Kastanonas

Kastanonas
Καστανώνας
Community
Kastanonas is located in Greece
Kastanonas
Kastanonas
Location within Greece
Coordinates: 39°50.9′N 20°57.2′E / 39.8483°N 20.9533°E / 39.8483; 20.9533
CountryGreece
Administrative regionEpirus
Regional unitIoannina
MunicipalityZagori
Municipal unitEast Zagori
Area
 • Community
9.551 km2 (3.688 sq mi)
Elevation
1,030 m (3,380 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Community
15
 • Density1.6/km2 (4.1/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
440 14
Area code+30-2656
Vehicle registrationΙΝ

Kastanonas (Greek: Καστανώνας, before 1927: Δραγάρι, Dragari; Aromanian: Drãgai, Drãgari) is an Aromanian village and a community of the Zagori municipality. Before the 2011 local government reform it was part of the municipality of East Zagori, of which it was a municipal district. The 2021 census recorded 15 inhabitants in the village. The community of Kastanonas covers an area of 9.551 km2.

Name

The placename is rendered as Dragari, and also the form Dragai. The linguist Kostas Oikonomou stated the form Dragai is derived from the form Dragari through the dissimilatory loss of the r sound. The toponym has two possible derivations. The first is from the Slavic dragarь, meaning 'Dervendjis, the one who controls the road or the passage', from draga, stemming from Old Slavic dorga 'road, passage, valley' and the suffix -arь. The second is from the Slavic dragarь, meaning 'beloved', from dragъ stemming from Old Slavic dorgъ and the suffix -arь. The suffix -arь is used to form nouns identifying a person whose occupation or identity is defined by the root word.

Demographics

The population of Kastanonas are hellenised Aromanians. In 1820, Greek migrants from Demati settled in the village and contributed to the hellenisation of the Aromanian population. The Aromanian language is no longer spoken in the village following a period of assimilation.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Institute for Neohellenic Research. "Name Changes of Settlements in Greece: Dragari – Kastanon". Pandektis. Archived from the original on 22 March 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  3. ↑ Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government. "Διοικητικές Μεταβολές των Οικισμών: Δραγάρι – Καστανώνας" [Administrative Changes of Settlements: Dragari – Kastanonas]. EETAA (in Greek). Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 Kahl 1999, p. 106: "Kastanónas, Drăgai: gräzisierte Aromunen"
  5. 1 2 Koukoudis, Asterios (2003). The Vlachs: Metropolis and Diaspora. Zitros Publications. p. 147. ISBN 9789607760869. The villages of Vlahozagoro... Kastanonas (Drăgá(r)i)... In some of these villages, such as Neo Amaroussi and Kastanonas, a process of gradual assimilation has meant that the Vlach language has died out.
  6. 1 2 "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  7. ↑ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-09-21.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Oikonomou, Kostas E. (2002). Τα οικωνύμια του νομού Ιωαννίνων. Γλωσσολογική εξέταση [The oikonyms of the prefecture of Ioannina. A linguistic examination] (PDF) (in Greek). Nomarchiaki Aftodioikisi Ioanninon. p. 103. ISBN 9789608316010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 November 2024.
  9. ↑ Kahl, Thede (1999). "Die Zagóri-Dörfer in Nordgriechenland: Wirtschaftliche Einheit – ethnische Vielfalt" [The Zagóri Villages in Northern Greece: Economic Unity – Ethnic Diversity]. Ethnologia Balkanica (in German). 3: 113. Auch zugewanderte rein griechisch-sprachige Bevölkerung, die auf überwiegend vlachisch-sprachige Bevölkerung traf, trug zur Gräzisierung bei, z.B. in Kastanónas, wo sich 1820 eine Gruppe von Griechen aus Demáti ansiedelte (s. Makrís 1996: 152).