Theodore Kavalliotis
Encyclopedia
Theodore Kavalliotis was a Greek Orthodox
priest, teacher and a figure of the Greek Enlightenment. He is also known for having drafted an Aromanian-Greek-Albanian dictionary.
or Greek
ancestry in the then important Ottoman town of Moscopole
(now a tiny village, Voskopojë, in southeast Albania
), where he also spent most of his life. Kavalliotis studied in Moscopole and later pursued higher studies in mathematical and philosophical sciences at the Maroutseios college in Ioannina
(in 1732-1734), directed by Eugenios Voulgaris
.
( Nea Akadimia) in 1743. In 1750 he succeeded his former teacher Sevastos Leontiadis
and became director of the New Academy for more than 20 years (1748–1769). His works, written in Greek, are Logic (1749, unpublished), Physics (1752, unpublished), Grammar of modern Greek (1760), Metaphysics (1767), Protopeiria (1770). They were used extensively and hand-made copies were found even as far as Iaşi
, Romania. After the destruction of Moscopole at 1769, he probably went to Tokaj, Hungary, but returned at 1773.
In 1770, he published in Venice, at Antonio Bortoli's printing press, a school textbook, called Protopeiria. Protopeiria is a 104 pages textbook which in pages 15–59 included a trilingual lexicon of 1,170 Greek, Aromanian, and Albanian words. This work aimed at the Hellenization
of the non-Greek-speaking Christian communities in the Balkans
. The lexicon was re-published in 1774 by the Swedish professor Johann Thunmann, who taught at the University of Halle-Wittenberg
. Thunmann added a Latin translation to the words in Greek, Aromanian, and Albanian.
Besides Eugenios Voulgaris, he was also influenced by the work of Vikentios Damodos, Methodios Anthrakites
, René Descartes
, and medieval scholastics
.
Kavalliotis couldn't manage to reestablish the destroyed New Academy. During his last months he witnessed another wave of destruction of his home place, in June 1789 by local Muslim lords. Kavalliotis died at August 11, 1789, aged 71.
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
priest, teacher and a figure of the Greek Enlightenment. He is also known for having drafted an Aromanian-Greek-Albanian dictionary.
Early life
He was born of AromanianAromanians
Aromanians are a Latin people native throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Serbia and Romania . An older term is Macedo-Romanians...
or Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
ancestry in the then important Ottoman town of Moscopole
Moscopole
Moscopole was a cultural and commercial center of the Aromanians, and now a small municipality in Korçë District, modern southeastern Albania. At its peak, in the mid 18th century, it hosted the first printing press in the Balkans outside Istanbul, educational institutions and numerous churches...
(now a tiny village, Voskopojë, in southeast Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
), where he also spent most of his life. Kavalliotis studied in Moscopole and later pursued higher studies in mathematical and philosophical sciences at the Maroutseios college in Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
(in 1732-1734), directed by Eugenios Voulgaris
Eugenios Voulgaris
Eugenios Voulgaris or Boulgaris or Vulgares was a Greek Orthodox educator, and bishop of Kherson . Writing copiously on theology, philosophy and the sciences, he disseminated western European thought throughout the Greek and eastern Christian world, and was a leading contributor to the Modern...
.
Working period
He returned to Moscopole and was appointed teacher at the New AcademyNew Academy (Moscopole)
The New Academy or Greek Academy was a renowned educational institution, operating from 1743 to 1769 in Moscopole, an 18th century cultural and commercial metropolis of the Aromanians and leading center of Greek culture in what is now southeastern Albania...
( Nea Akadimia) in 1743. In 1750 he succeeded his former teacher Sevastos Leontiadis
Sevastos Leontiadis
Sevastos Leontiadis was most known as the director of the Kastoria school between 1726 and 1728.He was born in Kastoria on 1690. He was student of Methodios Anthrakites in Siatista, Kastoria and Ioannina. He spent some time in Italy for studies. He was the director of the Kastoria school and...
and became director of the New Academy for more than 20 years (1748–1769). His works, written in Greek, are Logic (1749, unpublished), Physics (1752, unpublished), Grammar of modern Greek (1760), Metaphysics (1767), Protopeiria (1770). They were used extensively and hand-made copies were found even as far as Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, Romania. After the destruction of Moscopole at 1769, he probably went to Tokaj, Hungary, but returned at 1773.
In 1770, he published in Venice, at Antonio Bortoli's printing press, a school textbook, called Protopeiria. Protopeiria is a 104 pages textbook which in pages 15–59 included a trilingual lexicon of 1,170 Greek, Aromanian, and Albanian words. This work aimed at the Hellenization
Hellenization
Hellenization is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic civilization during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon...
of the non-Greek-speaking Christian communities in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. The lexicon was re-published in 1774 by the Swedish professor Johann Thunmann, who taught at the University of Halle-Wittenberg
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
. Thunmann added a Latin translation to the words in Greek, Aromanian, and Albanian.
Besides Eugenios Voulgaris, he was also influenced by the work of Vikentios Damodos, Methodios Anthrakites
Methodios Anthrakites
Methodios Anthrakites was a Greek scholar, priest and director of the Gioumeios and Epiphaneios Schools in Ioannina. He made a significant contribution in the growth of Greek Enlightenment during the Ottoman occupation of Greece....
, René Descartes
René Descartes
René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
, and medieval scholastics
Scholasticism
Scholasticism is a method of critical thought which dominated teaching by the academics of medieval universities in Europe from about 1100–1500, and a program of employing that method in articulating and defending orthodoxy in an increasingly pluralistic context...
.
Kavalliotis couldn't manage to reestablish the destroyed New Academy. During his last months he witnessed another wave of destruction of his home place, in June 1789 by local Muslim lords. Kavalliotis died at August 11, 1789, aged 71.
Sample from the first page of the Lexicon
| Ῥωμαίϊκα (Romaic - modern Greek) | Βλάχικα (Vlach - Aromanian Aromanian language Aromanian , also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe... ) |
Ἀλβανίτικα (Albanian Albanian language Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece... ) |
English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀββᾶς | Ηγούμενου (Igumenu) | Ηγκουμέν (Igumen) | Abbot |
| Ἀγαλια | Ανάργα (Anarga) | Γκαντάλε (Ngadalë) | Slowly |
| Ἀγαπῶ | Βόη (Voe) | Ντούα (Dua) | (I) Love |
| Ἄγγελος | Άγγελου (Aghelu) | Έγγελ (Engjëll) | Angel |
| Ἀγγεῖον | Βάσου (Vasu) | Ένᾳ (Enë) | Pot |
| Ἀγγίϛρι | Γκρέπου (Grepu) | Γκρέπ (Grep) | Fish hook |
| Ἀγελάδα | Βάκᾳ (Vaca) | Λιόπᾳ (Lopë) | Cow |
| Ἅγιος | Σᾴμτου (Santu) | Σσιέντ (Shenjt) | Saint |
| Ἀγκάθι | Σκίνου (Schinu) | Γκιέπ (Gjemb) | Thorn |
| Ἀγκάλη | Μπράτζᾳ (Mbrata) | Πουσστίμ (Pushtim) | Embrace |
| Ἀγκοῦρι | Καϛραβέτζου (Castravetu) | Κραϛαβέτζ (Kastravec) | Cucumber |
| Ἀγκῶνας | Κότου (Cotu) | Μπᾳλλίουλ (Bërryl) | Elbow |
| Ἀγνάντια | Καρσσί (Carsi) | Κουντρέ (Kundër) | Opposite |
Works
- Εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὰ ὀκτω μέρη τοῦ λόγου. Ἐν Μοσχοπόλει 1760 καὶ Ἑνετίῃσι 1774.
- Ἔπη πρὸς τὸν ἐξαρχικῶν ἐν Μοσχοπόλει ἐπιδημήσαντα Ἰωαννίκιον Χαλκηδόνος ἐν ἔτει 1750 Μαΐου 2.
- Πρωτοπειρία. (Starting out) Ἑνετίῃσιν, 1770. Παρὰ Ἀντωνίῳ τῷ Βόρτολι. Superiorum permissu. Ac privilegio.