List of reconstructed Dacian words
Encyclopedia
This article contains a list of reconstructed words of the ancient Dacian language
. They have been restored by some linguists from attested Dacia
n place and personal names (toponyms and anthroponyms) using the comparative linguistic method
; or from words believed by some scholars to be Dacian relics in the modern Romanian
and Albanian
languages.
In the case of words reconstructed from onomastic evidence, the original meanings ascribed to the names in question are assumed from close cognates in other Indo-European languages
. However, the results are hypothetical and subject, in some cases, to divergent etymological interpretations. Reconstructions derived from Romanian and Albanian words are based on the disputed theory that early Albanian descends from Daco-Moesian and the separate, mainstream view that Dacian forms the main linguistic substratum
of the Romanian language.
and Ivan Duridanov used the comparative linguistic method
to decipher the meanings of ancient Thracian and Dacian names and to reconstruct Thracian and Dacian words. Duridanov reconstructed ca. 100 Dacian words, and Georgiev about a dozen. Georgiev also reconstructed ca. 180 Thracian words. The reliability of these reconstructions is controversial in academic circles. While the two Bulgarians claim that their results are "certain" or at least "very probable", Polomé (1982) considers that only 20-25 Dacian, and 40-45 Thracian, reconstructed words are reasonably well-founded.
Georgiev argues that one can reliably decipher the meaning of an ancient place-name in an unknown language by comparing it to its successor-names and to cognate
place-names and words in other IE languages, both ancient and modern. He gives several examples of his methodology, of which one is summarised here:
The city and river (a tributary of the Danube) in eastern Romania
called Cernavodă
. In Slavic
, the name means "black water". The same town in Antiquity was known as Άξίοπα (Axiopa) or Άξιούπολις (Axioupolis) and its river as the Άξιος (Axios). The working assumption is, therefore, that Axiopa means "black water" in Dacian. According to the known rules of formation of IE composite words, this breaks down as axi = "black" and opa or upa = "water" in Dacian (the -polis element is ignored, as it is a Greek suffix meaning "city"). The assumption is then validated by examining cognate placenames. The axi element is validated by another Danube tributary called the Axios, which is today known as Crna reka (located in Republic of Macedonia: "black river") and by the older Greek name for the Black sea
, Άξεινος πόντος (Axeinos pontos, later altered to the euphemism Euxeinos pontos = "Hospitable sea"). The opa/upa element is validated by the Lithuanian cognate upė ("water"). N.B. This etymology is questioned by Russu: Axiopa, a name attested only in Procopius
' De Aedificiis, may be a corrupt form of Axiopolis. Even if correct, however, Russu's objection is irrelevant: it does not invalidate the decipherment of the axi- element (which is validated by other toponyms) and the -upa element appears in other placenames e.g. Scenopa (see upa entry in table below).
Russu (1967) attempted to decipher Thracian and Dacian onomastic elements (placenames and personal names) by reference to presumed proto-Indo-European
roots-words. But Georgiev considers such a methodology (known as Wurzeletymologien = "root-etymologies"), used in isolation, to be "devoid of scientific value". This is because the root-words themselves are reconstructions, which are in some cases disputed and in all cases subject to uncertainty; multiple root-words can often explain the same word; and the list of proposed IE root-words may not be complete.
There have also been other attempts to reconstruct Dacian words e.g. Reichenkron (1966). The latter assumes that so-called "substratum" words in Romanian (those whose etymology cannot convincingly be ascribed to Romanian's parent-language Latin or to any of the fully documented languages that have influenced Romanian: Slavic, Hungarian, Greek, Turkish etc.) are of Dacian origin. But Polomé considers that such a methodology is not reliable. This is because the process of elimination described cannot exclude the possibility that a word derives from other, unknown or little-known tongues that were at some period current in Dacia or Moesia: for example, possible pre-Indo-European language(s) of the Carpathians or Balkans; or the Illyrian, Thracian
and Paeonian languages, spoken alongside Daco-Moesian in the Balkans for at least 2 millennia. Almost half the Romanian substratum words have close cognates in Albanian
: since the latter is considered by mainstream scholarship to be a descendant of Illyrian, it is possible that many of the Romanian substratum words are of Illyrian, rather than Dacian, origin. In other words, there is no guarantee that the Romanian "substratum" words are, in reality, of Dacian origin.
The methodology employed by Georgiev and Duridanov has been questioned by other scholars on a number of grounds, including:
There exists a fringe theory (e.g. Paliga) that Illyrian was closely related to Dacian and Thracian, being descended from a proposed Thraco-Illyrian
branch of IE. Some of the words cognate between the Romanian substrate and Albanian also have close Baltic cognates, e.g. Latvian mala, "river-bank", which Demiraj lists as a cognate for Romanian mal ("shore") and Albanian mal ("mountain"). Orel considers Lithuanian mažulis and mažas a cognate for Albanian modhullë and modhë, and Romanian mazăre 'pea'. Nevertheless, the Thraco-Illyrian
hypothesis lacks evidential basis and has not been accepted by the academic mainstream. I
Where such a modern word can be plausibly linked to an Indo-European root and/or modern cognates of similar meaning, a reconstruction of the putative Dacian original has been proposed.
KEY:
N.B. Asterisk (*before word) indicates reconstructed word
PN = `settlement placename
PRN = personal name
TN = tribal name
RN = river/stream/brook name
LN = lake/pool/spring/waters name
SN = swamp name
MN = mountain/hill name
FN = field/meadow name
PLN = plant name
Dacian language
The extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged...
. They have been restored by some linguists from attested Dacia
Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
n place and personal names (toponyms and anthroponyms) using the comparative linguistic method
Comparative method
In linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison of two or more languages with common descent from a shared ancestor, as opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which analyzes the internal...
; or from words believed by some scholars to be Dacian relics in the modern Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
and Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
languages.
In the case of words reconstructed from onomastic evidence, the original meanings ascribed to the names in question are assumed from close cognates in other Indo-European languages
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
. However, the results are hypothetical and subject, in some cases, to divergent etymological interpretations. Reconstructions derived from Romanian and Albanian words are based on the disputed theory that early Albanian descends from Daco-Moesian and the separate, mainstream view that Dacian forms the main linguistic substratum
Substratum
In linguistics, a stratum or strate is a language that influences, or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum is a language which has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum is the language that has higher power or prestige. Both substratum and superstratum...
of the Romanian language.
Reconstruction of words from place and personal names
In the 1960's, the Bulgarian linguists Vladimir I. GeorgievVladimir I. Georgiev
Vladimir Ivanov Georgiev was a prominent Bulgarian linguist, philologist, and educational administrator. He made multiple contributions to the field of Thracology, including a linguistic interpretation of an inscription discovered at the village of Kyolmen in the Shoumen district of northeastern...
and Ivan Duridanov used the comparative linguistic method
Comparative method
In linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison of two or more languages with common descent from a shared ancestor, as opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which analyzes the internal...
to decipher the meanings of ancient Thracian and Dacian names and to reconstruct Thracian and Dacian words. Duridanov reconstructed ca. 100 Dacian words, and Georgiev about a dozen. Georgiev also reconstructed ca. 180 Thracian words. The reliability of these reconstructions is controversial in academic circles. While the two Bulgarians claim that their results are "certain" or at least "very probable", Polomé (1982) considers that only 20-25 Dacian, and 40-45 Thracian, reconstructed words are reasonably well-founded.
Georgiev argues that one can reliably decipher the meaning of an ancient place-name in an unknown language by comparing it to its successor-names and to cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
place-names and words in other IE languages, both ancient and modern. He gives several examples of his methodology, of which one is summarised here:
The city and river (a tributary of the Danube) in eastern Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
called Cernavodă
Cernavoda
Cernavodă is a town in Constanţa County, Dobrogea, Romania with a population of 20,514.The town's name is derived from the Slavic černa voda , meaning "black water". This name is regarded by some scholars as a calque of the earlier Thracian name Axíopa, from IE *n.ksei "dark" and upā "water"...
. In Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
, the name means "black water". The same town in Antiquity was known as Άξίοπα (Axiopa) or Άξιούπολις (Axioupolis) and its river as the Άξιος (Axios). The working assumption is, therefore, that Axiopa means "black water" in Dacian. According to the known rules of formation of IE composite words, this breaks down as axi = "black" and opa or upa = "water" in Dacian (the -polis element is ignored, as it is a Greek suffix meaning "city"). The assumption is then validated by examining cognate placenames. The axi element is validated by another Danube tributary called the Axios, which is today known as Crna reka (located in Republic of Macedonia: "black river") and by the older Greek name for the Black sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, Άξεινος πόντος (Axeinos pontos, later altered to the euphemism Euxeinos pontos = "Hospitable sea"). The opa/upa element is validated by the Lithuanian cognate upė ("water"). N.B. This etymology is questioned by Russu: Axiopa, a name attested only in Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
' De Aedificiis, may be a corrupt form of Axiopolis. Even if correct, however, Russu's objection is irrelevant: it does not invalidate the decipherment of the axi- element (which is validated by other toponyms) and the -upa element appears in other placenames e.g. Scenopa (see upa entry in table below).
Russu (1967) attempted to decipher Thracian and Dacian onomastic elements (placenames and personal names) by reference to presumed proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European may refer to:*Proto-Indo-European language, the hypothetical common ancestor of the Indo-European languages.*Proto-Indo-Europeans, the hypothetical speakers of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language....
roots-words. But Georgiev considers such a methodology (known as Wurzeletymologien = "root-etymologies"), used in isolation, to be "devoid of scientific value". This is because the root-words themselves are reconstructions, which are in some cases disputed and in all cases subject to uncertainty; multiple root-words can often explain the same word; and the list of proposed IE root-words may not be complete.
There have also been other attempts to reconstruct Dacian words e.g. Reichenkron (1966). The latter assumes that so-called "substratum" words in Romanian (those whose etymology cannot convincingly be ascribed to Romanian's parent-language Latin or to any of the fully documented languages that have influenced Romanian: Slavic, Hungarian, Greek, Turkish etc.) are of Dacian origin. But Polomé considers that such a methodology is not reliable. This is because the process of elimination described cannot exclude the possibility that a word derives from other, unknown or little-known tongues that were at some period current in Dacia or Moesia: for example, possible pre-Indo-European language(s) of the Carpathians or Balkans; or the Illyrian, Thracian
Thracian language
The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
and Paeonian languages, spoken alongside Daco-Moesian in the Balkans for at least 2 millennia. Almost half the Romanian substratum words have close cognates in Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
: since the latter is considered by mainstream scholarship to be a descendant of Illyrian, it is possible that many of the Romanian substratum words are of Illyrian, rather than Dacian, origin. In other words, there is no guarantee that the Romanian "substratum" words are, in reality, of Dacian origin.
The methodology employed by Georgiev and Duridanov has been questioned by other scholars on a number of grounds, including:
- The phonetic systemsPhoneticsPhonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
of Dacian and Thracian and their evolution are not reconstructed from elements derived directly from the ancient languages in question but from their approximative Greek and Latin transcripts. . - The etymologies that are adduced to validate the proposed Dacian and Thracian vowel- and consonant- changes (that are, in turn, used for word-reconstruction by the comparative methodComparative methodIn linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison of two or more languages with common descent from a shared ancestor, as opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which analyzes the internal...
) are open to divergent interpretations, since the material is strictly onomastic, with the exception of Dacian plant names and of the limited number of glosses. Because of this, there are divergent and even contradictory assumptions for the phonological structure and development of the Dacian and Thracian languages. - In the case of personal names, the choice of etymology is often a matter of compliance with such assumed phonological rules .
- Since, based on the work of Georgiev, the geographical aspect of occurrence of sound changes (i.e. o > a) within "Thracian territory" considered in the wider sense began to be emphasized by some researchers, the chronological aspect has been rather neglected.
- There are numerous and important cases where inadequate evidence has obscured the vocalismVowelIn phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
of these ancient idioms, resulting in the most contradictory theories. Poghirc estimates some 3,000 known Thracian and Dacian lexical units (a substantial number of which are attested in inscriptions and in literature). About 30 of these display alternations between o and a. According to Poghirc, Georgiev and Russu explain only a few of these, and the same explanation is not valid for all of them. - Both Georgiev and Duridanov ignore the context of the names and start from arbitrary assumptions, such as considering a name Dacian just because it is attested in Dacia or because it is a hapax.
- According to Dana, Duridanov's method is unreliable because it uses doubtful names, and names which certainly are not Dacian and because most of the names are hapaxes. Also the names are in most cases explained using dubious Baltic etymologies.
- Duridanov's results are in contradiction with the reconstruction of a Balto-Slavic language group, as they show many parallels between Dacian and Baltic, but not Slavic languages.
Reconstruction from Romanian and Albanian words
Georgiev, Duridanov and Russu concur that the Dacian language constitutes the main pre-Latin substratum of the modern Romanian language. Duridanov also accepts Georgiev's theory that modern Albanian is descended from Daco-Moesian. The latter view, however, is contested by many linguists, especially Albanian, who consider the language a direct descendant of the extinct Illyrian language. Thus, reconstructions based on modern Albanian words, or Romanian substratum words with Albanian cognates, may actually represent ancient Illyrian, rather than Dacian, elements.There exists a fringe theory (e.g. Paliga) that Illyrian was closely related to Dacian and Thracian, being descended from a proposed Thraco-Illyrian
Thraco-Illyrian
Thraco-Illyrian refers to a hypothesis that the Thraco-Dacian and Illyrian languages comprise a distinct branch of Indo-European. Thraco-Illyrian is also used as a term merely implying a Thracian-Illyrian interference, mixture or sprachbund, or as a shorthand way of saying that it is not...
branch of IE. Some of the words cognate between the Romanian substrate and Albanian also have close Baltic cognates, e.g. Latvian mala, "river-bank", which Demiraj lists as a cognate for Romanian mal ("shore") and Albanian mal ("mountain"). Orel considers Lithuanian mažulis and mažas a cognate for Albanian modhullë and modhë, and Romanian mazăre 'pea'. Nevertheless, the Thraco-Illyrian
Thraco-Illyrian
Thraco-Illyrian refers to a hypothesis that the Thraco-Dacian and Illyrian languages comprise a distinct branch of Indo-European. Thraco-Illyrian is also used as a term merely implying a Thracian-Illyrian interference, mixture or sprachbund, or as a shorthand way of saying that it is not...
hypothesis lacks evidential basis and has not been accepted by the academic mainstream. I
Where such a modern word can be plausibly linked to an Indo-European root and/or modern cognates of similar meaning, a reconstruction of the putative Dacian original has been proposed.
Table of reconstructed words
| Dacian word | Meaning | Possible Indo-European root-words | Ancient cognates (same meaning unless stated) | Modern cognates (same meaning unless stated) | Attestation | Cognate placenames | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *aba, apa | water, river | *ab- ("water", "river") It derived from akwa (shift kw>p, gw>b) |
aqua ("water"), amnis ("stream": Latin: der.< arc. *abnis); ap-(Old Persian "river") | upė (Lith.) | RN *Calabaeus, river in Scythia Minor Scythia Minor Scythia Minor, "Lesser Scythia" was in ancient times the region surrounded by the Danube at the north and west and the Black Sea at the east, corresponding to today's Dobruja, with a part in Romania and a part in Bulgaria.... RN Apos |
RN Abava (Lith.) | Apos is a Dacian or an Illyrian river name |
| *akmon | stone, rock | άχμον: "meteorite" (Gr.)PN Άκμονία Acmonia Acmonia or Akmonia is an ancient city and a titular see of Phrygia Pacatiana, in Asia Minor, now known as Ahat Köyü. It is mentioned by Cicero and was a point on the road between Dorylaeum and Philadelphia.... (Phrygia) |
akmuo (Lith.) akmuons (Old Latv.) |
PN Άκμονία (Akmonia); PN Acmonia Acmonia, Dacia Acmonia was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.- See also :* Dacian davae* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia* Dacia* Roman Dacia- External links :**... in R. Dacia between river Thibiscum and Sarmizegethusa |
RN Akmene (Lith.) LN Akmenas (Lith.) PN Άκμονία Acmonia Acmonia or Akmonia is an ancient city and a titular see of Phrygia Pacatiana, in Asia Minor, now known as Ahat Köyü. It is mentioned by Cicero and was a point on the road between Dorylaeum and Philadelphia.... (Phrygia) |
Acmonia was spelled Augmonia and Agmonia by the Geographer of Ravenna | |
| *albo | white | *albho ‘white’ | albus (Latin) | PN Alboca (Dacia) TN = Albocensi |
|||
| *alda (noun), *alta- (adj.) |
swamp, waterlogged | *olda, *olta ("water", "odorous") | aleti (Lith.: "flooded") aluots (Latv.: "source") ałt (Arm.: "filthy") |
PN Άλδανες (Aldanes): fort near Naissus (Moesia Sup.) PN Αλτίνα (Altina): fort nr. Tramarisca |
RN Aldes (Latv.) RN Altis (Lith.) SN Altenes (Latv.) |
The Dacian origin of Aldanes is controversial. | |
| *alm- | to flow, to stream | almeti (Lith) | RN Almus Moesia Inferior (river Lom Lom River The Lom is a river in northwestern Bulgaria, a right tributary of the Danube flowing into it 1 km east of the town of Lom.The river takes its source from the foot of Midzhur , the highest peak of western Stara Planina, on the Bulgarian-Serbian border, and mainly flows northeast until its... , Bulg); PN Almo, fort at mouth of Lom (Itin. Ant. 219.4) |
RN Almė (Lith); LN Ałmji (Latv) | |||
| *amalas | mistletoe | PN Amlaidina | |||||
| *auras, *auro | water, moisture, pool | *uer, *au(e)r 'wet, moisten' | RN Αύρας (Auras) | ||||
| *axi- | black | a-xsei ‘black, dark’ (Iranian) | PN Άξίοπα town in Scythia Minor, RN Macedonian river (now Vardar) | Axios is considered reflecting the Iranian root a-xsei ‘black, dark’ . Russu argues Axiopa is not a Dacian name, but a corrupt rendition of Axiopolis. | |||
| *baidas | frightening, repulsive | PN Baetarus | |||||
| *bal | warrior | PRN Decebalus | |||||
| *balas,*balos | strong | *bel ('strong'), | Sanskrit bala-m- 'force, strong' | PRN Decebalus | |||
| *balas | white | *bhel- ('white, bright') | ancient Greek phalos, phalios, ancient Greek balios "dappled"(<balios is considered a loan from Thracian or Illyrian; it is attested as far back as Homer Homer In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is... 's Iliad Iliad The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles... ) |
Russ. belyj 'white' Lit. bãlas 'white' Alb. balë "bright", Alb. bal, "piebald dog or horse" |
PRN Balius | ||
| *berza | birch-tree | *bhereg "shine" "white" including "birch-tree" | PN Bersovia | Here, it is no observable difference between Thracian and Dacian | |||
| *bur, buris | plentiful, rich, swollen . | *b(e)u-, bh(e)u-(`to swell, inflate, plentiful') . | Old Indian bhū́-ri-ḥ `rich, a lot, immense'. | PRN Burebista and PRN Mucabur . | |||
| *brukla | cranberry | *bhreu-k- ("to spread") | brūkle (Latv.) | TN Breuci? (Thrac. tribe-name) PN Brucla (fort in Dacia, W of R. Mureş) |
MN Brùkļu (Latv.) SN Bruklynė (Lith.) |
||
| *buta(s) | house, hut, dwelling | bùtas, butà (Lith.) buts (Latv.: "small house") buttan (Old Pr.) |
PN Βούττις (Bouttis)(fort in Dacia Med.) PN Boutae (mountain pass into Dacia) |
PN Butani (Latv.) PN Butyn (Old Pr.) RN Butėnių (kaimas) (Lith.) |
The Dacian origin of Bouttis is controversial. | ||
| *čuk- | peak, summit | *ḱu- ("sharp", "pike") | ciucă (Rom.) | PN Thōkyōdis Via PN *Thoukysidantikī |
|||
| *daba | character, nature | PRN Δαβεις | |||||
| *daba | put in order, good | Dabh (‘arrange, suitable‘) | PRN Dabeis | ||||
| *dava | city, fortress | e.g. PN Rusidava | |||||
| *degis | burning, shining | dhegʷh (‘to burn‘) | Lit. dègti 'to burn' | PRN Degis | |||
| *dina | place, area, plain | PN Amlai-dina | |||||
| *dikas | brave or strong, mighty | PRN Decebalus | |||||
| *dita(s) | light (noun), bright (adj.) | *dei-, *di- (to shine, shimmer) | *ditas (Thrac.) | ditë "day" (Alb.) | PRN Ditugentus | PRN Ditte (Old Pr.) PN Ditava (Lith.) |
|
| *drasda | thrush (bird) | PN Drasdea | |||||
| *dribas, *drigas | wild, restless | dribis, dribulis (Latv.:"a restless man") drignis (Lith.) |
PRN Dribalus PRN Aurelius Drigissa, a veteran of Legio VII Claudia Legio VII Claudia Legio septima Claudia Pia Fidelis was a Roman legion. Its emblem, like that of all Caesar's legions, was the bull, together with the lion.... |
PN Driba (Latv.) PN Drigotas (Lith.) RN Dryzel (Old Latv.) RN Drigin'a (Russia, of Baltic origin) |
|||
| *duia | swamp or mist, drizzle | dujà (Lith.: both meanings) dujs (Latv.: "dirty") |
PN Δουιανα (Douiana), fort in Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Mediterranea is a part of the former Dacia Aureliana divided by Constantine the Great.Serdica is the province capital.... |
PN Dujas (Latv.) RN Dyja (Russia, prob. Baltic origin) PN Daujėnai (Lith.) |
The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||
| *dumas | dark brown | PN Dimum (from *Dumum) | |||||
| *galtis | sheet-ice, frost | gel(ǝ) (‘cold, freeze‘) | PN Galtis | ||||
| *genukla | pasture, meadow | ganyklà (Lith.) ganīkla (Latv.) |
PN Γένουκλα (Genucla) (fortress of Getan king Zyraxes Zyraxes Zyraxes was a Getae king who ruled north Dobruja in the 1st century BC. He was mentioned in relation with the campaigns of Licinius Crassus. His capital, Genucla was besieged by the Romans in 28 BC, but he managed to escape and flee to his Scythian allies.... on Danube) |
SN Dzęnuklis (Latv.) | |||
| *ger | smart, awake | *ger-4, grēi-(to grow; to awake) | PRN Gerula | ||||
| *geras | good (-natured), kind | *guer(α)- | gēras (Lith.) | PRN Gerulo PRN Gerula |
PN Gerulių (Lith.) RN Gerùlis (Lith.) |
||
| *germas | hot, warm | PN Γέρμαζα | |||||
| *gilus | deep | gilùs (Lith.) dziļš (Latv.) gillin (Old Pr.) |
PN Gildoba, unknown "Thracian" location where St. Julius was revered | RNs Gilijà, Gilupis, Gỹlė (Lith.) LN Gilge (Old Pr.) LN Dziļaune (Latv.) |
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| *gira (giria) | forest or mountain | gʷeru (‘pole, pike‘) | Lith. girià 'forest' Rus. gora 'mountain' |
PN Giridava Giridava Giridava was a Dacian town, situated in Moesia, modern northern Bulgaria.- See also :* Dacian davae* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia* Dacia* Roman Dacia- External links :**... |
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| *granda | plank | grandà (Lith.: "bridge-plank") grandico (Old Pr.) gruõdi (Latv.) |
PN Γράνδετον (Grandeton), fort near Naissus(Moesia Superior) | PN Grandų káimas (Lith.) RNs Gruõds, Gruõdi, Gruõdupis (Latv.) |
The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||
| *griva | river-bed or river-mouth | ? *grava (Thrac.: "valley" or "river-bed") | grĩva (Latv.: "river-mouth") greva (Lith.: "river-bed") |
PN Γρίβο (Grivo), fort near Naissus (moesia Sup.) | RN Grýva(Lith.) RNs Grīva, Grīvīte (Latv.) |
The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | |
| kaga | sacred, holy | *kʷog(h)- (< *kʷeg(h)-) | kazat′, skazat′ (Sl. "to tell", "to say") | kaga | |||
| *kalas | catfish? | RN Calabaeus | |||||
| *kapas | hill, slope | PN Καπίδαυα (Capidava Capidava Capidava is a South American spider genus of the Salticidae family .-Species:* Capidava annulipes Caporiacco, 1947 — Guyana* Capidava auriculata Simon, 1902 — Brazil* Capidava biuncata Simon, 1902 — Brazil... ) |
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| *kapura | hill | PN Capora, in basin of river Tyras (Dniester) | |||||
| *karpa | to cut, stone | *sker, *ker 'to cut' , . | karpe, karma (*karp-m-) 'stone' (Albanian) | MN Carpates TN Karpoi, Carpi , . | 'Carpathians Mountains', Carpi tribe . | ||
| *karsa | cave | PN Carsion | |||||
| *katas | stall, animal enclosure, fish-basin | PN Κάττουζα | |||||
| *keda | chair, stool | PN Cedonia | |||||
| *kerba | swampy ground | PN Cerbatis | |||||
| *kerna | bush | PN *Cerna | |||||
| *kerta | clearing in a wood | PN Certie | |||||
| *kina | dry place in a swamp | PN Ciniscus | |||||
| *klevas | maple-tree | PN Clevora | |||||
| *krata | swampy place or pile, heap | PN Κρατίσκαρα | The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||||
| *kurta | grove, glade | PN Κουρτα | |||||
| *lug- | swamp, morass | RN Λύγινος | |||||
| *mal | bank, coast | PN Dacia Malvensis (Latin Dacia Ripensis) | The Dacian word is preserved in the Romanian word mal 'bank, coast' and in the Albanian word mal 'mountain', which correspond to the Lettish word mala 'bank, boundary' |
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| *maska | pool, puddle | PN Μασκάς | |||||
| *medeka | glade, small wood | PN Μέδεκα | The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||||
| *musas | mould, moss | RN Μουσαίος | |||||
| *nara(s) | river, brook | RN (Rom. from Dac.) Nǎruja | |||||
| *pala, *palma | swamp, bog | palus (Latin) | PN Παλαδεινα; PN Palmatis | ||||
| *pil- | to flow | RN Gilpil | |||||
| *preida | pine-tree | PN Πρέιδις | |||||
| *put- | to swell, thicken | PN Putina | |||||
| *rabo, rebo | ‘to move’ ‘to flow’ ‘be in motion’ | *rebh ‘to move’ ‘to flow’ ‘be in motion’ | RN Rabon river in Dacia (Jiul?) It was etymologically connected with Arabon (Narabon?) from Pannonia | ||||
| *ramus | peaceful, restful | PN Ραμίδαυα (Ramidava Ramidava - See also :* Dacian davae* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia* Dacia* Roman Dacia- External links :**... ) |
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| *rō(u)ka | drizzle, fine rain | PN (from RN) Rhocobae | |||||
| *rus- | to flow | PN Rusidava Rusidava Rusidava was a Dacian town mentioned in Tabula Peutingeriana between Acidava and Pons Aluti, today's Drăgășani, Vâlcea County, Romania.- See also :* Dacian davae* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia* Dacia* Roman Dacia- External links :**... |
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| *san-apa | confluence (of two rivers) | RN Sanpaeus | |||||
| *sausas | dry | saus- (‘dry‘) | Lit. saũsas 'dry' | PRN Sausa | |||
| *sermas | river, river-current | PN Sirmium Sirmium Sirmium was a city in ancient Roman Pannonia. Firstly mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by the Illyrians and Celts, it was conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC and subsequently became the capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. In 294 AD, Sirmium was... |
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| *skabas | sharp, quick, lively | PRN Σκαβης | |||||
| *skaudus | painful, sad or powerful | TN Scaugdae | |||||
| *skuia | fir-tree | sk(h)u̯oi̯-, sk(h)u̯i(i̯)- (‘needle, thorn‘) | Latv. skuja 'spruce-needle' | PN Σκουάνες | The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||
| *skumbras | hill, down | PN Σκουμβρο | The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||||
| *spirus | fast, quick, rapid | RN Πασπίριος | |||||
| *stendas | stiff, rigid, viscose | PN Στένδαι | The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. | ||||
| *suka | tear (ripped), gap | PN Σουκίδαυα (Sucidava) | |||||
| *suras | salty | PN Σούρικον | |||||
| *taras | chatterer, gossiper | PRN Tara | |||||
| *tauta | people, nation, country | PRN Tautomedes | |||||
| *tiras | bare, barren, desolate | FN Τίριξις | |||||
| *tut- | blow, smoke | RN Tutupis | |||||
| *upa | river | PN Scenopa | |||||
| *urda | stream, brook | RN Όρδησσός | |||||
| *vaigas | fast, rapid | PN (from RN) Aegeta | |||||
| *varpa | whirlpool | PN (from RN) Άρπις | |||||
| *visas | fertile, fruitful | PN Βισ-δίνα | |||||
| *zalmo- | fur, skin, shield | PRN Ζαλμοδεγικος Ζάλμοξις |
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| *zelmas | shoot (of a plant) | PRN Ζαλμοδεγικος | |||||
| *zud-as | careful, precise | PRN Zude | |||||
| *zuras | hot, shining | RN Zyras | |||||
| *zuv- | fish | Romanian juvete, a species of fish There are Baltic cognates also, apparently no close Albanian cognate |
KEY:
N.B. Asterisk (*before word) indicates reconstructed word
PN = `settlement placename
PRN = personal name
TN = tribal name
RN = river/stream/brook name
LN = lake/pool/spring/waters name
SN = swamp name
MN = mountain/hill name
FN = field/meadow name
PLN = plant name
See also
- List of Romanian words of possible Dacian origin
- List of Dacian plant names
- List of Dacian names
- Dacian languageDacian languageThe extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged...
- Baltic languagesBaltic languagesThe Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe...
- Thracian languageThracian languageThe Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
- Phrygian languagePhrygian languageThe Phrygian language was the Indo-European language of the Phrygians, spoken in Asia Minor during Classical Antiquity .Phrygian is considered to have been closely related to Greek....
- Davae
- List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia