Salonika

Origin

From incomplete latinization of Byzantine Greek Σαλονίκη (Saloníkē), clipping of Ancient Greek Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessaloníkē), named for Thessalonike daughter of Philip II, half-sister of Alexander the Great, and wife of Cassander of Macedonia, from Θεσσᾰλός (Thessălós, “Thessalian”) + νῑ́κη (nī́kē, “victory”), possibly named for her birth on the anniversary of the Battle of Crocus Field. Used chiefly as a calque of Ottoman Turkish سلانیك (Selânik) but with occasional reference to modern Greek Σαλονίκη (Saloníki).