This article contains a list of reconstructed words of the ancient

Dacian language Dacian is an extinct language, generally believed to be Indo-European, that was spoken in the Carpathian region in antiquity. In the 1st century, it was probably the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and possibl ...

. They have been restored by some

linguists Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

from attested

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus r ...

n place and personal names (

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

s and

anthroponyms Anthroponymy (also anthroponymics or anthroponomastics, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος ''anthrōpos'' / 'human', and ὄνομα ''onoma'' / 'name') is the study of ''anthroponyms'', the proper names of human beings, both individual and co ...

) and from words believed to be Dacian relics in the modern

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

and

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

languages. In the case of words reconstructed from onomastic evidence, the original meanings ascribed to the names in question are derived from examination of closely cognate words and placenames in other

Indo-European languages The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...

, complemented by analysis of the historical evolution of such placenames.Georgiev (1976) 277 However, the results are hypothetical and subject, in many cases, to divergent

etymological Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words and ...

interpretations. Reconstructions derived from Romanian and Albanian words are based on the unproven theory (with some linguists and historians, this theory has become an assumption ) that Dacian constitutes the main

linguistic substratum In linguistics, a stratum (Latin for "layer") or strate is a language that influences or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum or substrate is a language that has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum or sup ...

of both languages, or the related theory that Dacian and early Albanian both descend from an immediate common ancestor.

Reconstruction of words from place and personal names

Methodology

Both

Georgiev Georgiev ( bg, Георгиев) is a Bulgarian surname that is derived from the male given name Georgi and literally means ''Georgi's''. It may refer to: * Alexander Georgiev (born 1975), Russian draughts player * Alexandar Georgiev (born 1996), ...

and Duridanov use the comparative linguistic method to decipher ancient

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

and Dacian names, respectively. 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 In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...

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 ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

called

Cernavodă Cernavodă () is a town in Constanța County, Northern Dobruja, Romania with a population of 20,514. The town's name is derived from the Bulgarian ''černa voda'' (черна вода in Cyrillic), meaning 'black water'. This name is regarded by ...

. 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 a tributary of the

Vardar The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . Th ...

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 The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

, ''Άξεινος πόντος'' (''Axeinos pontos'', later altered to the euphemism ''Euxeinos pontos'' = "Hospitable sea"). The ''opa/upa'' element is validated by the Lithuanian cognate ''upė'' ("river"). This etymology is questioned by Russu: ''Axiopa'', a name attested only in

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea ( grc-gre, Προκόπιος ὁ Καισαρεύς ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; la, Procopius Caesariensis; – after 565) was a prominent late antique Greek scholar from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman gener ...

' ''De Aedificiis'', may be a corrupt form of Axiopolis.See and . Ἀξιό^πλ is assumed to be an abbreviation for Axiopolis in the manuscripts of ''De Aedificiis''. Even if correct, however, Russu's objection does not invalidate the decipherment of the ''axi-'' element. Apart from Duridanov and Georgiev, other scholars have attempted to reconstruct Dacian and Thracian words. Russu (1967) attempted to decipher Thracian and Dacian

onomastic Onomastics (or, in older texts, onomatology) is the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names. An ''orthonym'' is the proper name of the object in question, the object of onomastic study. Onomastics can be helpful in data mining, w ...

elements (placenames and personal names) by reference to presumed

proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...

roots-words. Georgiev considers such a methodology (known as ''Wurzeletymologien'' = "root-etymologies") 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. Reichenkron (1966) assumed that so-called "substratum" words in Romanian (those whose etymology cannot be ascribed to any of the fully documented languages that have influenced Romanian: Latin, Slavic, Hungarian, Greek, Turkish etc.) are of Dacian origin. But Polomé considers that such a methodology is not reliable. This is because there is no guarantee that the substratum words are, in fact, Dacian. Instead, they could derive from other, unknown or little-known tongues at some period current in Dacia or Moesia: for example, possible pre-Indo-European language(s) of the Carpathians.

Methodological problems

The methodology used by Georgiev and Duridanov has been questioned on a number of grounds, including: # The phonetic systems 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. For example, Greek and Latin had no dedicated graphic signs for phonemes such as č, ġ, ž, š and others. Thus, if a Thracian or Dacian word contained such a phoneme, a Greek or Latin transcript would not represent it accurately. This could result in the wrong cognate being selected to decipher the Dacian name. # 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 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 and then extrapolating backwards t ...

) 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. Polomé (1982) notes that, in the case of personal names, the choice of etymology is often based on such assumed phonological rules. # Dana argues that both Georgiev and Duridanov ignore the context of the names and start from arbitrary assumptions, such as considering a name to be of Dacian origin simply because it is attested in Dacia. In Dana's opinion, the Dacian origin of some of the names is doubtful or even excluded. Also, Duridanov's method is unreliable because most of the names he considers are unique. # Dana questions the validity of the Baltic etymologies used to decipher the Dacian names. # According to Messing, Duridanov's results are in contradiction with the reconstruction of a

Balto-Slavic The Balto-Slavic languages form a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, traditionally comprising the Baltic and Slavic languages. Baltic and Slavic languages share several linguistic traits not found in any other Indo-European branc ...

language group, as they show many parallels between Dacian and Baltic, but only a few with Slavic languages. (This objection is irrelevant if Baltic and Slavic constitute separate branches of IE (i.e. "Balto-Slavic" never existed, as some linguists maintain); or if, as Duridanov argues, Dacian acquired Baltic words through long-term proximity interaction with Baltic languages, rather than through a genetic link). Despite these objections, Georgiev and Duridanov claim a high degree of reliability for their reconstructions. However, Polomé (1982), in his survey of the state of research into paleo-Balkan languages for ''Cambridge Ancient History'', considers that only "20–25 Dacian, and 40–45 Thracian words have had reasonable, but not certain, Indo-European etymologies proposed". This compares with c. 100 Dacian words reconstructed by Duridanov, and c. 200 Thracian words by Georgiev.

Reconstructed Dacian words

, PN ''Almo'' (fort at river-mouth) , , , Lith. ''almėti'' ("to flow uninterruptedly"), Latv. ''aluot, aluoti'' , , , - , *amalas , mistletoe (Bot. ''

Viscum album ''Viscum album'' is a species of mistletoe in the family Santalaceae, commonly known as European mistletoe, common mistletoe or simply as mistletoe (Old English ''mistle''). It is native to Europe and western and southern Asia. ''Viscum album'' ...

'') , PN ''Amlaidina'', prob. in

Scythia Minor Scythia Minor or Lesser Scythia (Greek: , ) was a Roman province in late antiquity, corresponding to the lands between the Danube and the Black Sea, today's Dobruja divided between Romania and Bulgaria. It was detached from Moesia Inferior by t ...

(Dobrogea, Rom.) , , , Lith. ''ãmalas''
Latv. ''amuols''
Rus. ''oméla'' , , , - , *ara , river-course, tide , RN ''Arine'' river in Dacia, PN Αρίνα, (Arina) fort in Moesia Inf. , , Gothic ''runs'' ("flow") , , Rom. Arieş, Mureş, Siret, Criş river names in Modern Romania Lith. RN Arina , , - , *auras, *auro , water, moisture, pool , RN Αύρας (Auras), river near Istros, Scythia Min. , *uer, *au(e)r 'wet, moisten' , Greek αν-αυρος (''an-auros'', "without water") , Alb. ''ujera'' "waters". , Old Pr. RN Aure , , - , *baidas , frightening, repulsive , PRN ''Baedarus'' (from Drobeta), PRN ''Bedarus'' (from Potaissa) , *bhoidho-s (Pok. IEW 162) , , Lith. ''baidýti'' ("to frighten")
Latv. ''baîdās, bailes'' ("fear", "anxiety"), Russian боиться (boit'sja) "to fear" , , , - , *balas,*balos , strong , PRN ''Decebalus'' , ''*bel'' ('strong'), , Sanskrit ''bala-m-'' 'force, strong' , Rom. fală, fălos - pride, imposing Alb. (Gheg) ''ballas'' "facing danger",''për''-''balcë'' "to face, defy" , , , - , *balas , white , PRN Balius (from Dacia) , ''*bhel-'' ('white, bright') , Ancient Greek ''phalos'', ''phalios'', anc. Greek ''balios'' "dappled"(< ''balios'' is considered a loan from Thracian or Illyrian; it is attested as far back as

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

'') , Rom. bălan (white (horse), blonde), bălai (blonde)
Lith. ''bãltas''
Latv. ''bãls''
Alb. ''bardhë'' "white", Alb. ''bal'', "piebald dog or horse" , , , - , *berza , birch-tree (Bot.

Betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

) , PN ''Bersovia'', ''Berzobis'' town in SW Dacia , ''*bhereg'' "shine" "white" including "birch-tree" , Old Bulg. ''*brěza'' , Lith. ''béržas''
Latv. ''bērzs''
Alb. ''bredh'' (Latv. ''burvis'' ( a mag), ''bur, buris'' (conjuring)
Alb. ''boll'' ("plenty") , , , - , *brukla ,

cranberry Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species ''Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry ...

(Bot. ''Vaccinium Oxycoccus'') , PN ''

Brucla Aiud (; la, Brucla, hu, Nagyenyed, Hungarian pronunciation: ; german: Straßburg am Mieresch) is a city located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. The city's population is 22,876. It has the status of municipality and is the 2nd-largest c ...

''
(fort in Dacia, W of R. Mureş) , ''*bhreu-k-'' ("to spread") , , Latv. ''brūkle, brūklene'', ''brūklenāys'' (cowberry plant-place)
Lith. ''bruknė''
Alb.''brukë'' "tamarind" , Latv. MN Brùkļu
Lith. SN Bruklynė , , - , *buta(s) , house, hut, dwelling , PN Βούττις (Buttis)(fort in Dacia Med.)
PN ''Boutae'' (mountain pass into Dacia) , , , Lith. ''bùtas'', ''butà''
Latv. ''buts, būda'' ("small house")
Old Pr. ''buttan''
Alb. ''bujt'' "dwell, accommodate", ''bujtinë'' "small house" , Latv. PN Butani''
Old Pr. PN Butyn
Lith. RN Butėnių (kaimas) , The Dacian origin of ''Bouttis'' is controversial. , - , *čuk- , peak, summit , PN Thōkyōdis Via
PN *Thoukysidantikī , ''*ḱu-'' ("sharp", "pike") , , Rom. ''ciucă'', ''cioc'' "beak"
Bulg. ''čuka'' "small hill"
Latv. ''čuk-ur-s'' (summit of roof)
Alb. ''çuka'' "crest", ''suka'' "hillock"
Greek ''τσούκα'' "tumulus"
Hung. ''csùcs'' , Rom. MN Ciuc (possibly from Hung. ''csík'')
Rom. MN Ciucaș , , - , *daba , character, nature , PRN Δαβεις (Dabis) , , Old Slavonic ''dob-'' , Lith. ''dabá''
Latv. ''daba'' , Pol. PRN Doba, Dobe , , - , *daba , put in order, good , PRN Dabeis , *dabh ('arrange, suitable') , , , , , - , *d(i)egis , burning, shining , PRN ''Degis'' , ''dhegʷh'' ('to burn') , Sanskrit ''dáhati'' ("it burns"), Mid Iranian ''daig'' , Lith. ''dègti'' ("to burn")
Latv. ''deglis'' ("burning torch")
Alb. ''djeg'' ("burn") , , , - , *dina(s) , place, region, plain , PN ''Amlaidina'', ''Asbolodina'' , , , , Old Pr. PN Resedynen , , - , *dita(s) , light (noun), bright (adj.) , PRN ''Ditugentus'' , ''*dei-'', ''*di-'' (to shine, shimmer) , Thrac. ''*ditas'' , Alb. ''ditë'' ("day") , Old Pr. PRN Ditte
Lith. PN Ditava , , - , *drasda ,

thrush (bird) The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flycat ...

, PN ''Drasdea'' , , Old Slav. ''drozda'' , Bulg. ''drozd'' thrush
Latv. ''strazds'' ("thrush") Lith. ''strazdas ("thrush")''
Alb. ''trishta'' , Lith. ''strãzdas''
Lat. ''draza''
Eng. ''thrush''
Swe. ''trast''
Irish ''truid'' , Old Pr. PN Drasda , - , *dribas/*drigas , wild, restless , PRN Dribalus
PRN Aurelius Drigissa, a veteran of ''

Legio VII Claudia Legio VII Claudia (Claudius' Seventh Legion) was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. History According to H.M.D. Parker, the first legion Julius Caesar raised for his campaigns in Cisalpine Gaul was the Seventh; the numbers 1-4 were omitted ...

'' , , , Latv. ''dribis'', ''dribulis'' ("a restless man")
Lith. ''drignis''
Alb. ''dridhem'' "to shake, tremble" , Latv. PN Driba
Lith. PN Drigotas
Old Latv. RN Dryzel
Rus. (Baltic origin) RN Drigin'a , , - , *duia , swamp or mist, drizzle , PN Δουιανα (Duiana), fort in

Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Mediterranea (Mid-land Dacia; ) was a late antique Roman province, whose capital city was Serdica (or Sardica; later Sradetz or Sredets, now Sofia). The date for the establishment of Dacia Mediterranea is uncertain. It was traditionally he ...

, , , Lith. ''dujà'' (both meanings)
Latv. ''dujs'' ("dirty")
Alb. ''ndyj'' "dirt" , Latv. PN Dujas
Russian (Baltic origin) RN Dyja
Lith. PN Daujėnai , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , *dūmas , dark brown , PN ''Dimum'' (from ''*Dumum'') , , Old Irish ''dumhach'' ("dark, foggy") , Lith. ''dūmas''
Latv. ''dūms''
Alb.''tym'' ("fog, smoke, uncertainty")
E.Bengali. "dhuma" (smoke, fog)
Bulg. ''tama'' ("darkness, uncertainty") , Thrac. PN Δὐμη (Dimi) , , - , *galtis , sheet-ice, frost , PN ''Galtis'' , ''gel(ǝ)'' ('cold, freeze') , , Latv. ''gàla''
Rus. ''golot''
Lith. ''gailus'' (cold) ''gelti'' (to bite, to sting, to ache) , Old Pr. PN Galtengarb , , - , *genukla , pasture, meadow , PN Γένουκλα (''

Genucla Genucla is the name of an ancient fortress of the Getae, located on the riverbank of the Danube or on an island on the river. It is mentioned by Dio Cassius in his ''History of Rome'' (''Historia Romana''), in Book LI (51), chapter 26. The author ...

'')
(fortress of Getan king

Zyraxes Zyraxes was a Getae king who ruled the northern part of what is today Dobrogea in the 1st century BC. He was mentioned in relation with the campaigns of Marcus Licinius Crassus (grandson of the triumvir). His capital, Genucla, was besieged by ...

on Danube) , , , Lith. ''ganyklà''
Latv. ''ganīkla''
Alb. ''gjanë'' "river mud" , Latv. SN Dzęnuklis , , - , *ger , smart, awake , PRN Gerula , ''*ger-4, grēi-''(to grow; to awake) , , Latin ''agilis'' Rom. "''ager" "smart, clever"'' , , , - , - , *geras , good (-natured), kind , PRN ''Gerulo''
PRN ''Gerula'' , ''*g^uer(α)-'' , , Lith. ''gēras'',
Alb. ''gjorë'' "miserable, wretched" , Lith. PN Gerulių, RN Gerùlis , , - , *germas , hot, warm , PN Γέρμαζα (Germaza), PN Γερμἰζερα (Germizera) , *g^hwer- , Latin ''formus''
Sanskrit ''gharma'' , Rom. "jar" "embers"
Latv. ''gařme''
Gr. θερμὀς,
Alb. ''zjarm'' "fire, heat" , Thrac. PN Γερμανἰα
Bulg. RN Germania , , - , *gilus , deep , PN '' Gildoba'', unknown "Thracian" location where St. Julius was revered , , , Lith. ''gilùs''
Latv. ''dziļš''
Old Pr. ''gillin'' , Lith. RNs Gilijà, Gilupis, Gỹlė
Old Pr. LN Gilge
Latv. LN Dziļaune , , - , *gira (giria) , forest or mountain , PN '' Giridava'' , ''gʷeru'' ('pole, pike') , Sanskrit ''girí-h'' ("mountain") , Lith. ''girė'', ''girià'' ("forest")
Latv. ''dzire'' ("mountain")
Rus. ''gora'' 'mountain'
Bulg. ''gora'' 'forest'
Alb. ''gur'' "stone" , , , - , *granda , plank , PN Γράνδετον (Grandeton), fort near Naissus(Moesia Superior) , , , Bulg. ''greda'' ("beam")
Lith. ''grandà'' ("bridge-plank")
Old Pr. ''grandico''
Latv. ''gruõdi'' , Lith. PN Grandų káimas
Latv. RNs Gruõds, Gruõdi, Gruõdupis
Rom. ''grinda'' , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , *griva , river-bed or river-mouth , PN Γρίβο (''Grivo''), fort near Naissus (moesia Sup.) , , Thrac. ? ''*grava'' ("valley" or "river-bed") , Latv. ''grĩva'' ("river-mouth")
Lith. ''greva'' ("river-bed")
Alb. ''gravë'' "cave, lair" , Lith. RN Grýva
Latv. RNs ''Grīva'', ''Grīvīte'' , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , kaga , sacred, holy , kaga , ''*kʷog(h)-'' (< ''*kʷeg(h)-'') , , Old Slav. ''kazat'', ''skazat'' ("to tell", "to say") , , , - , *kalas , catfish (?) , RN ''Calabaeus'' , , Latin ''squalus'' ("shark")
Old Norse ''hualr'' ("whale") , Old Pr. ''kalis'' ("catfish") , , , - , *kapas , hill, slope , PN Καπίδαυα (

Capidava Capidava (''Kapidaua'', ''Cappidava'', ''Capidapa'', ''Calidava'', ''Calidaua'') was an important Geto-Dacian center on the right bank of the Danube. After the Roman conquest, it became a civil and military center, as part of the province of ...

) , , , Lith. ''kãpas''
Latv. ''kãpa'' ("dune, slope")
Alb. ''kapë'' ("huge heap") , , , - , *kapura , hill , PN ''Capora'' (in basin of river ''Tyras'' (

Dniester The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...

) , , , Lith. ''kapùrna'' ("mossy mound") , , , - , *karpa , to cut, stone , MN ''Carpates'' TN Karpoi, Carpi, , *sker, *ker ("to cut"), , , Latv. ''kārpa'' (from ''kārpīt'' ("to dig and to kick"))
Alb. ''karpe'' (*karp-m-) ("stone"), ''këput'' "to cut". , Carpathian Mts.,

Carpi Carpi may refer to: Places * Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, a large town in the province of Modena, central Italy * Carpi (Africa), a city and former diocese of Roman Africa, now a Latin Catholic titular bishopric People * Carpi (people), an ancie ...

tribe . , , - , *karsa , cave , PN ''Carsion''
Thrac. PN ''Carsaleon'' , , , , , , - , *katas , stable, animal enclosure , PN Κάττουζα (Cattuza) , , Avestan ''kata-'' ("cellar") , Alb. ''katoq'', ''kotec'', "animal enclosure" , Latv. PN Katužs , , - , *keda , seat, stool , PN ''

Cedonia Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cib ...

'' , , , Lith. ''kedė'' , , , - , *kerba , swampy ground , PN ''Cerbatis'' , , , Lith. ''kirba'' , Lith. RN Kerbẽsas , , - , *kerna , bush , PN ''*Cerna'' , , , Old. Pr. ''kirno''
Lith. ''kirna'' ("undergrowth") , Lith. LN Kernỹs , , - , *kerta , clearing in a wood , PN ''Certie'' , , , Lith. ''kertė''
Latv. ''cirte'' (clearing in a wood), ''cērte'' (pickaxe) , , , - , *kina , dry ground (mound) in a swamp , PN ''Ciniscus'' , , , Lith. ''kinė'', ''kinis''
Latv. ''cine'', ''cin(i)s'' , , , - , *klevas ,

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

-tree (Bot.) , PN ''Clevora'' , , , Lith. ''klevas''
Latv. ''klavs''
Bulg. ''klen'' maple , , , - , *krata , swampy place or pile, heap , PN Κρατίσκαρα (Cratiscara) , , , Lith. ''kratà'' ("heaped"), ''kritùs'' ("swampy")
Latv. ''krata'' ("shaking when driving on bumpy road") , , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , *kurta , grove (stand of planted trees, often sacred) , PN Κουρτα (Curta); Thrac. PN Κουρτουσουρα (Curtusura) , , , Old Pr. ''korto''
Alb. ''korije'' "grove" , , , - , *lug- , swamp, bog , RN Λύγινος (Luginos) , , Illyr. ἔλος Λοὐγεον , Latv. ''luga''
Rus. ''luža'' ("puddle")
Alb.''lug'' ("trough"), ''ligatinë'' ("bog"), ''luginë'' ("valley") , Gallic PN ''Lugdunum'' (Lyon) , , - , *mala , (river) bank, shore, beach , PN Dacia Malvensis (name of Roman province) , , , Rom. ''mal''
Latv. ''mala'' , Alb. ''mal'' = elevated ground, mountain, hill. , ''

Dacia Malvensis Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania and Banat (today ...

'' meant "river-bank Dacia", ref. to its situation on (north) bank of Danube. Name Latinised to ''Dacia Riparia'' or ''Ripensis'' (Latin: ''ripa'' = "bank") in new province created by

Aurelian Aurelian ( la, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus; 9 September 214 October 275) was a Roman emperor, who reigned during the Crisis of the Third Century, from 270 to 275. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited t ...

on south side of Danube after evacuation of Dacia. , - , *maska , pool, puddle , PN Μασκάς (Maskas) , , , , Latv. PN Mãskas , , - , *mauda(s) , hemlock (

Conium ''Conium'' ( or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. , Plants of the World Online accepts six species. All species of the genus are poisonous to humans. ''C. maculatum'', also known as hemlock, is infamous for being highly p ...

)(bot.) , PN Pomodiana , , , Lith. ''maudá'', ''máudas'' , Illyrian PN Pamodus (island) , , - , *medeka , glade (clearing in a forest) , PN Μέδεκα (Medeka) , , , Lith. ''medėkas'' , , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , *musas , mould, moss , RN Μουσαίος (Museos), Thrac. PN Μωσυπα (Muspa) , , Old Slav. мъсһъ
Old High German ''mos'' ("swamp")
Gr. μὐσος (músos) , Lith. ''mūsas'' (''mùsas'')
Alb. ''myshk'' "mould, moss" , , , - , *nara(s) , river, brook , RN (Rom. from Dac.) Nǎruja , , , Lith. ''nérti'' ("to dive", "swim underwater")
Latv. ''nāra'' ("mermaid" from ''nirt'' ("to dive"))
Alb. ''hum''-''nerë'' "precipice, chasm" , Lith. RN Neris, Narùpis
Illyr. RN Νάρον , , - , *net- , flow , PN Νετίνδαυα (Netindava), RN Netupa , , Latin ''natare'' ("to swim") , Alb.''not'' "to swim" Rom.''înot'' "to swim" , , , - , *padas , threshing-floor , PN Παδισάρα (Padisara) , , , Lith. ''pãdas''
Bulg. ''pad'' fall , , , - , *pala, *palma , swamp, bog , PN Παλαδεινα (Paladina); PN ''Palmatis'' , , Latin ''palus'' , Lith. ''pãlios''
Latv. ''pali'' ("floods")
Alb.''pellg'' ("swamp") , Lith. RN Palminỹs , , - , *pil- , to flow , RN ''Gilpil'' , , , Lith. ''pilti'' ("to pour, to flow")
Latv. ''pilt'' ("to drip, to fill up"), ''pile'' ("a drop")
Bulg. ''pilea'' scatter , , , - , *preida ,

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

-tree (Bot. ''pinus'') , PN Πρέιδις (Pridis) , , , Latv. ''priẽde''
Alb.''bredh'' ("fir tree")
Bulg. ''bor'' ("pine-tree") , , , - , *put- , to swell, thicken , PN ''Putina'' , , , Lith. ''pūstis'' ("to swell"); Lith ''pùtinas'' ("snowball") , Old Latv. PRN ''Putte'' , , - , *rabo, rebo , 'to move' 'to flow' 'be in motion' , RN Rabon river in Dacia (Jiul?) It was etymologically connected with Arabon (Narabon?) from Pannonia , *rebh 'to move' 'to flow' 'be in motion' , , Alb. ''rrjedh'' ("to flow") , , , - , *ramus , peaceful, restful , PN Ραμίδαυα ( Ramidava); Thrac. PN Rhamae , , Sanskrit ''rámate'' , Lith. ''ramùs''
Latv. ''rāms'' ("calm, peaceful")
Alb. ''ramun'' ("fallen asleep") , Latv. Rāmava , , - , *rō(u)ka , drizzle, fine rain , PN (from RN) ''Rhocobae'' , , , Lith. ''rõkė''
Alb. ''rrjedh'' "to flow" or ''rajka'' "falling(snow, rain etc.)"
, , , - , *rus- , to flow , PN ''

Rusidava Rusidava (or Zusidava) 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 Da ...

''; Thrac. PN Ροὐσιον , , , Lith. ''ruséti'' ("to flow slowly")
Alb.''rreshje'' "precipitation"
, , , - , *san-apa , confluence (of two rivers) , RN ''Sanpaeus'' , , , Lith. ''Santaka'' , Lith. LN Sampė (< *San-upė) , , - , *sausas , dry , PRN ''Sausa'' , *saus- ('dry') , , Lith. ''saũsas''
Latv. ''sauss'' ("dry")
Alb. ''thatë'' "dry"
Bulg. ''suh'' ("dry") , , , - , *sermas , river, river-current , PN ''

Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous provice of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyrians an ...

'' , , , , , , - , *skabas , sharp, quick, lively , PRN Σκαβης (Scabis) , , Latin ''scabere'' ("to scratch") , Lith. ''skubus'' ("prompt, swift"), ''skabùs'' ("sharp"), ''skabrùs'' ("quick, lively")
Latv. ''skuba'' ("hurry"), ''skubināt'' ("to hurry, to rush")
Alb. ''i shkathët'' "quick, prompt" , , , - , *skaudus , painful, sad or powerful , TN ''Scaugdae'' , , , Lith. ''skaudùs''
Latv. ''skauds'', ''skaudrs'' ("very intensive" (pain)) , , , - , *skena , clearing (in a wood) , PN Scenopa , , , Lith. ''nuo-skena'' , , , - , *skuia , fir-tree (Bot.) , PN Σκουάνες (Scuanes) , ''sk(h)u̯oi̯-, sk(h)u̯i(i̯)-'' ('needle, thorn') , Old Slav. ''chvoja'' (pine needles/branches) , Latv. ''skuja'' ("spruce-needle")
Alb. ''hu'' "stake, picket, pole" , , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , *skumbras , hill, down , PN Σκουμβρο (Scumbro) , , Old Alb. ''zëmbres'', ''zbres'' ("to go down) , Latv. ''kumbrs'' ("rounded top of a hill") , , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial. , - , *spirus , fast, quick, rapid , RN Πασπίριος (Paspirios) , , , Lith. ''spėrus''
Latv. ''spars'' ("force, zeal"), ''spert'' ("to hit quickly")
Old Alb. ''shpjertë'', Alb. ''shpejtë'' "fast, quick"
Bulg. ''skoro'' ("quickly, fast") , , , - , *stendas , stiff, rigid, viscose , PN Στένδαι (Stende) , , , Lith. ''standùs'', Alb. ''tendos'' "rigid", Bulg. ''stena'' ("wall") , Latv. RN Steñde , The Dacian origin of this toponym is controversial.Thracian according to , but Latin according to . , - , *suka , rip, tear, gap , PN Σουκίδαυα (Sucidava); Thrac. PN ''Succi'' (mt. pass) , , , Lith. ''šùkė''
Latv. ''sukums''
Alb. ''shuk'' or ''shkun'' "to shake, beat, push" , , , - , *sunka , liquid, to flow , PN (from RN) Σονκητα (Sunkita) , , , Lith. ''sunkà'' ("liquid", "tree-sap"),
Alb. ''lëng'' "liquid'' , Lith. RN Sunkìnė , , - , *suras , salty , PN Σούρικον (Suricon) , , , Lith. ''sūras''
Latv. ''sūrs'' ("salty and bitter")
Alb. ''shurrë'' "urine'', ''sour liquid" , , , - , *taras , chatterer, gossiper , PRN Tara , , , Alb.''thërras'' "call" , , , - , *tauta , people, nation, country , PRN ''Tautomedes'' , , Old Pr. ''tauto'' ("country")
Goth. '' thiuda'' ("people")
Old Irish '' tuath'' ("people") , Lith. ''tautà'' ("people, country")
Latv. ''tauta'' ("people"),
Alb.''Tënde'' ("your kin", "your own") , , , - , *tiras , bare, barren, desolate , FN Τίριξις (Tirizis) , , , Lith. ''týras''
Latv. ''tīrs'' ("clean") , , , - , *tut- , blow, emit smoke , RN ''Τοὐτης'' (Tutes) , , , Lith. ''tűtúoti'' ("to blow", "to sound horn")
Ger. ''tuten'' ("to hoot")
Alb. ''tyta'' "pipe, barrel", ''tym/tymos'' "smoke, to smoke" , Lith RN Tūtupis , , - , *upa , river , PN ''Scenopa'' , , , Lith. ''upė''
Latv. ''upe'' ("river") , , , - , *urda(s) , stream, brook , RN Όρδησσός (Ordessos); Thrac. PN (from RN) Οὐρδαυς (Urdanes) , , , Lith. ''urdulỹs''
Latv. ''urdaviņa''
Alb. ''hurdhë'' "brook" , Celtic RN Urda, Bulg. RN Arda , , - , *vaigas , fast, rapid , PN (from RN) ''Aegeta'' , , , , Lith. RN Váigupis , , - , *varpa , whirlpool , PN (from RN) Άρπις (Harpis) , , , Lith. ''verpetas''
Latv. ''virpa'' ("whirlpool")
Alb. ''vorbull'' "whirlpool" , Lith. RN Varpė , , - , *visas , fertile, fruitful , PN Βισ-δίνα (Visdina) , , , Lith. ''vislus'', ''vaisùs'' , Lith. PN Visalaukė , , - , *zalmo- , fur, skin, shield , PRN Ζαλμοδεγικος (Zalmodenicos)
Ζάλμοξις (

Zalmoxis Zalmoxis ( grc-gre, Ζάλμοξις) also known as Salmoxis (Σάλμοξις), Zalmoxes (Ζάλμοξες), Zamolxis (Ζάμολξις), Samolxis (Σάμολξις), Zamolxes (Ζάμολξες), or Zamolxe (Ζάμολξε) is a divinity of the ...

) , , , Alb. ''thelmë'' "rag, patch" (in sewing) , , , - , *zelmas , shoot (of a plant) , PRN Ζαλμοδεγικος , , , Lith. ''želmuo''
Latv. ''zelmenis'' ("a field of shoots, shoots in the field"), ''zelt'' ("to grow, to become green")
Alb. ''çel'' ("blossom") , , , - , *zud-as , careful, precise , PRN ''Zude'' , , , Latv. ''zūdit'' ("to take care") , Lith. PN Zude, Zudius , Alb. ''kujdes'' ("to take care") , - , *zuras , hot, shining , RN ''Zyras'' , , Sanskrit ''jūrvati'' ("scorched") , Latv. ''zvêruot'' ("to light up", "shine"), Lith.''žaros'' ("sparkles, glow"),
Alb.''Ziej, i zier'' ("boiling" "hot") , Latv. PN (< RN) Zūras
Lith. RN Žiūrà , 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

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. Where words in modern Albanian and/or Romanian can be plausibly linked to an Indo-European root and modern cognates of similar meaning, a reconstruction of the putative Dacian originals have been proposed by Duridanov, who included them in a separate list from words reconstructed from placenames. CAVEAT: The following word-reconstructions are based on the assumption that the Albanian language is descended from Daco-Moesian. This theory is contested by many linguists, especially Albanian, who consider the language a direct descendant of the extinct

Illyrian language The Illyrian language () was an Indo-European language or group of languages spoken by the Illyrians in Southeast Europe during antiquity. The language is unattested with the exception of personal names and placenames. Just enough information ...

. Thus, reconstructions based on modern Albanian words, or Romanian substratum words with Albanian cognates, may in reality represent ancient Illyrian, rather than Dacian, elements. In addition, the reconstructions below, unlike those in Table A above, are not validated by Dacian place- or personal names. The "Dacianity" of the reconstructions is therefore more speculative than those derived from placenames. (N.B. Even if Albanian is descended from Illyrian, the reconstructions below could nevertheless represent Dacian elements if the Daco-Illyrian theory - that the Dacian and Illyrian languages were closely related - is correct; or if the words below represent Illyrian borrowings from Daco-Moesian)

Notes

References

Ancient

Ammianus Marcellinus Ammianus Marcellinus (occasionally Anglicisation, anglicised as Ammian) (born , died 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Ancient history, antiquity (preceding Procopius). His w ...

''Res Gestae'' (c. 395) *

Dioscorides Pedanius Dioscorides ( grc-gre, Πεδάνιος Διοσκουρίδης, ; 40–90 AD), “the father of pharmacognosy”, was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of ''De materia medica'' (, On Medical Material) —a 5-vol ...

''De Materia Medica'' (c. AD 80) *

Jordanes Jordanes (), also written as Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th-century Eastern Roman bureaucrat widely believed to be of Goths, Gothic descent who became a historian later in life. Late in life he wrote two works, one on Roman history (''Romana ...

Getica ''De origine actibusque Getarum'' (''The Origin and Deeds of the Getae oths'), commonly abbreviated ''Getica'', written in Late Latin by Jordanes in or shortly after 551 AD, claims to be a summary of a voluminous account by Cassiodorus of th ...

'' (c. 550) *

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

Geographia The ''Geography'' ( grc-gre, Γεωγραφικὴ Ὑφήγησις, ''Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis'', "Geographical Guidance"), also known by its Latin names as the ' and the ', is a gazetteer, an atlas, and a treatise on cartography, com ...

'' (c. 140) *

Pseudo-Apuleius 210px, Manuscript Kassel; 9th century, Mandragora Pseudo-Apuleius is the name given in modern scholarship to the author of a 4th-century herbal known as ''Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarius'' or ''Herbarium Apuleii Platonici''. The author of the text appare ...

''De Herbarum Virtutibus'' (5th century) *

Sextus Aurelius Victor Sextus Aurelius Victor (c. 320 – c. 390) was a historian and politician of the Roman Empire. Victor was the author of a short history of imperial Rome, entitled ''De Caesaribus'' and covering the period from Augustus to Constantius II. The work w ...

''De Caesaribus'' (361) *

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

Geographica The ''Geographica'' (Ancient Greek: Γεωγραφικά ''Geōgraphiká''), or ''Geography'', is an encyclopedia of geographical knowledge, consisting of 17 'books', written in Ancient Greek, Greek and attributed to Strabo, an educated citizen ...

'' (c. AD 20) *

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his t ...

Germania Germania ( ; ), also called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman province of the same name, was a large historical region in north- ...

'' (c. 100) *

Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to: People * * Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints * Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy * Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alchemi ...

''Historia Nova'' (c. 500)

Modern

* * * * * * ''Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World (2000)'' * * CIL: ''

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...

'' * * * * * * * Duridanov, I. (1969): ''Die Thrakisch- und Dakisch-Baltischen Sprachbeziehungen'' * * * Jones, A. H. M. (1964): ''The Later Roman Empire, 284-602'' * * Lloshi, Xhevat (1999): ''Albanian'' in ''Handbuch der Südosteuropa Linguistik'' Band 10 (online) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Renfrew, Colin (1987): ''Archaeology and Language: the Puzzle of Indo-European Origins'' * * * * * * * * * Thompson, E.A. (1982): ''Zosimus 6.10.2 and the Letters of Honorius'' in ''Classical Quarterly'' 33 (ii)

External links

Sorin Olteanu's Project: Linguae Thraco-Daco-Moesorum – Toponyms Section
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reconstructed Dacian Words Balkans-related lists