Considering that the land was called Makedonia when the Romans were pulling garlic bulbs outta the earth for a living and I'm not sure how you'd get Makedonia from any Latin meaning Great Land anyway. I'd say the teacher is all wet.

If it's not here then you're out of luck!

http://faq.macedonia.org/history/

wordwind, i'm afraid you are out of luck.. if i may quote what i found somewhere:
Touching the derivation of the name Macedonia, I confess myself, with sorrow, equally at fault. Among a multitude of opinions upon this delicate point- some acute, some learned, some sufficiently the reverse -- I am able to select nothing which ought to be considered satisfactory.
oh well.. i wouldn't be surprised if macedonian wouldn't know it themselves..

Actually. after reading the first two essays in Rubrick's link, I'd say that both of them are likely to be wrong. The answer appears to be "No one knows"!

- Pfranz

Hippiness is a warm poppy.

FWIW, a macedoine de fruits or macedonia di frutta is a mixture of chopped fruits with their juices, or what we call a fruit cocktail. Seems that the chopped up nature of it has to do with Macedonia. Just like a salade russe consists of chopped vegetables. Go figure.