Who are the Macedonians?
Today observers agree that there is more than one variant of Macedonians. Ironically, all these variants are usually defined in foreign languages by the same name: Macedonians, Macedoniens, Macedoni etc. (with the notable exception of the Germans, who use two names: “Makedonen” for the Ancient Macedonians, and “Mazedonier” for the various contemporary brands of Macedonians).Let us, then take one by one the various brands of Macedonians.a. Macedonians of antiquity: A tribe of Greek culture and language The etymology of their name is further proof of their greek identity. They gave their name to the land and self-identified themselves in their Greek vernacular as , [pronounced makethnÉ (a as in about, e as in bet, É as ea in eat )]. Under Alexander the Great they united the Greeks and spread the greek language and greek civilisation to the known limits of the world.b. Macedonians [Makethones] as a regional Greek name: For centuries, in Byzantine and Ottoman times, Greek-speakers of the w
