Macedoni

This name derives from the Ancient Greek “Makedṓn (Μᾰκεδών) makednós (μᾰκεδνός) Makedónes (Μακεδόνες),” meaning “tall, slim.” In turn, this name derives from the Proto Indo-European root “*mak-,” meaning “long, slender.” The Macedonians were an ancient tribe from the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the Haliacmon and lower Axios rivers. Generally described as an old Greek people, they gradually expanded from their homeland along the Haliacmon valley on the northern edge of the Greek world, absorbing or driving out various neighboring tribes (primarily Thracian and Illyrian) during this process.