The Chiot Byzantinologist and archaeologist Alexandros Paspatis publishes here an extensive glossary of the dialect of his particular homeland. His sources are not the spoken language, which he considers corrupted, but the "ancient verses of the villages, called codes," which he found in monasteries, churches, peasant houses, and the Gymnasium of Chora. These contractual codes (sales documents, dowries, wills, some of which he publishes), the "precious treasure of the spoken language in Chios," along with the "'Atakta" (vol. III, Paris 1830) by Adamantios Korais and the "Chian, or the history of the island of Chios" by Alexandros M. Vlastos (two volumes, Hermoupolis 1840) constitute the primary material for Paspatis' linguistic reconstruction. In addition to the meaning (or multiple meanings) of each lemma, the Chiot author provides information on pronunciation, etymology, and usage in speech. His model was the "Lexicon of the Greek dialect spoken in our country" (Athens 1874) by Skarlatos Byzantios (1798-1878). In his preface, the author gives a brief description of the physical geography of the island, refers to the towers and gardens with citrus fruits that adorn the island, and praises the diligence of the farmers. Additionally, he publishes a total of 75 inscriptions (61 ancient Greek, eight Genoese, and six modern Greek), which he transcribed and interpreted himself.
Finally, the reissue includes an attached color map of Chios, published in 1888 by Paspatis.