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Re: Meaning of Kontaris
in reply to a message by Steno
Those surnames from given names do make a strong case for -aris being a patronymic ending. It doesn't get mentioned in any listing of Greek surname endings - -opoulos, -ides/-iades, etc. Could it have been overlooked?
Kontaris would then be something like "son of Shorty"!
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Yeah, that's what I thought too!
I guess the suffix -aris has really been overlooked in the listings of Greek surname endings, maybe it's just because it is less common than some other popular endings like -opoulos, -ides/-iades, -ou, etc. For example, other Greek surnames are Kontopoulos, Kontides, Kontou, etc, all of them meaning "son of Shorty" in a way.
Thanks for your help, Jim!
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