From Koine to Byzantine: a diachronic study of lexical variation in Greek

My doctoral project will examine aspects of the evolution of the Greek lexicon, from the Roman to late Antique period. I plan to conduct a diachronic study of lexical variation in the Greek sources of the first millennium AD, with particular reference to the documentary papyri from Egypt. I will examine features such as word formation, derivations, and variation in the different words used in select semantic fields, and will investigate whether the patterns of variation are indicative of social or political changes, language contact or linguistic reforms. A comprehensive summary of large scale lexical changes will be a useful tool not only for classical linguists but also for historians and papyrologists working on the Roman and Byzantine Period, as it will provide information on when, where, why and by whom certain words were used.