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earlier Iznikmit, from Greek Nicomedia, Iznik from Greek Nicaea ([iz nikea]), Samsun (s'Amison from "se" and "Amisos"), and Istanköy for the Greek island Kos (from is tin Ko). The occurrence of the initial i- in these names, including Istanbul's, is largely secondary epenthesis to break up syllabic consonant clusters, prohibited by the phonotactic structure

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