Thessalonica
/ˌθɛsələˈniːkə/noun
A major city in northern Greece, also known as Thessaloniki.
Did you know?Cassander of Macedon named the city after his wife Thessalonike, whose name commemorated Philip II’s victory over the Thessalians.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*neik- / *weik-
“To attack, overcome, or conquer; the proposed ancient root behind Greek nikē and related victory words.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νίκη (níkē)
“Victory or triumph.”
4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessaloníkē)
“The name of Cassander’s wife, traditionally understood as “Thessalian victory,” commemorating a Macedonian victory over the Thessalians.”
Late 4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessaloníkē)
“The name given to the newly founded Macedonian city by Cassander, after his wife.”
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Thessalonica
“The Latin form of the Greek place-name.”
Modern English
English
Thessalonica
“The traditional English name for Thessaloniki, a city in northern Greece.”