''Dava'' (

Latinate Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

plural The plural (sometimes abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the default quantity represented by that noun. This de ...

''davae'') was a Geto-Dacian name for a city, town or fortress. Generally, the name indicated a tribal center or an important settlement, usually fortified. Some of the Dacian settlements and the fortresses employed the Murus Dacicus traditional construction technique. Most of these towns are attested by

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 importance ...

, and therefore date from at least the 1st century CE. The "''dava''" towns can be found as south as

Sandanski Sandanski ( bg, Сандански ; el, Σαντάνσκι, formerly known as Sveti Vrach, bg, Свети Врач, until 1947) is a town and a recreation centre in south-western Bulgaria, part of Blagoevgrad Province. Named after the Bulga ...

and Plovdiv. Strabo specified that the Daci are the Getae. The Dacians, Getae and their kings were always considered as

Thracians 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 ...

by the ancients ( Dio Cassius,

Trogus Pompeius Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus also anglicized as was a Gallo-Roman historian from the Celtic Vocontii tribe in Narbonese Gaul who lived during the reign of the emperor Augustus. He was nearly contemporary with Livy. Life Pompeius Trogus's grandfathe ...

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Emperors of Rome Trajan, Ha ...

, Strabo,

Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society ...

and

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...

), and were both said to speak the same

Thracian language The Thracian language () is an extinct and poorly attested language, spoken in ancient times in Southeast Europe by the Thracians. The linguistic affinities of the Thracian language are poorly understood, but it is generally agreed that it wa ...

Etymology

Many city names of the Dacians were composed of an initial

lexical Lexical may refer to: Linguistics * Lexical corpus or lexis, a complete set of all words in a language * Lexical item, a basic unit of lexicographical classification * Lexicon, the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge * Lex ...

element (often the tribe name) affixed to ''-dava'', ''-daua'', ''-deva'', ''-deba'', ''-daba'' or ''-dova'' (< PIEbr>''*dʰeh₁-''
"to set, place"). Therefore, ''dava'' 'town' derived from the reconstructed proto-Indo-European *dhewa 'settlement'. A pre-Indo-European origin for the Dacian term is also suggested, e.g., see comparison with Kartvelian *daba, 'town, village'.

List of ''davae''

Below is a list of Dacian towns which include various forms of ''dava'' in their name: Teritoriul onomastic al elementului dava - Sorin Olteanu

Acidava Acidava (''Acidaua'') was a Dacian and later Roman fortress on the Olt river near the lower Danube. The settlements remains are located in today's Enoşeşti, Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. History After the Roman conquest of Dacia by Roman ...

(''Acidaua''), a fortress town close to the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

. Located in today's

Enoșești Piatra-Olt is a town in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. The town administers five villages: Bistrița Nouă, Criva de Jos, Criva de Sus, Enoșești and Piatra. The town is an important railway station and road intersection. It officially became a tow ...

, Olt County, Romania * Aedava (''Aedeva'', ''Aedabe'', ''Aedeba'' or ''Aedadeba''), placed by

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 gen ...

on the Danubian road between Augustae and Variana, in Moesia (the present Northern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

) *

Aiadava Aiadava (''Aiadaba'' or ''Aeadaba'', gr, Αἰάδαβα) was a Dacian town in the Remesiana region, present day Bela Palanka, Serbia. After the Romans conquered Moesia in the 75 BC, the new castrum (imperial domain with estates) and municip ...

(''Aiadaba'' or ''Aeadaba'', gr, Αἰάδαβα), was a locality in the

Remesiana Remesiana (Byzantine Greek: Ρεμεσιανισία) was an ancient Roman city and former bishopric, which remains an Eastern Orthodox and also a Latin Catholic titular see, located around and under the modern city of Bela Palanka in Serbia. R ...

region, present

Bela Palanka Bela Palanka (Serbian Cyrillic: Бела Паланка, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pirot District of southeastern Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the population of the town is 8,143, and the population of the municipality i ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

. *

Argedava Argedava (''Argedauon'', ''Sargedava'', ''Sargedauon'', ''Zargedava'', ''Zargedauon'', grc, Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον) was an important Dacians, Dacian town mentioned in the Decree of Dionysopolis (48 BC), and potentially ...

(''Argedauon'', ''Sargedava'', ''Sargedauon'', ''Zargedava'', ''Zargedauon'', grc, Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον), mentioned in the

Decree of Dionysopolis The Decree of Dionysopolis was written around 48 BC by the citizens of Dionysupolis, Dionysopolis (today's Balchik, on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria) to Akornion, who traveled far away in a diplomatic mission to meet somebody's farther in ''Argeda ...

, potentially the ''dava'' discovered at Popești, a district in the town of

Mihăilești Mihăilești is a town located in Giurgiu County, Muntenia, Romania. It administers three villages: Drăgănescu, Novaci and Popești. It officially became a town in 1989, as a result of the Romanian rural systematization program. The town sta ...

, Giurgiu County,

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

and maybe

Burebista Burebista ( grc, Βυρεβίστας, Βοιρεβίστας) was the king of the Getae and Dacian tribes from 82/61BC to 45/44BC. He was the first king who successfully unified the tribes of the Dacian kingdom, which comprised the area loca ...

's court/capital * Argidava (''Argidaua'', ''Arcidava'', ''Arcidaua'', ''Argedava'', ''Argedauon'', ''Sargedava'', ''Sargedauon'', ''Zargedava'', ''Zargedauon'', grc, Ἀργίδαυα, Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον), potentially

's court/capital, located in today's

Vărădia Vărădia ( hu, Varadia) is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, Banat, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Mercina (''Mercsény'') and Vărădia. It is located near the border with Serbia, on the river Caraș, at a distance of from Oravi ...

Caraș-Severin County Caraș-Severin () is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Serbia. The majority of its territory lies within the historical region of Banat, with a few northeastern villages considered part of Transylvania. The county seat is Reșița ...

* Bregedaba *

Buricodava Buricodava was a Dacian town. See also * Dacian davae * List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia * Dacia * Roman Dacia Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a Roman province, provinc ...

Buridava Buridava (''Burridava'') was a Dacian town. situated in Dacia, later Dacia Apulensis, now Romania, on the banks of the river Aluta, now Olt. Ancient sources Ptolemy's Geographia Tabula Peutingeriana Etymology The name is Geto- ...

or Burridava, today's Ocnele Mari, Romania * Buteridava * Capidava or Kapidaua, a fortress town on the southern side of the lower

* Carsidava or Karsidaua * Cumidava, Comidava or Komidaua, ancient

Râșnov Râșnov (; german: Rosenau; hu, Barcarozsnyó; Transylvanian Saxon dialect: ''Ruusenåå''; Latin: ''Rosnovia'') is a town in Brașov County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 15,022. It is located at about from the city of Brașov ...

, Romania * Dausdava, Dausadava or Dausdavua, "The shrine of wolves", a fortress town close to the

* Desudaba * Docidava or Dokidaua * Gildova or Gildoba, located alongside the

Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...

river * Giridava * Itadeba or Itadava, in north eastern

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

* Jidava, near Câmpulung Muscel, Romania * Jidova * Klepidaua * Kuimedaba * Marcodava or Markodaua * Murideba * Nentinava or Netindaua, ancient

Slobozia Slobozia () is the capital city of Ialomița County, Muntenia, Romania, with a population of 48,241 in 2011. Etymology Its name is from the Romanian "slobozie", which meant a recently colonized village which was free of taxation. The word its ...

, Romania * Nentivava, ancient

Oltenița Oltenița () is a city in Călărași County, Muntenia, Romania, on the left bank of the river Argeș, where its waters flow into the Danube. Geography The city is located in the southwestern part of the county; it stands across the Danube fro ...

, Romania * Patridava or Patridaua *

Pelendava Pelendava (''Pelendoua'', ''Potulatensioi'', ''Polonda'' ) was a Dacian town. Ancient sources Ptolemy's Geographia Tabula Peutingeriana Etymology History Dacian town Roman times Archaeology See also * Daci ...

or Pelendova, ancient Craiova, Romania * Perburidava * Petrodava or Petrodaua located in

Piatra Neamţ Piatra may refer to the following places: In Romania: * Piatra Neamț, a city in Neamț County * Piatra-Olt, a town in Olt County * Piatra, Teleorman, a commune in Teleorman County *Piatra, a village in Brăduleț, Argeș County *Piatra, a village ...

* Piroboridava or Piroboridaua * Pulpudeva, originally named ''Eumolpias'' by the Dacians.

Philip II of Macedon Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...

conquered the area in 342–341 BC and renamed the city ''Philippoupolis'' ( el, Φιλιππούπολις), of which the later Dacian name for the city, ''Pulpu-deva'', is a reconstructed translation. Today's city of Plovdiv in Bulgaria. * Quemedava, mentioned by Procopius in DardaniaEthnic continuity in the Carpatho-Danubian area by Elemér Illyés,1988,,page 223 * Ramidava or Rhamidaua * Recidava *

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 D ...

* Sacidava or Sacidaba * Sagadava * Sandava * Sangidaua * Scaidava or Skedeba *

Setidava Setidava, mentioned by Ptolemy in his Geography, was a Dacian outpost in north central Europe. This town, with the typical Dacian location name ending of ''- dava'', was mentioned in Ptolemy's Germania, who placed it north of Calisia (''Kalisia'') ...

or Setidaua, mentioned by Ptolemy as a thriving settlement * Singidava or Singidaua *

Sucidava Sucidava (Sykibid, Skedevà after Procopius,Olga Karagiorgou Σucidava after Vasile Pârvan, where Σ is pronounced "sh"Pârvan - știri din Dacia Malvensis http://www.cimec.ro/Arheologie/ParvanArticole/ParvanStiriNouaDinDaciaMalvensis.pdf)) ...

, Suvidava or Sukidaua located in Corabia, Olt County, Romania * Susudava, mentioned by Ptolemy as a thriving settlement * Sykidaba * Tamasidava or Tamasidaua * Thermidava, placed by Ptolemy on the Lissus- Naissus route. The toponym is most probably a misreading of a settlement which most scholars in contemporary research locate near present-day

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...

, Serbia. * Utidava or Utidaua * Zargidava or Zargidaua *

Ziridava Ziridava (''Ziridaua'', grc, italic=yes, Ζιρίδαυα) was a Dacian town located between Apulon and Tibiscum, mentioned by Ptolemy in the area of the Dacian tribe of Biephi (today's Romania, Banat region). Ancient sources Ptolemy's ...

or Ziridaua * Zisnedeva, Zisnudeva or Zisnudeba, located in Dacian Moesia * Zucidaua * Zisnudeba * Zusidava

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Dacian Davae in Enciclopedia Dacica
(Romanian)

(Romanian)

(Romanian, partially English)

{{Dacia topics Dacian towns Dacian language