Kentauroi 'centaurs' (cf. Kentauros 'centaur') are semi-men and semi-horses in the Greek mythology (Takho-Godi 1991). In my opinion, the term Kentauros consists of Pelasgean (Proto-Slavonic registered in the writing of Linear A, and in its decorative version on the Phaistos disk) ken with obscure meaning and Greek tauros 'bull'. What does the word ken signify? It is equal to the word P1-P28 ke-no (1) 'horse' (the 11th and 17th words of the side A of the Phaistos disk). Besides, the word kon 'horse' (cf. also Old Church Slavonic and Russian kon' 'horse') is presented in the name of the Western Slavonic town Arkon. So the initial meaning of the word Kentauros was 'horse/bull'.
Takho-Godi, A.A., 1991. Kentavry. In: S.A. Tokarev (ed.) Mify narodov mira. Vol. 1. Moscow: Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya, pp. 638-9.
Copyright © 1999 by Sergei V. Rjabchikov. All Rights Reserved.
Published 12 November 1999.
Sergei V. Rjabchikov, Krasnodar, RUSSIA.
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