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BySpiroKonda

Historianshavereferredtoapre-GreekpopulationthatinhabitedtheBalkanPeninsula,whichasofyetremainsquitemysterious.ReferredtothembythenamePelasgiasn,littleisknownabouttheiroriginandlanguage.HomerinIlliadindicatesthattheyweresettledinEpirusoriginally.HerodotusindicatesthattheirlanguagewasdefinitelydifferentfromGreek.Herodotusalsoindicatesthatt

heGreeksadaptedthenamesofPelasgiangods.HereisHerodotusselaboration:

thePelasgiansformerlywerewonttomakealltheirsacrificescallinguponthegodsinprayer,asIknowfromthatwhichIheardatDodona,buttheygavenotitleornametoanyofthem,fortheyhadnotyetheardany,buttheycalledthemgodsfromsomesuchnotionasthis,thattheyhadsetinorderallthingsandsohadthedistributionofeverything.Afterwards,whenmuchtimehadelapsed,theylearntfromEgyptthenamesofthegods,allexceptDionysos,forhisnametheylearntlongafterwards;andafteratimethePelasgiansconsultedtheOracleatDodonaaboutthenames,forthispropheticseatisaccountedtobethemostancientoftheOracleswhichareamongtheHellenes,andatthattimeitwastheonlyone.SowhenthePelasgiansaskedtheOracleatDodonawhethertheyshouldad

optthenameswhichhadcomefromtheBarbarians,theOracleinreplybadethemmakeuseofthenames.Fromthistimetheysacrificedusingthenamesofthegods,andfromthePelasgianstheHellenesafterwardsreceivedthem.

BeingthatthenamesofthesegodshadcomefromtheBarbarians,theGreeklanguagedidnothelptoexplaintheetymologyofthenameofthesegods.SomehaveusedtheAlbanianlanguagewiththeassumptionthatthislanguagehaspreservedmoreoftheelementsofthePelasgianlanguage.OneofthemwasSpiroN.KondawhosawtheAlbaniansasthedescendantsofthePalasgians.InhisbookTheAlbaniansandthePelasgianProblemhecollectsanabundantsourceofdatainanattempttoprovehistheory.HealsodealtwiththeetymologyofthenamesofthePelasgiangodsandthisanalysisissummarizedbelow.

Demeter()

T

enameDemeterismadeupoftwowords,fromdeandmeter.Theworddewaspronounddeimitially,andlateritwaspronouncedasdhe,thus,Demeter=Dhemeter.ThemeaningofthecompoundwordisindicatedasDhe,meaningincurrentAlbaniansearth,andtheoriginalIEwordmeter=mother(matainSanskrit).Thus,Demeter=Dhemeter=EarthMother.InGreek,thepronunciationvariedaccordingtothedialects,Damater(Doric),Domater(Aeolic)

AccordingtoDiodor,Egyptianpriestsbelievedthattheearth,asthecommonwombofallproduction,theycalledMetera,astheGreeksinprocessoftimecalledtheearthDemetra,whichancientlywascalledGenMetera,orthemotherearth,as

Orpheusattestsinthisverse:

Themotherearth,Demeteralsocalld,Bringsforthmostrichly.(DiodorusSiculus,I,p.20,London,1814)

TheGreekswerenotawareofthemeaningoftheworddebecausethecompoundwordDemeterisnotinGreekbutinapre-Greeklanguage.

Zeus()

D

(seeabove)becamede-ainfeminineformandde-uinmasculineform.Justlikede-aismotherofall,soisde-ufatherofall.TheGreekstookdeaanddeua

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ndchangedthemtothea()andtheos(),respectively.ButthetermshadlosttheiiginalmeaningofDheu=earthandwerethoughtofasgods/goddesses.

TheLatinsalsotookthetermsfromthePelasgiansandaddedustode,creatingde-uswhichchangedtoZeus.And,besidesthemotherwasalsobornZeus,fatherofmenandgods,inlinewiththeconceptearth,motherofall(asinferredinDiodoruspassage).Pausaniamakestheconnectionevenclearer:

Zeuswas,Zeusisandwillbe,mightyZeus!Earthgivesusfruits,hencecallonmotherearth.(Pausanias,III,Cha.X,p.135,London,1794)

TheLatinversiontransformsDeupatertoDe-jupiter,andthentoJupiter.

AsthemeaningofDeuwasdeified,themeaningofbornfromearthchangedtobornfromgod.NowonlythebasewordDeuscontinuedtobeusedanditsignifiedthesuprem

edeity.

HesychiusofAlexandriainhislexiconindicatesthatPellasgianscalledthedeityDipatyronwhichintodaysAlbanianappearsasPerendi.Itsmorphologyisexplainedasfollows:Ifthesuffixisdroppeddipatyrremains,Dipatyr=Depater=De-at(whichinAlbanianmeansfather).DepatercorrespondstoPater-de(thisuseisobservedinHomer(OZeuspaterOfatherZeus),thus,Pater=per,de=di,whichjointoformPer-di=Perendi.ThisPelasgianwordwouldconveytheoriginalconceptoftheearthismyfather.

Poseidon()

ha beenunderstoodasthegodofdrink,ofriver,ofseas,andwaters.Thismist

akenetymologycontinuedfromHomertothepresent.

IntheAlbanianlanguageexistspat,whichmeanstohave(mepase=toown),whichintheGreeklanguageexistintheformofpotandpos.Thewordpat,preservestheoldersound,whileinGreekandLatinitchangedinto(o).Astheothergods,Poseidonwastakenfromthepre-Greektradition.

IftheGreeksuffixisdropped(),thewordPoseida-sisformedwhichcanbesplitasfollows:

Pos=(possess,hewhopossesses=zot(inAlbanian)=godI=ofDas=earth;meaning,theLordoftheearth.

ThisetymologyhasbackingbyHomerwhocallsPoseidonGeehon(),thatiswhoholdcontrolstheearth.(Homer,Iliad,Ken.XII,Varg.43.)

Also,Pindar,callsPoseidonGeahon(),thatisonewhoholds,onewhocontrolst.(Pindar,Carmina,Olimpians,13,79-82,face.56,Leipzig,1862.)

Aferdita-Aphrodite()

Acc d n

toHesiod,Aferditawasbornfromfoam.PlatoindicatedthatthereisnomeritincontradictingHesiod,buthethoughtthatitwasdoubtful,ifthenameAferditacamefromtheGreekwordafros().KarlSittlinTheogoniasaidthatit

possibleforthederivationtocomefromtheGreekwordafros,butitisequallypossibleforthenametohavecomefromanAsiaticlanguage.

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InAlbanianlanguagetheadverbafr=near;thewordalsoexistedintheoldGreekasafar().ThenextpartofthewordditawhichcomparestoSanskritworddia=briglight.AccordingtoMakrobitinSaturn,Cretanscalleddita,dia.Mostprobablythisdiachangedtoditainaccordancetonat-a=night(naktainSanskrit)byPelasgians.Thus,fromaferandditawasformedthenameofGodessAferdita().AcMuller,inthebeginningAferditasignifiedthedaysdawn.ItsinterestingtonoteinlinewiththeSanskritworddi-a,Albanianlanguagehastheverbu-di=ugdhi

=todawn.

KondaindicatesthatHesioddidnotcreatethenameAferdite,buttriedtoexplainonthebasisofavailablewordsandevidentlydidnotselectappropriateones.Thefirstpart,Afro,wasdistantfromafar,butresembled,orbetterwasidentifiedwithafron(thefoamofthesea);thechoiceforthesecondcomponentoftheword,dite,wasjustinexplicable;hechosetogofortheworddyesthai()=

d

andanadyeshtai()=torise.

Apolloni-Apallo()

T explaintheetymology,KondadealsfirstwiththenamePelasgos.Pelasgisth

esynthesisofPel-as-gai,thatispel=born,as=be-is,andg=earth.Aformofasisalsoa;gisthedativeformofthewordga-gewhichherecouldbethePelasgic.Tosupportthisetymology,Kondaindicted

thatinGreekdialects,pelasgistranslatedtomeangegeneswhichmeanstobebornfromearth,autochthonous.Thelattercouldalsobesaid,IambornfromearthwhichwouldbetheformofApel-g.Tothis,inlaterGreekwasaddedon()andformingApelgon().TheghasbeendroppedcreatingApellonwhichiseasiertosay.Anopell(pjellintodaysAlbanian)ispollwhichappearsinthenameApollon,translaasambornbutessentiallymeaningambornfromearth.

Dionysos()

GodDionyshasalsobeenreferredasDeynysos(),,Zand.nofZeuswhowasrearedbynymphs.

ThenameismadeupofDio(genitivecaseforZeus:Dio-s)andnysos(=,).IftottertheGreekosisdropped,nysremains;yinthiswordinpre-Homerictimessoundedasu,thatisnus,insanskritsnusa,inAlbaniannuse=nymph(inGreek).

KondasaysthattheformDeynysos,whichismadeupofDey+nysos,leadstoanexplainationoftheetymologyoftheword.DeyisthegenitiveformoftheworddewhichinAlbanianmeansdhe=earth.Thesecondpartoftheword,nuse,meansbride.

Inpre-Homericnyoswouldhavealsosoundednuseandmeantbride.Withtimethemiddswasdroppedandthewordtooktheformofnyos()whichwasusedbyHomer(IlliI,49).Thiswordalsoconnotesdaughterorson.Thus,themeaningofthewholenameDionysosis:sonofearth,ordaughterofearth,=childrenofearth=earthborn=el-os(vineyard).

HeraHere()

T

sGoddessappearsinwritingofHomerandHesiodasHere()andwithPindarasHera().

Pl

triedtoexplaintheetymologyofthewordHerafromtheworderao(=tolove).Hesaidthatpossiblytheonethatgavethename,likeameteorologist,calledtheairHera(Plato,Kratylin).

KondasaidthatPlatosthoughtthatHererepresentsapersonificationofameteorologicalelementwascorrect,buthefailedinexplainingtheetymologyofthew

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ord

Tothepointnow,

Theword()intheoldGreekwaspronouncedEra()whichinAlbanianreferstothea.Kondaisunsureiftheexteriorsimilaritiesin()andAlbanianEraarealsoorganic.

Rea()

T

ewordappearedfirstindoricandeolicasReaandionianasRee.PlatoandothersindicatethatReatookthenamefromtheverb=flow.KarlSittl(thepublishfHesiod)indicatedthatReaistheGoddessofallcurrents-flows.

ByseekingetymologicalexplanationinGreekwords,oronlyintheGreeklanguage,theymissedtoidentifythesimilarityinsoundof(reein)withthatofthewora.InAlbanianlanguageexiststhewordrea(sothernvariant)andreja(northernvariant)whichmeanscloud,justasintheoldGreekexistedReaandReia.

Iftherewasacaseaboutapracticeofpersonifyinggodswiththenaturalphenomenonandforces,Reahasalltheattributestorepresentre=cloud,becauseitisthecreationoftheskyandtheearth.

Athena()

AthenaaccordingtoHesiodhaswisdom.TheogenReginindicatedthatAthenawasherselfwisdom.AristotleindicatedthatAthenaisattributedscienceandarts.

KondaagainlookstoanAlbanianwordtoexplaintheetymologyofthename.HeseesAlbanianverbthan=said/toldandbyaddingarticleetheverbchangesintoanadjective,ethana=thesaid.InGreeklanguageitwastakenasoneword,ethana;thee

wasassimilatedbythestressedaattheend,transformingthewordtoathana=athena

Parsefoni()

T

e ealsotheformsPerifona()andPhersephassa().TheexistenceofswshowdifficultitwasfortheGreekstopronouncethewordintheirownlanguageandsuggeststhatthenamehasprobablyapre-Greekorigin.

KondastatesthatPersephonewasthesymboloftheseed,whichstaysongroundforfourmonthsandthenspringsupaboveground.AndthenamePhersephassacontainstheAlbanianwordfar=seed.Astohowachangedtoeheexplained,theaoffirssyllablewasassimilatedbytheeinsyllablethatfallows.(justlikeeinepanotobecomeapano,or,ergatesbecameargatesandihnariabecameahnaria.Theotherpartoftheword,sefanoiscouldnotbeexplained.