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The entry gives a general overview of the evolution of the Cretan dialect from a diachronic perspective. The Cretan dialect is recorded in a large number of written sources (literary texts, notarial acts, etc.) which date back to the Late Medieval period (14th c.). These historical sources provide a significant amount of linguistic information which is crucial for a diachronic study of Cretan. Οn the basis of morphological changes and the emergence of new structures and forms, Cretan is divided into three periods, namely, Late Medieval Cretan (1300 – 1500), Early Modern Cretan (1500 – 1700), and Modern Cretan (1900–). The principal morphological changes in the processes of inflection, derivation, and compounding are examined separately for each historical period .