Παρασκευή 25 Φεβρουαρίου 2011

THE NAMES OF THE VLACHS

The majority of the Vlachs, when they define themselves in their own language, use the term "Arm'n-Arm'n”. This term is a ‘corruption’ (linguistic term) of the Latin word «Romanus» as the term "Romios" is a corruption of the Greek word “Ρωμαίος». These two terms are identical as they both define ,the one in Latin and the other in Greek, the "citizen" and later "cultural heritage" of the Eastern Roman Empire, the after "Romania", the state and cultural entity that is better known to us by the neology term “Byzantine Empire”. We have to know that, the terms "Romania" and "Romanians" are probably two neology terms, adopted by the Romanian just from early 19th century. The term "Vlach" has German origin. It was used (by them) for the determination of the Romans and in general of the enlatinized inhabitants of the Roman territories. The term, later, went to be used by the Slavs, the Byzantines and the Ottomans. We must say that from the Byzantine period, even until today , the term "Vlach" with small letter (v), often states nomadic people ,who deal with cattle breeding (livestock) and later came to mean ,in modern Greek, the nomad cattle breeder, the ‘rough’ , the ‘uncivilized’ and the ‘peasant’. The term "Koutsovlachos" is a rather unfortunate complex term that seems to be offensive to the Vlachs. Archbishop Spyridon Vlachos characteristically pointed out to the Academy teacher, Alexander Svolos: Anyone, who uses the word "Koutsovlachs», he himself, is a "Koutsowriter (lame ‘writer’). Before the outbreak of Balkan nationalism and the subsequent propaganda, the term (Ellinovlachos = Greekvlach) was used and it is evident that includes cultural and political discrimination and dimension. It had reason of existence as long as it was used in contradistinction to the term (Slavovlachos = Slav-Vlach) which in turn was used for determination of Romanians.
Today the use of the term "Ellino = Greek" as a prefix (of a word) seems redundant, like perhaps in the cases of 'Ellinopontios = Greekpontiac” and ‘Ellinokaramanlis = Greek-Karamanlis’. However, the term "Arvanitovlachs" is in still use, maybe because the impossibility of replacing it by another, and because of its long use. This term indicates those Vlachs, whose ancestors had been found to reside between "Arvanites"-Albanian speaking populations. This cohabitation has resulted in the development of cultural interactions. The "Arvanitovlachs" are simply a branch of 'Aromanians-Vlachs', dispersed in various parts of Macedonia, Central Greece, Epirus, Albania and FYROM, even to Romania and America, where they were found as immigrants. For "Arvanitovlachs" we use the words "Farsarioti’or ‘Frasarioti’ (village Frasari Premeti),’Kestrinioti’ (Kostresi), ‘Zarkanioti’ (Zarkani), Goubliari (Kobliara), "Pleasioti (Pleasa), ‘Koloniati’ (region Kolonia), Mouzikiarei (Mouzaki), "Tsamoureni (from Tsamouria Thesprotia) and" Mitsintonoi (Kefalovriso= Metsinde, Pogoni). In some of them given the name "Dotanoi" was given (with satirical nature) because of their frequent use of the word ‘dot’, which means ‘not, without, no’. In Epirus and Central Greece for Arvanitovlachs to the term "Karagounis 'or' Karagounides is used (no relation to the Greek-speaking rural population of the western plain of Thessaly who are known by this term, too). It should be also noted also that the(a century ago) disappeared group of "Mavrovlahi, known as Morlaki, who lived along the coast of Dalmatia, consist a Latin linguistic entity independent (different)of Aromanians-Vlachs.. The terms "Burdzovlachi", "Karavlachi", "Agriovlachi", "Gogas", "Latsivatsis" and "Tsiobanos" are satirical and rather offensive connotations, and their use is not recommended . The term "Tsintsaroi" refers to the Vlachs who were immigrants in the late 18th century in parts of Serbia, in the territories of Habsburgs of Voivodina, of Croatia and Hungary and has satirical content, although later this term has acquired a rather honorary discrimination of the upper class. (Also Tsintsari- Pemptofalangites-Volunteers of the 5th legion, quinquarius = Roman legion legionnaire of the fifth Roman legion and is referred to the Roman residues of the fifth legion of veteran Macedonians: five = quinque in Latin, tsintsi in Vlachic). Among the Aromanian-Vlachs various terms are used to identify various groups. So we have: Gramustiani ,Tsipides ( region Grammos) "Moscopoliani or Skubuliani (region Moscopole), “Bitulianoi” (Monastirion), "Zagoriani" ( region Zagori), "Motsiani” (South Pindos) “Veriani” (Veria) "Serriani” (Serres), “Basiotes” (Vovusa) and a lot of other terms especially of toponym origin. A special group is «Moglena Vlachs" or "Vlachomoglenites", who live in six villages of Pella and Kilkis Prefectures (Greece) and in some villages behind the borders (in FYROM). It is noted that the term "Moglena Vlachs" or "Vlachomoglenites, although being a term of toponym origin, it is for sure a neology term and virtually unknown, both to themselves and neighbouring Vlachs and other language populations, too. Moreover, ‘Vlachomoglenites, as opposed to other populations Vlachs, Vlachs are the only, when defining themselves, use the words "Vlaou- Vlashi," meaning "Vlach-Vlachs”, in their own Vlachic idiom. The Romanian term "Makedoromani" or "Macedonians is certainly workmanlike, neology term and certainly political. Moreover, the term is unfair for the Aromanians-Vlachs, whose metropolitan home extend to Thessaly, Epirus and Albania , far beyond the geographical boundaries of Macedonia. Eventually, the term "Vlach -Vlachs," seems nowadays to be the predominant and probably the most correct to identify them. And this is why Vlachs prefer to use this term when they identify themselves in Greek. Moreover, this term is understood and is in use in other Balkan languages, as opposed to the term "Arman- Armans" or "Aroman-Aromans" that is unknown (outside the circles of experts and scholars) and of course to simple Vlachs.

(Text in Greek by John Tsiamitros Education, Teacher of traditional dances)
 Translated in English by John Tsiamitros, too)

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