Page:Modern Greek folklore and ancient Greek religion - a study in survivals.djvu/251

 [Greek: kantzaros], and likewise there exists another synonym [Greek: lykokantzaros], which cannot be formed from [Greek: kallikantzaros] by an arbitrary shuffling of syllables but is a separate compound of [Greek: kantzaros]—presumably with [Greek: lykos].

Fourthly, and consequently on the last-named condition, the word [Greek: kantzaros], whether alone or in composition with either [Greek: kalos] or [Greek: lykos], must possess a meaning adequate to denote the monsters who have been described.

All these conditions are satisfied in the identification of the word [Greek: kantzaros] with the ancient word [Greek: kentauros].

The phonetic change herein involved will, to any who are not familiar with the pronunciation of modern Greek, appear more considerable than it really is. In that pronunciation it must be remembered that the accent, which indicates the syllable on which stress is laid, is everything, and ancient quantity is nothing; and further that the ancient diphthongs au and eu have come to be pronounced respectively as av or af and ev or ef. The change of sound in this case may therefore be fairly measured by the difference between kénd[)a]vr[)o]s and kándz[)a]r[)o]s in British pronunciation. The phonetic modifications therefore which require notice are the substitution of [Greek: a] for [Greek: e] in the first syllable, the introduction of a [Greek: z] after the [Greek: t], and the loss of the v-sound before the [Greek: r].

The change from [Greek: e] to [Greek: a] is very common in Greek, especially (by assimilation it would seem) where the following syllable, as in the word before us, has an [Greek: a] for its vowel. Thus [Greek: alaphros] is constantly to be heard instead of [Greek: elaphros] (light), [Greek: argale[i(]os] for [Greek: ergaleios] (a loom), [Greek: mata-] for [Greek: meta-] in compound verbs. The insertion of [Greek: z] (or [Greek: s]) after [Greek: t] is certainly a less common change, but parallels can be found for this also. The ancient word [Greek: tettiges] (grasshoppers) appears in modern Greek as [Greek: tzitzikes]. A word of Latin origin [Greek: tentonô] (I stretch) has an equally common by-form [Greek: tsitonô]. The classical word [Greek: tykanon] (a chisel) has passed, through a diminutive form [Greek: tykanion], into the modern [Greek: tsoukani]. The word [Greek: kentêmata] (embroideries) has a dialectic form [Greek: kentzêmata] . From the adjective [Greek: mountos] (grey, brown, dusky) are, which when following [Greek: n] always has the sound of English d.], 'a tent,' which clearly comes from the Latin. Some however derive directly from the anc. Gk [Greek: titainô]. The question of origin however does not affect my illustration of the later change of [Greek: t] into [Greek: ts].]