Gergely (Gregory) Dankovski (a professor in Bratislava) was one of the first people to notice the number of Slavic place names in Greece and this was picked up by Fallmerayer, Mickiewicz (!), Safarik and others who listed places such as Platza, Stratza, Lutzena, Chlumitza, Lewetzowa, Sitzowa, Warsowa* and Polonitza. Vasmer did a very detailed study in 1941. There are, literally, hundreds of such places in Greece.
Mickiewicz
The following is from Fallmerayer (generally with German spelling of place names). Falmerayer was a bit of an ass but he was right to bring up the interesting point about Slavic place names in Greece (even if he did it in order to put down Greeks).
Note that:
- some of the names that apparently are Slavic but that appear also in certain other parts of Europe.
- Fallmerayer claims that Slavic was still spoken in Greece in the 15th century (anyone who has read the Chronicle of Morea will not find that surprising) citing Laonikos Chalkokondyles
- there are two Varsovas in Greece and Fallmerayer also notes that in the area of Kabourolimni in Aetolia between Lepanto (Nafpaktos) and the shore of the Fidari (Evinos?) there is a mountain/hill with a destroyed village that too was called Varsova – that is Varsova number three – “how I myself heard from a person born in Kabourolimni”*
* Note too that while Fallmerayer is correct as to the Slavic provenance of the Varsova one should not stop there. For example, even more interestingly a Versova exists in Mumbai, India (supposedly from “Vesave”) and there are a number of place names in Europe that begin with Wars. There is too a Werschau northwest (!) of Frankfurt am Main, Warsow near Schwerin, a Warsow near Demmin, Warszews in Poland and a number of other similar names. That is before we even get to Versailles (first mentioned as Versalliis).
If you look at the map you also can’t help notice the numerous “Skalas”. Skala supposedly refers to the Greek word for “stairs” but the word also means “rock” in Slavic and various Skalas litter the Greek landscape from Aetolia to Laconia where they are surrounded by lots of Slavic names. (Not sure who names a town after “stairs” but, hey, anything is possible. The connection, however is, I think deeper and may have go back to stairs in a rock (think Monemvasia)).
“The series begins on the southernmost tip of the mountains by Cape Matapan, und runs in a rising line all the way to the plain at Sinano (Σινάνο): Tschimova, Skutari, Tschekona, Skaltostianika, Lukadika, Pakianika, Mondanisteka, Damaristika, Tschikalia, Vardia, Alika, Mazara, Vipovo, Kipula, Kalava, Vardonitza, Tschopaka, Kotschifa, Kukura, Vambakia, Keratza, Vako, Leitza, Chelefa, Lutzena (Lützen), Selitza, Platza, Nomitza, Suina, Sowaliana, Polyana, Arachova, Kastanitza, Politzaravo, Vardunia, Stratza, Palova, Limbirdon, Pilala, Kutuka, Passava, Sela, Malevri, Kribenova, Panitza, Skamnitza, Maltzina, Desphina, Chlumitza, Kosova, Levetzova, Kurtaki, Tarapsa, Kurtzunia, Pritza, Selina, Kutzandika, Andruvista, Gurnitza, Saidova, Liesinova, Gaitza, Brinda, Orova, Malevrianika, Malta, Sandava, Varusta, Scherenitza, Selitza, Selitzianika, Trikotzova, Janitza, Kutzava, Janitzianika, Tzernitza, Sitzova, Anastasova, Malevo, Mistra, Pelovitza, Doritza, Potiana, Kumusta, Varsova, Vardunia, Kastania, Kotitza, Tritzela, Riviotisa, Tukozi, Katzaru, Polovitza, Liandina, Lukovuno, Sklabochori and Godena.”
“Among these there are Malevri, Malevo and Kubenova designations for mountains and mountain regions; but Sandova is the name of a small stream. All these are found in the Taygetus [range], and on its eastern incline against the right shore of the Eurotas [principal river in Laconia].”
“Varsova, that is Warsaw, is a small village near Mistral and the ruins of ancient Sparta; though Sklabochori is, as is well known the New Greek name designation for the most well-known Slavic place in the valley [of Selassia by the former Amykles (Αμύκλες) in the district of Sklabochoria.”
“On the left shore of the Europas one can find moreover Konititza, Vasara, Vrestena, Borbitza, Arachova, the mountains Malevo, Mazaraki and Berkia, Tzintzina, Karitza, Sacona, Cniotzali, Vurlia, Servianitza; thereafter, Chelesina, Perzeni, Goritza, Kravata, Zupena, Pavleika, Granitza, Vlachioti, Virniko, Phloka, Kukuri and Zagano, that is Sagan [Zagan].”
“West of the Taygetus in Messenia there lie Valtuka, Kaplani, Zaitzi, Saratza, Kryvitza, Agalziki, Ripena, Metarena, Dara, Drauga, Militza, Miska, Vlachopoulo, Kasteni, Madena, Tzitzori, Teznika, Draina, Buga, Valta, Phloka, Planitza, Gardiki, Katzikovo, with the streams Pirnatscha, Buzi, Kalka and Zumena and the Susdalian Myntra.”
“One should judge on his own what can be said of a population of a country which calls its villages: Varsova, Mistra, Sitzova, Goritza, Kryvitza and Zagen.”
“One can find a second Varsova in the mountains between Arkadia and Achaea where one also finds Krakova or Krokova (Cracow) which is to this day is still populated.* In the inner parts of Arkadia, around the sources of the former Ladon (Λάδωνας) and then towards Elis (Ηλεία or Ilia) and Achaea we run into the villages of Glogova, that is Glogow; Tzelechova, that is Zöllichau, Englenova, and with Kandsoi and Kaminitza, Arachova three times more, so that a traveller believes he’s been transported to Russia, Poland or the Slavic lands on the Oder. One should also not forget that the Messenian streams Buzi, Kalka and Zumena have their namesakes in Podolia and Southern Russia.”