Th. Kakridis, «Το κείμενο του κ. Ι. Θ. Κακριδή», στο Μνήμη Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη. Είκοσι χρόνια από το θάνατό του [«I. Th. Kakridis’ text», in In memoriam Manolis Triandaphyllidis. Twenty years since his death], Thessaloniki, 1979, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, pp. 13-14.

 

In his attempt to establish the language of the Greek people, Triandaphyllidis was told off by his opponents! They questioned not only his expertise, but also his good faith and patriotism. In the swirl of the passions stirred up by language, and even when the polemic against him reared its head in all its sinisterness, Triandaphyllidis managed to practice moderation, by never losing his composure and by avoiding any personal attack, although he had every right to respond in a violent way too. But violence was alien to his nature.

S. V. Kougeas, «Το ήθος του Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη» [«Manolis Triandaphyllidis’ ethos»], Νέα Εστία 66, 1959, p. 1399. Reprinted in Μανόλης Τριανταφυλλίδης (1883-1959) [Manolis Triandaphyllidis (1883-1959)], Thessaloniki, 1983, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, p. 16.

 

And we, the Members of the Academy who did not want a scientist and a man like Triandaphyllidis to become our fellow worker, may be called immortals, but we are going to die and fade into oblivion. Manolis Triandaphyllidis, however, with his wisdom, his work, his ethos and his courageous acts, the most courageous one being the donation of his property to the University of Thessaloniki for national educational purposes, will always be remembered by the generations of Greek scientists to come as a paragon of virtue and a role model.

A. Tsopanakis, «Μανόλης Τριανταφυλλίδης. Είκοσι χρόνια από τον θάνατό του», στο Μνήμη Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη. Είκοσι χρόνια από το θάνατό του [«Manolis Triandaphyllidis. Twenty years since his death», in In memoriam Manolis Triandaphyllidis. Twenty years since his death], Thessaloniki, 1979, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, pp. 19-26.

 

Αllow me to express the view that it is precisely Triandaphyllidis’ self-sacrifice that I consider to be his greatest contribution: namely, the fact that, despite being able to do first-class scientific work on theoretical linguistics (and having proved his mettle at that), of the kind that enables one to make a name for themselves internationally and acquire a flattering luster, he chose to work on the secondary, the practical problems of a much more restricted field, that of Demoticism and education. He did so, in spite of the fact that he was exposed to conflicts and confrontations with the proponents of Katharevousa on a daily basis, and subjected to numerous worries, unjustified resentment and animosity, which haunted him till the end of his life.

D. N. Maronitis, «Η προσλαλιά του κ. Δ. Ν. Μαρωνίτη», στο Μνήμη Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη. Είκοσι χρόνια από το θάνατό του [«D. N. Maronitis’ address», in In Memoriam Manolis Triandaphyllidis. Twenty years since his death], Thessaloniki, 1979, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, pp. 17-18.

 

Triandaphyllidis’ name is instantly associated with our the language issue; this association is justifiable, though it substantially narrows down the perspective as regards our ability to duly appreciate the man and his work. The passionate linguist, who labored, as has been aptly written, to broaden the scope of Demoticism from literature to education, the researcher of Modern Greek, who wished to transform the dogmatic school subject of Modern Greek into a subject of national self-awareness and Modern Greek culture, did not see Demotic Greek as an end in itself. He appreciated it as the main, most significant and creative tool of a people that has the right, through talking and acting, to freely determine, at some point, their destiny.

M. Setatos, «Ο Τριανταφυλλίδης και η εξέλιξη της γλωσσολογίας», στο Τιμητικές εκδηλώσεις για τα εκατό χρόνια από τη γέννηση του Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη [«Triandaphyllidis and the evolution of linguistics», in Celebrating one hundred years since the birth of Manolis Triandaphyllidis], Thessaloniki, 1987, Institute of Modern Greek Studies, pp. 53-58.

Triandaphyllidis’ intellectual, official, writing and teaching activity occurs mainly in the following fields: historical and synchronic grammar (his doctorate thesis on loans in Medieval Greek, studies of language phenomena in Modern Greek), the language issue and its history, language in social life (social dialects, stylistics), special languages, lexicology and linguistic geography, applied linguistics, textbooks on the teaching of language and its history, struggles for the establishment of Demotic Greek. [...] we could, I believe, acknowledge that the observations, the adjustments and the recommendations he made for Standard Modern Greek as well as his far-sighted predictions about the language developments concerning our language were fulfilled, and were or are verified to a large extent, which demonstrates his tremendous contribution to our intellectual history.