Why adjectives of Cretans end in -akis
Why adjectives of Cretans end in -akis

From the frequent use of or suffix -akis Brand automatically connect to our thinking Crete eg Kazantzakis, Theodorakis, Mitsotakis.

But there is a host of celebrities Cretans prospered in Crete and outside it but do not end in -akis.

One theory is that the Turkish -akis is adding to undermine the name, as we would say today → Lions Lions -aki

Another theory is that the Cretan adjectives recently () turned -akis. Previously was exactly the opposite (superlative) eg Sifakis and not Sifakakis. Probably in the mountainous Crete and Sfakia will meet many superlatives, unlike the rest of the island.

A popular urban legend that hovers persistently is that -akis Kritika patch imposed by the Turks to reduce the Cretans.

None relationship ... Officially, the Turks were not branded. Only in the late 19th century AD began the systematic recording of surnames became abused -akis not however more than the -atos, -even, -poulos, -oglou (-idis -adis) -itsis (-itsas, -itzas, -itzis) , -elis, -outsos etc., in other Greek regions. That began the mutation of family surnames in public records, eg the Dandolos in DANDOULAKI the Aristeidis Havales in Chavaledakis the Raissis (Reis = master, captain ship) in Raisakis, lettuce in Maroulakis the Rocket in Rokakis, fennel in Marathakis The Lampathis in Lampathakis, cardamom in Kardamakis, watermelon in Karpouzakis the okra in Bamiakis, the Manousos in Manoussakis the Alygizos in Alygizakis the rosemary in Rosmarakis etc.

Of course, the vegetable etymology Rosmarakis bit is doubtful, because no names, as e.g. Terezakis, Rosmarakis, MARNELAKI and Zampetakis, possibly derived from noble offspring names from the West. Respectively: Theresa Theresa, rosemary Pink Marie, Rodo Mary Marnela Marinella - Marina Zambeta Elisabetta Elisabeth Elissampeth house bees from West Semitic dialect fellowmen!

In some areas of Crete, eg in radical villages (in Chania, hence radicular & rizitika), the Sfakia province, the mountainous area of ​​the prefecture of Rethymno, there was strong resentment against official registration of names with suffixes -akis because had remained in the collective memory that is transmitted surname unchanged, and without nicknames, from father to children, is characteristic of aristocratic origin, namely nobility. So, with fresh in the collective memory the validity of Archontoromaion, residents of particular regions resisted mass homogenization of -akis, which brought the squid, mainly at the time of the Cretan State ([1878 to 1889], [1896] 1898-1908 [ December 1, 1913]).

However, many Muslims Cretans also develop nicknames and surnames -akis, while many of them keep them officially until today, eg Kos and Rhodes. The notorious Ibrahim Alidakis (18th century), even: Delimpasakis (Del Basho = head mad Ottoman body irregulars), Tsaousakis (Tsaous = Sergeant) Provvatakis, Meimarakis (Meimaris = architect) Meintanakis (Meidani = square) Writing Chaidarakis, etc., are all Greeks Greek Muslims.

The -akis originated in Romagna during the 10th century AD, than testified eg the existence touaristokratikou house Rodokanakis in Istanbul.However, the use of this suffix for centuries will remain rare, but doubtful as in the case of Chortakis - Hortatsis - Hortatzis of the homonym house. Widespread use of the suffix -akis will occur for the first time during the 15th-17th century in Laconia, eg Grigorakis, Davakis Kapetanakis, Tzanetakis (small Tzanetos small Tzanis or Kozani = fragkogenis popular version of John, of Jean) and Troupakis from where it spread slowly and Crete, which lists famous examples, before the Turks conquer the island, and before Mani turn it on-even ...

Interesting professionally branded -akis, suggestive and what jobs grapples our ancestors, like Vouloumpasakis (Bouloumpasakis bulldozer Basho = Corporal in asker Ottoman) Sartzetakis (sartzetos sertzente = sergeant in the army Italian-speaking state) Visaxakis (BitsaxakisBitsaxis = maicharas, Turkistan), Dermitzakis (Ntermitzakis ntemirtzi = blacksmith, as Demiris Sideris).

But it is worth noting that there are surnames that are completely random fate -akis as the maniac from the Hellenistic and medieval (the) manic, namely the necklace - insignia for officers of the Cavalry. It further revealed and Mazarakis from homonymous noble kin Wallachia, the Menegakis of Italian Menegatsio (Menegazzo), the Mouzakis of Arvanite Pharaoh MOUZAKIOU MOUZAKIOU, and Tagalakis of Turkish Tangalak (gunner in naughty body literally illiterate, stupid).