The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-21
PRONUNCIATION or enErx WAKES.
Ana ssue very untercstinE rnrsTuatisu About
Thes-aiisns and creeks.

Ana aeu,e very IntercsttnG nnfsrnatien About
Thessaisns ana creeks.
To THE EDITOR OF THE sUN-Sir. A CORE.
spondent asks for an explanation Of the FREQUENT
occurrence of V In modern Greek names, al
though there IL no such letter in the Greek
alphabet. There is no sound in modern Greek
precisely like our v; but there Is a sound inter-
mediate between our V and the German w,
which is easily produced by allowing the breath
to escape between the lips while pronouncing b.
This 10 the sound which the letter v in the
translitoratod names represents.
It belongs in modern Greek to two written let
tors. In the first place B, or Bets. is always 80
pronounced. Thus Volo, near tho homo OF
Achilles, 30 often mentioned in the dispatches,
is spelled Bolos Ithe first o long, the second
shortL Tho fnal 8 Is always silent In the Thes.
salian and In most of tho vernacular dialects Of
Greece. The real pronunciation would better DO
represented by Bholo. The sound Of b in mod.
ern Greek is given only to a p proceeded by NJ.
Thus, tho name Of the mountain Olympus, tho
first vowel of which has been L in Thessaly from
the most ancient times, is pronounced Elimbo
tacconted on the first syllablel, and the valo OF
Tempe is called Tembe. When Greeks wish to
represent the sound of b in Turkish names, they
write MP. Thus at tho entrance OF Tempe, or
Lycostomo (Wolf's throat) as It is often called. is
a village. named from q beautiful tomb Of q
Turkish saint, Bdbd. Now this name BAHIA 10
spelled by the Greeks Mpampd.
Tho other written letter which Is sounded Bh
and is commonly transliterated by V is epsilon
after alpha td) and epsilon tel. Thus, the first
two ~syllables of the name of Prince Mavrocor-
dato, represent Mayros.- pronounced Mabhros,
dnrk-colored. Perhaps the NAME, which is that
Of q very celebrated family of Hospodars, is
a corruption Of Mayrokardotes .-pronounced
Mabhrocnrdhotees,- "dark-hearted." So Eyag-
gelos, gospel, is pronounced Ebhangghelo, near
ly as our Epdn0eL.
Not only Is the breath allowed to escape in
pronouncing B. but likewise in pronouncing d
in all cases, and g before a and o. and often be.
fore e, In dialects. Consequently. d In Greek
sounds precisely like our tn In then Thus,
Delgiannis is pronounced Dhelyanni or Dhel.
yannis. A quarter Of the town of volo Is called
Magasia, pronounced Msghazia. A little town
on the side of Pelion, where there is an annual
miracle, is called Goriza, pronounced Ghorltsa.
But CT, and generally G before E, is pronounced
like our Y, as In Delgiannis, In Gialloponlos. in
the name OF the village Gereles, between volo
and Larissa, &c.
When 8 is doubled. the sound is prolonged, as
In Ossa and Larissa (which name Is accented on
the first syllable).
Many OF the rivers and mountains of Thessaly
have two names in common use. one ancient, the
other modern. Thus, the river about as wide as
an ordinary New York side street) on which
Larissa stands is called the Peneios and tho
Sdlembrid twherc the b is pronounced BIZ.
1t is impossible to live among the Thessalians
without loving them, for there is q glow in their
hearts that no other people possesses. Their
songs and dances are charming. Their purity Is
remarkable. As a matter of cold fact 1t is true,
although one Of those truths that are the most
wicked Of lies, for a universal national custom
has nothing of the moral quality OF a personal
~trait-thatt they are given to backbiting their
neighbors. 1t Is also so customary in Thessaly
to depart from the truth, that a polite way of
telling a man he is mistaken is to say You
lie" psebhdhecs. 1t might give offence to tell a
man he is mistaken; while 1t is a matter Of
course that every intelligent man lies occasion
ally. The Thessalians avoid calling a spade q
spade. They call 1t a dung shovel. Above all.
they prefer the most criminal names for their
own doings. For example. the Klephts were a
romantic kind of men. with much poetical
glamour about them; but the word Kiepht means
very bluntly a thief. The mountaineers would
be rather proud to be called Kiephts, and lose
no opportunity Of impressing visitors with their
hardheartedness. cruelty, and bloodthirstiness.
The truth Is. that Notwithstanding their very
keen and subtle intellects, they are perfect chill
dren in their ndiret1 and warmth. They also
labor under the to us fiattering delusion that an
American-in reality. perhaps. the coldest-blood-
ed creature that goes on two legs-is very
much like a Thessalian-a lover of liberty, gen.
erous, hospitable. v%irtuous, and with an eye to
the main chance. Thessaly is the only country
in Europe where 1t is customary to invite a man
to take n perpendicular drink. c.. s. p.
New YORK. May g..
4RT NOT a RE1T rTySTR Ell