Ano Pedina

Ano Pedina (Greek: Άνω Πεδινά, before 1928: Άνω Σουδενά, Ano Soudena,^[2][3] between 1928 and 1929: Άνω Κάμπος, Ano Kampos)^[4][3] is one of the villages in Central Zagori in the Ioannina regional unit, northwestern Greece. It is located on the western slopes of Mt Tymfi. The village is located on the edge of an extensive plateau (altitude 1000 m.), known locally as Varko (or Varka).^[5]

There are two monasteries, the monastery of Evangelistria and the monastery of Agia Paraskevi. The first is the oldest, restored in 1786, while the second was founded in 1750.^[6]

The villages (Upper and Lower) were recorded in a chrysobull from 1361 by Serbian ruler Simeon Uroš to the feudal lord John Tzafa Orsini Douka.^[5] The villages were recorded as Stoudena in a document from 1627.^[5] In the late 19th century scholar Ioannis Lambridis wrote both villages were called Stoudena until 1634 and etymologises the toponym as meaning 'cold place'.^[5] Linguist Max Vasmer gave etymologies for each form of the toponym. Soudena derived from the Slavic sǫdъnъ, stemming from sǫdъ 'court' which linguist Kostas Oikonomou excludes as there are no examples of the inflection of the Slavic ǫ in Greek as u, and Vasmer instead derives the placename from the Latin sudis, where the Greek preposition suda originates from.^[7]

Vasmer states Stoudena is from the Slavic studenъ 'cold'.^[8] Linguist Phaedon Malingoudis derives the toponym from Slavic sǫdъ, not directly from the preposition but from the proper noun Suden.^[8] Malingoudis states the etymology of the toponym is from the adjectival soudinos, stemming from souda and the suffix -inos and sondina 'fields, estates' must be excluded as both presuppose an unmarked type and for phonetic reasons, since the inversion of i into e near n occurs rarely, while it occurs frequently near liquids.^[8]

Taking the above into account Oikonomou referring to the original form Studena derives the placename from the Slavic adjectival studenъ 'cold', by omission of the noun selo 'village'.^[8] Later the form Soudena emerged through the etymological influence of the word souda from the form studena and zdina according to Greek northern phoneticism where u became Ø and e into i, and voicing of s in the new consonant cluster sd which arose after the elimination of the unstressed u.^[8]

In late 20th century scholarly editions of the 1361 chrysobull, they transcribe the toponym as Pedanata.^[5] Oikonomou wrote the chrysobull name is due an error from a scribe or copyist who combined the placename Pedana with the article ta.^[5] The name is formed from the epithet Pedina which through linguistic assimilation became Pedana as i changed into a.^[5] In the 19th century edition of the chrysobull by Panagiotis Aravantinos, he corrected the text and wrote in a note the name Pedanata is a corrupted form.^[5] The village was renamed to Pedina in 1927.^[5] Oikonomou states the motivations among the individuals responsible for the renaming of the village remain unknown.^[5]

The village is inhabited by Greeks, and some Sarakatsani who settled in the village during the early 20th century.^[9] The Sarakatsani are Greek speakers.^[10]

• Neophytos Doukas, humanist.