Τσάκωνας

Greek

Etymology

Οf uncertain etymon, with multiple theories proposed.^[1] Medieval spelling as in Τσακωνία f (Tsakonía, “area of Tsakonia”), or as in τζακονικός.

Ahrweiler^[2] associates the ethnonym of the inhabitants of Τσακωνία (Tsakonía, “Tsakonia”) with the medieval parallel use for the sense "guardians", or "soldiers" Tσάκωνες, Τζάκωνες, Τζέκωνες (or -ονες) from the words ζάκα, σάκα (military guard), of Arabic, Semitic origin (see Greek σάκκος (sákkos), Classical Syriac ܣܩܐ,), to τζάκων, τσάκων.
From the plural διάκονες or διάκονοι of the mediaeval διάκων (diákōn) or the ancient δῐᾱ́κονος (dĭā́konos, “servant, deacon of Christian church”), with mediaeval regional sense: "guardians", or "soldiers".^[3]. In this case, an etymologically informed spelling would be Τσάκονας with omicron.
The spelling with omega Τσάκωνας has prevailed, regardless of etymological concerns.
From *Ἐξω-Λάκωνες (Exō-Lákōnes, “Outer-Laconians”) with a change of [ks] to [ts], typical of Tsakonian, and omission of [l]^[4]

Not likely:

From τρᾱχών (trākhṓn, “rugged, stony tract”) genitive: τρᾱχῶνος
From Albanian tsakon (“rough, rugged land”)
From phrase εἰς τούς Λάκωνας (eis toús Lákōnas, “to the Laconians”).
From Slavic roots

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtsakonas/
Hyphenation: Τσά‧κω‧νας

Noun

Τσάκωνας • (Tsákonas) m (plural Τσάκωνες, feminine Τσακώνισσα)

Tsakonian: of or relating to the people of the Tsakonia area
a male surname, Tsakonas, feminine equivalent Τσάκωνα (Tsákona)

Declension

Declension of **Τσάκωνας**
	singular	plural
nominative	Τσάκωνας (Tsákonas)	Τσάκωνες (Tsákones)
genitive	Τσάκωνα (Tsákona)	Τσακώνων (Tsakónon)
accusative	Τσάκωνα (Tsákona)	Τσάκωνες (Tsákones)
vocative	Τσάκωνα (Tsákona)	Τσάκωνες (Tsákones)

Related terms

Τσακωνιά f (Tsakoniá, “Tsaconia -the area”), Medieval: Τσακωνία (Tsakōnía)
τσακώνικα n pl (tsakónika, “Tsaconian language”), (formal): η τσακωνική γλώσσα (i tsakonikí glóssa), η τσακωνική
τσακώνικος (tsakónikos, “Tsaconian”, adjective), τσακωνικός (tsakonikós) (learned, less common)

References

^ See etymology at Greek Wikipedia.
Detailed discussion in Μωυσιάδης, Θεόδωρος [Moysiades, Theodoros]. (2005) Ετυμολογία. Εισαγωγή στη μεσαιωνική και νεοελληνική ετυμολογία. [Etymology. Introduction to Mediaeval and Neohellenic etymology.] Athens: Hellenica Grammata. (in Greek).
^ Ahrweiler, Hélène. (1963) Les termes Τσάκωνες - Τσακονίαι et leur évolution sémantique [The terms Τσάκωνες - Τσακονίαι and their semantic evolution]. (in French) Revue des études byzantines, 1963, 21, pp. 243-249 @persee.fr retr:2018.09.28.
^ "ZACONES", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
Supported by Stamatis Karatzas^(ger:WP) (1913‑1986) in Les Tzacones. Berlin/New York: 1976 (Supplementa Byzantina 4).
Thereafter supported by Agapitos Tsopanakis^(el:WP)
^ Supported by Konstantinos Amantos (1874‑1960)