Pétros Márkaris & Kostas Charitos

[Rainbowlight]

Hello everyone,

I would like to know what is the pronunciation of these two names: the name of the Greek writer Pétros Márkaris and that of one of his most popular characters, Kostas Charitos.


Thank you very much for your help and kindness.

 

[Michael Zwingli]

I think I can handle this question. Márkaris/Μάρκαρης would be pronounced in a way very similar to the way that the word Márkaris would be pronounced in Spanish (with the rhotics as voiced alveolar trills and emphasis as indicated by the diacritic). Charitos, however, is not pronounced as it would be in Spanish. The "Ch" of this, "X" in Greek, represents a voiceless velar fricative (pronounced like "kh", or like the "ch" in the Hebrew phrase "le chaim!"/"to life!"). I believe that in Greek this is Χάριτoς, the pronunciation of which would be as if spelled "Kharitos", with the emphasis on the "a". This surname apparently derives from the given name Χάρις, and that from the Ancient Greek noun χᾰ́ρῐς ("charm"/"grace"), whence also our English word "charisma".

There you have it...probably more than you wanted to know!

 

[Huck Finn(egan)]

Hello,

I think Michael ,gave @Rainbowlight a very detailed answer.

I just want to add that fictional character's surname in Greek is definitely

Χαρίτoς

and so the stress goes on the second syllable:

Kharìtos

This surname apparently derives from the given name Χάρις

Yes, I believe!

For their names:
Πέτρος/ Pétros
Κώστας/ Kóstas ( I think)

 

[Rainbowlight]

I think I can handle this question. Márkaris/Μάρκαρης would be pronounced in a way very similar to the way that the word Márkaris would be pronounced in Spanish (with the rhotics as voiced alveolar trills and emphasis as indicated by the diacritic). Charitos, however, is not pronounced as it would be in Spanish. The "Ch" of this, "X" in Greek, represents a voiceless velar fricative (pronounced like "kh", or like the "ch" in the Hebrew phrase "le chaim!"/"to life!"). I believe that in Greek this is Χάριτoς, the pronunciation of which would be as if spelled "Kharitos", with the emphasis on the "a". This surname apparently derives from the given name Χάρις, and that from the Ancient Greek noun χᾰ́ρῐς ("charm"/"grace"), whence also our English word "charisma".

There you have it...probably more than you wanted to know!

It's more than enough! : )

Thank you so much for your detailed answer.

 

[Αγγελος]

Χαρίτος (pronounced as 'jaritos' would be in Spanish) does ultimately come from χάρις = grace, but is a popular form of Χαρίτων = graceful.