Re: Meaning of Ritsos or Ritsis
by Jim Young (guest)
8/26/2008, 12:25 PM
There is a discussion here -
https://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/mgsa-l/2004-May/003593.html
the suggestion being that it is a variant of rissos, which means "lynx". However, if this is a Greek word, it's not the standard word, which appears to be lygkas. The word lynx is itself of Greek origin, so why borrow the Slavic RYS? It might possibly be a hellenised Macedonian name, nickname for a keen-eyed person.
Note also that a possible Italian origin (Rizzo) is considered.