Misthi also Mistí, Mysty; Misli; Misti, Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 (η) Μισθεία, (το) Μισθί; (το) Μιστί; (η) Μισθή; (η) Μυστή; (το) Μισθίον; (τα) Μίσθια, in Turkish Mišti, Misti, Muštilia, Konaklı (current name), was a Greek city in the region of Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...

, nowadays Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. It was situated 82 kilometres southwest of the regional capital of Caesarea (Greek: Καισαρεία), nowadays Kayseri

Kayseri

Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...

, Turkey, and belonged administratively to the nearby city of Nigde

Nigde

Niğde is a small city and the capital of Niğde Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 109,724 per the 2010 statistics...

, 26 kilometres north-northwest and at an altitude of 1380 metres above sea level.

Introduction

«’Απ’ Μιστί ’μι, νά πάμ’ σ’ Μιστί»

(From Misthi I am, let's go to Misthi)

Origins

There exist multiple explanations as to the origins and establishment of the city as well as to the etymology of its name. For instance, according to Koimisoglou (2005:434) some sources trace the origin of Misthi to 401 BC when Greek mercenaries came to work for the Persian king Cyrus in the battle against his brother Artaxerxes II. A group of Greek soldiers was given the order to search for food and water. Some of them found an uninhabited area and settled down. Allegedly, they built a city there that became Misthi. This version of the city’s creation, although interesting, has not yet become scientifically verified. Another version is that of Anastasiades (1995:16) who argues that the city was built by Greek mercenaries that were part of Alexander the Great’s army. Rizos (1856:99-100), on the other hand, claims that the inhabitants of Misthi were originally from the Greek islands of Delos, Lemnos and Naxos while Carolides argues that the inhabitants of Misthi were simply Greeks from the lower port cities that came to Misthi to work as paid labour farmers. Kimisoglou (2005) also provides an explanation as to the etymology of the city's name. The ancient Greek word for mercenary is Μίσθιος (Místhios) (sing.) and in plural Μίσθιοι (Místhii) and in Modern Greek Μισθοφόροι (Misthofóri) or Μισθωτοί (Misthotí). Thus the name of the city he argues was a reflection of the inhabitants' original occupation. However, this is also a non-verified explanation. As it happens, the connotation of the word ‘Misthii’, although originally meaning mercenary, transformed during Byzantine times to denote labour-work, i.e. paid labour. Thus some authors have been inclined to suggest that the name refers to the skilled church builders of the city who often travelled far and took part in the constructing of churches.

The city was inhabited purely by Greeks practicing the orthodox religion and wrongfully described as being turcophonic (speakers of the Turkish language). At closer scrutiny however, the Greek dialect spoken, also referred to as Misthiotica, is a dialect based on ancient Greek drawing heavily on Byzantine Greek and with major influx of Turkish loan words. Misthiotica (still spoken today) is a unique dialect (language) linguistically belonging to the Greek Cappadocian group of languages. Misthiotica was a consequence of the isolation the inhabitants suffered from that of other Greek cities and villages. Misthiotica was, however, also spoken by inhabitants of the nearby villages of Tsaricli, Dila (Dilion), Tseltek and Cavaclou because these villages were founded by Misthiotes.

In reality Misthi ceased to exist after the exodus of the Misthiotes from Misthi which occurred following the population exchange according to the Treaty of Lausanne

Treaty of Lausanne

The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...

 of 1923 signed by Greece and Turkey. Many of the Misthiotes would simply not believe that they would be forced to leave their homeland and continued to conduct their daily duties as traders, farmers and handicraftsmen after the news had arrived. However, when Turkish authority officials entered the village and forced them to leave they had no choice. In just two days, between Tuesday, 24 June and Wednesday, 25 June 1924, the population of Misthi comprising then of approximately 4400 people left Misthi and Cappadocia

Cappadocia

Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...

 for Greece never to return again. They went by foot to the seaport of Mersin

Mersin

-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...

a and embarked on the dangerous journey by sea to the port of Piraeus

Piraeus

Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....

, Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. They left Turkey as Greeks and were received in Greece as Turks. The Mistiotes were among the last identified Greeks to leave Turkey, their exodus ended permanently a period of over 2500 consecutive years of Hellenic presence in Asia Minor. The Misthiotes settled down on the below following places in Greece but as their descendants have reached the fourth, and in some cases the fifth and sixth generation, they are to be found predominantly in the larger cities of Greece such as Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...

 and Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

.

List of settling places of the first generation Misthiotes in Greece:

• Ξηροχώρι Xirochori
  Xirochori
  Xirochori is a community and a village in the municipal unit of Agios Athanasios in the Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. The community is 25 km north-northwest of downtown Thessaloniki.The community consists of two villages: Xirochori and Baleika...
  
   [in the Misthiotica dialect: Gördana²] (Salonica, Prefecture of Macedonia
  Macedonia (Greece)
  Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
  
  )
• Νέο Αγιονέρι Neo Agioneri [in the Misthiotica dialect: Várlantza] (Kilkis
  Kilkis
  Kilkis is an industrial city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2001 there were 17,430 people living in the city proper, 24,812 people living in the municipal unit, and 56,336 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional unit of Kilkis.-Name:Kilkis is located in a...
  
  , Prefecture of Macedonia
  Macedonia (Greece)
  Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
  
  )
• Μάνδρα Mandra Larissis
  Mandra Larissis
  Mandra Larissis is a small village just outside Larissa, Greece. Inhabited by Misthiotes deriving from the Greek city of Misthi south of Caesarea ....
  
   [in the Misthiotica dialect: Thomai³] (Larissa
  Larissa
  Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
  
  , Prefecture of Thessaly)
• Αμυγδαλέα Amygdalea (Larissa
  Larissa
  Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
  
  , Prefecture of Thessaly)
• Νεοχώρι Neochori (Evros
  Evros
  Evros is:* the Greek name of the Maritsa river running through Bulgaria and forming the land border between Turkey and Greece* Evros , an administrative division in northern Greece...
  
  , Prefecture of Thrace
  Thrace
  Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
  
  )
• Κόνιτσα Conitsa (Ioannena, Prefecture of Epirus
  Epirus (periphery)
  Epirus , formally the Epirus Region , is a geographical and administrative region in northwestern Greece. It borders the regions of West Macedonia and Thessaly to the east, West Greece to the south, the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Islands to the west and the country of Albania to the north. The...
  
  )
• Ξάνθη Xanthe (Xanthi
  Xanthi
  Xanthi ; is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi peripheral unit of the periphery of East Macedonia and Thrace.-History:...
  
  , Prefecture of Thrace
  Thrace
  Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
  
  )
• Διπόταμο Dipotamo (Kavala
  Kavala
  Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
  
  , refecture of Thrace
  Thrace
  Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
  
  )
• Κομνηνά Comnena (Kozani
  Kozani
  Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
  
  , refecture of Macedonia
  Macedonia (Greece)
  Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
  
  )

² The name "Gördana" applied by the Misthiotes in their local dialect on current Xerochori seems most likely to be derived from the Bulgarian female name "Gordana". This name is in turn derived from "Gordiana", the feminine form of the Latin "Gordianus" (cf. Gordian). If true then the Misthiotes arriving by foot in the 1920s probably adopted the name from the village's previous inhabitants which are known to have been of slavic origin and forced to move north due to the various wars the region was faced with resulting in the territory becoming annexed by Greece.

³ The name "Tomai" applied by the Misthiotes on current Mandra seems most likely to be derived from the Serbian and Bulgarian form of the name "Thomas". As with the original name on Xerochori, if true it may indicate the ethnicity of the village's previous inhabitants.

Konaklı - Misthi today

The city of Misthi is today inhabited by about 4000 Turkish citizens originating from the population exchange of 1924 between Greece and Turkey. The inhabitants are mostly descendants of Turks born in Thessaloniki, Greece (Tr. Selanik) and in the Kozani region at the turn of the 20th century. Descendants of the current inhabitants of the city came to Misthi while the Misthiotes had not yet left the city. When the Greeks population left the city the name changed from Misthi to Misly. Today, the city is known as Konaklı.

Γαβούστημα (Annual Panhellenic Meeting)

By the end of the 1990s the organizing committees of the descendants from the cities of Misthi and the towns of Tsaricli, Dela (Dilion), Tseltek and Cavaclou agreed to a first Annual Panhellenic Meeting in Mandra, Larissa (Greece). These meetings have since then been arranged at different locations in Greece where Misthiotes (and those related to them) settled down. In reality, the Annual Panhellenic Meeting is a cultural festival with activities ranging from art, music and dance exhibitions, academic lectures (often concerning history), gastronomical tours as well as book exposition. This event has proven highly successful in many respects and has attracted more than 3000 participants every year. In many cases, families have found relatives they did not know exist which has resulted in the illumination of their ancestry. The Gavoustema

Gavoustema

Gavoustema is the Annual Panhellenic Meeting of the Misthiotes, descendants of the inhabitants of Misthi , in Greece. The Misthiotes refers to a group of Greek-Cappadocian people who came to Greece after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923...

 has also meant the resurrection of the Misthiotic culture which to many, especially to the youngest generations, has been completely unknown. As a result, the Gavoustema has spurred several individuals to engage in layman investigations or professional academic research about the history, culture and language of the Misthiotes.

The Gavoustema has been hosted by the following cities:

• 1997 Mandra, Larissa (August)
• 1998 Xanthe (August)
• 1999 Conitsa, Ioannena (August)
• 2000 Kokkinochoma, Kavala (August)
• 2001 Ano Mavrolofo, Magnesia (17-19 August)
• 2002 Xerochori, Salonica (23-24 August)
• 2003 Neo Agioneri, Kilkis (22-24 August)
• 2004 Alexandroupolis (6-8 August)
• 2005 Mandra, Larissa (19-21 August)
• 2006 Kavala (August). Guest lecture will be given by prominent professor of Linguistics and Classics Mark Janse
  Mark Janse
  Mark Janse is research professor in Asia Minor and Ancient Greek at Ghent University, where he studied Classics, Hebrew and Linguistics...
  
   who has focused his research on Cappadocian Greek dialects. Visit Professor Mark Janse's homepage.)
• 2007 - .
• 2008 Plagia, Kilkis (August).
• 2009 Kavala (August).
• 2010 Alexandroupolis (20-22 August).
• 2011 Neos Mylotopos, Pella (19-21 August).

Misthiotica dialect

The Misthiotica dialect

Dialect

The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...

 belongs to the Greek-Cappadocian branch of Hellenic languages and is believed to be based on Byzantine Greek with archaic features preserved as well as attached with a plethora of loanwords from the Turkish language. Some examples of this dialect are:

Misthiotica	Transcribed	Greek	Meaning	Remarks
Nouns
Αεφλό/Αελφό, αελφί	Aefló/Aelfó, aelfí	Αδελφός, αδελφή	Brother/Brother, Sister	Simplification. Omission of Greek delta "-d-"
Αστενάρ	Astenar	Patient	Ασθενής	Simplification. "σθ->στ"
Βαβάς	Vavás	Πατέρας, μπαμπάς	Father, daddy
Βαλί	Vali	Βουβάλι	Buffalo	Simplification. Omission of initial syllable "Bu-"
Βρεχός	Vrechos	Βροχή	Rain	Gender alteration.
Dιάολους	Diaolus	Διάβολος	Devil	Simplification. Omission of middle (probably voiceless) "-B/V-"
Κιρυός	Cirios	Αέρας	Air	Unknown origin of word
Κρομμό	Crommó	Κρεμμύδι	Onion	Simplification. Omission of middle syllable "-mi-"
Λαλάτζα	Lalándza	Λουκουμάδες	Greek style dougnuts made of fried dessert dough	From Byzantine Lallangia (Λαλλάγγια) (Fried bread, cf. Lallangita)>Hellenistic Lallangi>Archaic Greek Laganon (wide but thin pita Pita Pita or pitta is a round pocket bread widely consumed in many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. It is prevalent in Greece, the Balkans the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. The "pocket" in pita bread is created by steam, which puffs up the dough... -like bread made with herbs and sesame seeds on it) [a predecessor to the current well-known pizza Pizza Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"... ]
Λερό	Leró	Νερό	Water	Ν->Λ (N->L)
Μανάλ	Manal	Μανουάλι	Candle	Church candle
Ναίκα	Néca	Γυναίκα	Woman	Simplification. Omission of initial syllable "Gy"
Νεκκλησιά	Νeclischá	Στην Εκκλησία	Church	Addition of initial "n"
Πισίκα	Pischíca	Πιτσιρίκα (Κορίτσι)	Fem. child	From Byzantine pitsiricon>N. Italic piccër (small)+Byzantine ίκο (ico). Cf. Modern Italian "piccolo" (small).
Παιί	Peí	Παιδί	Child	Simplification. Omission of Greek delta "d". See also "Fschách" for child.
Παλκάρ	Palcár	Παλικάρι	Mask. child	A brave person (mask). From Byzantine pallecarion (young follower of soldiers) > Hellenistic pallicarion> derived from pallak (follower)+arion (young)> Archaic Greek (attic) pallax (πάλλαξ).
Στράδα	Stradha	Δρόμος	Street, road	From Italian->Byzantine->Misthiotica.
Τσερί	Tscherí	Κερί	Candle	Sound alteration of initial "K"->Tsch
Τεμέλ	Temel	Θεμέλια	Foundation	Θ->T
Τύρα	Tíra	Θύρα	Door	From Archaic Greek->Byzantine->Misthiotica, Θ->T
Φ'σάχ	Fschách	Παιδί	Child	Possibly derived from the word "σπλάχνο" meaning gut, wound, religiously denoting "child"->Byzantine.
Φραίδα	Fraída	Σφραγίδα	Stamp	Simplification. Omission of initial "s" and middle (voiceless) "g".
Φτείρια	Ftíria	Ψείρες	Louse	Sound alteration PST->FT and gender alteration from feminine to neuter.
Χεγός	Cheyos	Θεός	God	Θ->Χ, infusion of "g" to bridge vowel sounds of "e" and "o". (The infusion resembles the Turkish yumushak "g", a voiceless element denoted in Turkish grammar as a vowel).
Other categories
Ιτό	Itó	Αυτό	This, that
Μι	Mi	Με	With	Vowel change E->I

Misthiotic gastronomy

• Pitoulica [aka Mantiz] is a yoghurt-based soup with pasta and olive-oil crouton
  Crouton
  A crouton is a small piece of sautéed or rebaked bread, often cubed and seasoned, that is used to add texture and flavor to salads, notably the Caesar salad, as an accompaniment to soups, or eaten as a snack food. The word crouton is derived from the French croûton, itself derived from croûte,...
  
  s. There are variations where fried garlic sometimes adds to the distinctive character of the dish.
• Toundouri bread is bread baked in the ground-based oven known as toundouri. The toundouri is also found in numerous other cultures. Some examples are the Indian cuisine, the Middle East cuisine as well as in regional Turkish cuisines.

Cultural indicators of the inhabitants' ancient/Byzantine origin

• The language (Misthiotica) (archaic elements/Byzantine elements)
• Retained names used by the Misthiotes of older settlements, i.e. the nearby villages Nasrados (Tr. Ulağaç, [Ulagatsch], Nakroin (Tr. Kıçağaç, [Kitschagatsch]), the nearby sites Parapedissos, Nedissos, Maskados, Apsala.
• The design of their garments and footwear had a Byzantine origin (differing from the surrounding Turkish)
• Seasonal games took place in Misthi originating in ancient times such as wrestling, the Vara-Vara dance and polo
  Polo
  Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
  
   on horseback (a 'sport' dating back to Alexandrian times and to the interaction of that army with people they met in today's Afghanistan)
• Marriage: The dressing of the groom calls to mind the robings of the Bishop which derived from Byzantium
  Byzantium
  Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
  
  
• A dying individual (often referred to men) was obliged to provide death duties in order to receive forgiveness and gain admission to Hades
  Hades
  Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
  
  .
• There was a general belief, originating from Byzantine times, that the soul
  Soul
  A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
  
   of a man was taken by the Archangel Michael using his sword. For this reason all water was thrown out of the house as the Archangel was believed to have washed his sword with it (bad omen to use the water).
• In accordance to ancient traditions, the star
  Star
  A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
  
  s and planet
  Planet
  A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
  
  s were consulted to give the propitious time to leave for work or travel. The moon and the sun were personified as brothers traveling in the sky, the one in daytime and the other at night. Their eclipse
  Eclipse
  An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer...
  
   caused anxiety to men, and they tried, with they magic means to relieve these two heavenly bodies from the demon that had sieged them, this being the explanation of an eclipse.
• Misthiotes believed that earthquake
  Earthquake
  An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
  
  s were caused by the movement of the world from one bull
  Bull
  Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
  
  's horn to the other - because they believed that the world rested upon the horns of a bull. Magic ceremonies for instance accompanied the litany for the invocation of rain. These beliefs date back not only to Byzantine times but to ancient times as well.

Names of the inhabitants

• Below is a comprehensive list of names used by the inhabitants (Kostakis, 1977). The first column shows the Greek name, the second a transcription, the third the English equivalent, and the fourth (unfinished yet) the Modern Greek version.

Misthiotic male names

Misthiotic Αβεργάμης Αζαρίας Αλέκος Αλέξης Ανανίας Αναστάσης Ανέστης Αντρής Αντρίκος Αντών (ης) Απόστιλης Αχανάς Βασίλ Βενέτης Βετσή Βλάσης Γαβραήλ Γαραλέμης ή Χαραλέμης Γιάκωβος ή Γιακώφ Γιορντάνης Γιοφχάν (ης) ή Χιοφχάν (ης) Γεσήφης Γιωβάννης Γιωνάς Γουργόρης Γούτος Γιώρ ή Γιωρίκας Ερεμίας Κλήμιντης Κωσταΐνης ή Κωσταής Λάζαρης Λευτέρης Λεωνίδας Μακάριος Μανόλης Μελέτης Μεργκούλης Μάρκος Μηνάς Μουσαήλης Μουϋσής Μουχάλ ή Μουχαήλ Μπο(υ)ντής Νικόλας Νταμιανές ή Νταμιανής Νταναήλ Ντηρμήτ (ης) Παναϊώτ Παντελές Παραής Παυλής Πετρής Πρόιμο ή Ποπότσης Ροφαήλ Σάββας Σπύρης Σταυρής Συμοχός Τζηγλόρης ή Τζηλγόρης Τόγωρης Τσερεκάς ή Τσερετσής Τρύβιντης Τσύριλλης Φιλ΄ππους Φτύμ Χαρίτας Χεγοντός Χιμιάνες Χρυστόστομα Χρίστης ή Χούτος

Transcription Averyámis Azarías Alécos Aléxis Ananías Anastásis Anéstis Andrís Andrícos Andón(is) Apóstilis Achanásch Vaschíl Venétis Betschís Vláschis Yavraíl Yarelémis and Charelémis Iácovos and Iacóf Iordánis Yiofchán(is) and Chiofchán(is) Yeschífis Yiovánnis Yonás Yuryóris Yútos Yiór and Yioríca Eremías Clémindis Costaínis and Costaís Lázaris Leftéris Leonídas Makários Manólis Melétis Mergúlis Márcos Minás Musaílis Muisís Muchál and Muchaíl Bo(i)dís Nicólas Damianés and Damianís Danaíl Dirmít(is) Panayiót Pandelés Paraís Pavlís Petrís Próimo and Popótsis Rofaíl Sávvas Spirís Stavrís Schimochós Tziylóris and Tzilyóris Tóyoris Tscherecás and Tscheretschís Trivídis Tschírilis Fílpus Ftím Charítas Cheyodósch Chimianés Christostóma Chrstístis and Chútos

English Abraham Azarias Alex Alex Ananias Anastasius Anestes Andrew - Anthony Apostolus Achanias Basil Benett Joachim Basil Gabriel Charalampus Jacob Jordan Theophanes Joseph John Jonas Gregory Chrysostomus George Jeremy Clemence Constantine Lazarus Elefterius Leonidas Macarius Emanuel Meletus Mercury, Mercurius Marcus Menas Michael Moses Michael Prodromus Nicholas Damian Daniel Demetre Panayiot Pandeles Parascevius Paul Peter Primo, Prodromus Raphael Sebastian Spiritus Staurus Simonn Gregory Theodore Kiriakos or Sal(vatore) (Latin) Tryphon Cyril Philip Eutheme Charitas Theodosius Damian Chrysostomus Chris, Christian

Modern Greek Averyámis

Compare with Greek-Cappadocian names from the Old Testament

GREEK Αβραάμ [Avraám] Ανανίας [Ananías] Δανιήλ [Daniíl] Δαυίδ [Davídh] Δαυίδα [Davídha] Ελισάβετ [Elisávet] Ζαχαρίας [Zacharías] Ηλίας [Elías] Ιερεμίας [Ieremías] Ιωσήφ [Iosíf] Μωυσής [Moisís] Ναούμ [Naúm] Ραχήλ [Rachíl] Ρεβέκκα [Revéca] Σαμουήλ [Samuíl] Σολομών [Solomón] Σουσάννα ή Σουζάννα Susánna or Suzánna

TURKISH Avram Anania Danil Tavid Tavida Elish or Elisho Zahari Ilias - Yusuf Moyisa Naum Irahil Reveca Samuil Schlom or Scholom Susa and Sona

ENGLISH Abraham Anania Daniel David - Elizabeth Zachary Elias Jeremy Joseph Moses Naum Rachel Rebecca Samuel Solomon Susanna or Suzanna

Surnames

Surnames were seldom used in the sense we know of today. Misthiotes referred to one another on a first name basis (a very common procedure during the Ottoman era for all Ottoman population). To separate between persons with similar or equal names they used patronymes or toponyms, i.e. names from places of origin. For instance "Daniil dou Yaserli" [Δανιήλ dου Γάσερλη], Daniel the Caesarian's / Daniel Caesarian's son. Such surnames became through transformation unrecognizable to the holders. The Yaserli surname for instance was originally in Greek (and Latin) Caesarius/Kaisarios [Καισάριος or plural Καισάριοι], denoting a person from Caesaria (Kayseri

Kayseri

Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...

). With the influx of Turkish, the name went through a transformation process that rendered it adaptable to the Turkish equivalent Kaiserli (from Kayseri

Kayseri

Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...

 and the suffix 'li' denoting belonging). Usually an initial 'K' in Byzantine Greek was transformed in the Misthiotica dialect either as "ch" or "Y". In this case it was transformed as "Y". When the bearers of the name entered the port of Mersina from where they were taken by boat to Piraeus

Piraeus

Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....

, Athens, their name were written in Turkish as "Kaiserli". Entering Pireus the Greek authorities "re-Hellenised" their name by adding a common Greek surname suffix "-(i)dis" and once again transformed the surname into its current form "Kaiserlidis". Some members continued however to pronounce the name "Yaserli", and due to the civil war that broke out in Greece following WWII with the loss of the village archives, they were recorded as "Gaserli" or "Gaserlidis" [Γάσερλη, Γασερλίδης] during their entrance to Greek army service.

Facts

• The international academic community of linguists considered Misthiotica and other Cappadocian-Greek languages to be extinct until recently when researchers discovered speakers of the language in Greece. (Studies are currently in progress of both linguistic as well as social character).
• Many Misthiotes left Misthi to establish themselves as traders in the United States of America and in Russia. Travels to Russia was usually a collective endeavour of 20-30 persons and took normally about 20-25 days. The Misthiotes would spend 2-3 years if not longer before returning home when another group would leave to the same destination.
• Many of the surnames of Misthiotes of today are of Turkish origin while some are just transliterations of Byzantine names. Many of the surnames of Turkish origin could be classified as having a derogatory meaning. For instance, Sismanides - 'sisman' meaning fat, or most commonly Delioglou - ('deli'=idiot) meaning the idiot's son. Only few of the first generation Misthiotes in Greece have understood the meaning of their surnames. These surnames were often given by the Turkish authorities. Numerous accounts show that Misthiotes would not recognise themselves by these names as they referred to themselves either only by their first name or by the first name followed by a patronyme and/or a name of the city of origin. The completely different level of literacy of the second and third generation has however spurred an interest of the subject and subsequently several name changing processes.
• Many of the second generation of the Misthiotes from Greece emigrated during the late 1960s from Greece to northern European countries such as Germany, Belgium, and Sweden but also to Australia and the US making Greece only a temporary place of stay along their history.

Resources on Misthi and Cappadocia

• Kappadokes.gr General information on Greek Cappadocia by the Greek Cappadocean Federation
• Cappadocia.gr General information on Greek Cappadocia
• Misti.gr Information on Misthi provided by Misthiotes from Neo Agioneri, Kilkis
• Cappadocian Greek Information from Wikipedia by Prof. Mark Janse
  Mark Janse
  Mark Janse is research professor in Asia Minor and Ancient Greek at Ghent University, where he studied Classics, Hebrew and Linguistics...
  
  on the Cappadocian Greek language

Greek

• Κοιμίσογλου, Συμεών Κ., (2005), Καππαδοκία: Μνημείο Παγκόσμιας Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς, Ελλήνων Ιστορία, Πίστη, Πολιτισμός, Θεσσαλονίκη:ILP Productions)
• Κωστάκη, Θανάση Π., (1977), Το Μιστί της Καππαδοκίας, Αθήνα: Ακαδημία Αθηνών.
• Σπυρώνη, Σταύρου Ι., (1996), Τι Δεν Είναι Ελληνικό Στην Ελληνική Γλώσσα: Τα Τούρκικα στη Γλώσσα που μιλάμε Λεξικογραφημένα με 7.000 περίπου ελληνικά επώνυμα τουρκικής καταγωγής, Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Τάκη Μιχαλά.
• Χαρακόπουλος, Μάξιμος, (2003), Ρωμιοί της Καππαδοκίας: Από τα βάθη της Ανατολής στο Θεσσαλικό κάμπο - Η τραυματική ενσωμάτωση στη μητέρα πατρίδα, Αθήνα, Ελληνικά Γράμματα.