Thirdly, it must explain this form as a compound of a word
κάντζαρος--presumably with καλός. For, in dialect, there exists a
word σκατζάρι, which is used as a synonym with καλλικάντζαρος and is
evidently in form a diminutive of the word κάντζαρος, and likewise
there exists another synonym λυκοκάντζαρος, which cannot be formed from
καλλικάντζαρος by an arbitrary shuffling of syllables but is a separate
compound of κάντζαρος--presumably with λύκος.
Fourthly, and consequently on the last-named condition, the word
κάντζαρος, whether alone or in composition with either καλός or λύκος,
must possess a meaning adequate to denote the monsters who have been
described.
All these conditions are satisfied in the identification of the word
κάντζαρος with the ancient word κένταυρος.
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
kéndăvrŏs and kándzărŏs in British pronunciation[615]. The phonetic
modifications therefore which require notice are the substitution of α
for ε in the first syllable, the introduction of a ζ after the τ, and
the loss of the _v_-sound before the ρ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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