Thracian | |
---|---|
Region | Bulgaria, European Turkey, parts of Southern Serbia, parts of the region of Macedonia (including Paeonia), regions in Northern Greece, small parts of Albania, parts of Romania, parts of Bithynia in Anatolia. Probably also spoken in parts of Dardania. |
Extinct | 6th century AD[1] |
Indo-European
| |
Greek (limited use) | |
Language codes | |
txh | |
txh | |
Glottolog | thra1250 |
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 was an Indo-European language with satem features.
A contemporary, neighboring language, Dacian is usually regarded as closely related to Thracian. However, there is insufficient evidence with respect to either language to ascertain the nature of this relationship.
The point at which Thracian became extinct is a matter of dispute. However, it is generally accepted that Thracian was still in use in the 6th century AD: Antoninus of Piacenza wrote in 570 that there was a monastery in the Sinai, at which the monks spoke Greek, Latin, Syriac, Egyptian, and Bessian - a Thracian dialect.[2][3][4][5]
Other theories about Thracian remain controversial. A classification put forward by some linguists, such as Harvey Mayer, suggests that Thracian (and Dacian) belonged to the Baltic branch of Indo-European, or at least is closer to Baltic than any other Indo-European branch.[6] However, this theory has not achieved the status of a general consensus among linguists. These are among many competing hypotheses regarding the classification and fate of Thracian.[7]
The Thracian language or languages were spoken in what is now Bulgaria,[8][9] Romania, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, European Turkey and in parts of Bithynia (North-Western Asiatic Turkey).
Modern-day Eastern Serbia is usually considered by paleolinguists to have been a Daco-Moesian language area. Moesian (after Vladimir Georgiev et al.) is grouped with the Dacian language.
Little is known for certain about the Thracian languages, since no phrase beyond a few words in length has been satisfactorily deciphered, and the sounder decipherments given for the shorter phrases may not be completely accurate. Some of the longer inscriptions may indeed be Thracian in origin but they may not reflect actual Thracian language sentences, but rather jumbles of names or magical formulas.[10]
Enough Thracian lexical items have survived to show that Thracian was a member of the Indo-European language family and that it was a satemized language by the time it is attested. Besides the aforementioned inscriptions, Thracian is attested through personal names, toponyms, hydronyms, phytonyms, divine names, etc. and by a small number of words cited in Ancient Greek texts as being specifically Thracian.[11][unreliable source?]
Other ancient Greek lexical items were not specifically identified as Thracian by the ancient Greeks but are hypothesized by paleolinguists as being or probably being of Thracian origin. Other lexical items are hypothesized on the basis of local anthroponyms, toponyms, hydronyms, oronyms, etc. mentioned in primary sources (see also List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia, List of Dacian plant names).
Below is a table showing both words cited as being Thracian in classical sources, and lexical elements that have been extracted by paleolinguists from Thracian anthroponyms, toponyms, etc. In this table the closest cognates are shown, with an emphasis on cognates in Bulgarian, Albanian, Baltic, Slavic, Greek, and substratum and/or old-layer words in the Eastern Romance languages: Romanian, Aromanian, et cetera. See also the List of reconstructed Dacian words.
Significant cognates from any Indo-European language are listed. However, not all lexical items in Thracian are assumed to be from the Proto-Indo-European language, some non-IE lexical items in Thracian are to be expected.
There are 23 words mentioned by ancient sources considered explicitly of Thracian origin and known meaning.[12]
Word | Meaning | Attested by | Cognates |
---|---|---|---|
(asa) | colt's foot (Bessi) | Dioskurides | Lit. dial. as?s 'horse-tail, Equisetum', Latv. a?i, a?as 'horse-tail, sedge, rush' |
(bólinthos) | aurochs, European bison | Aristotle | Proto-Slavic *vol? ("ox"). Pre-Greek, according to Beekes 2010: 225. |
? (bría) | unfortified village | Hesychius, compare the Toponyms ?, ?(?), and ? in Thrace. | Compared to Greek ? (ríon; "peak, foothills") and Tocharian A ri, B riye ("town") as if < *urih?-. Alternatively, compare Proto-Celtic *brix- ("hill"). |
(bríza) | rye | Galen | Perhaps of Eastern origin, compare Greek , Sanskrit vr?hí- ("rice"). |
? (brynkhós) | guitar[anachronism] | Compared with Slavic *brati "to ring". | |
(br?tos) | beer of barley | many | Germanic *bruþa- ("broth"), Old Irish bruth ("glow"), Latin d?fr?tum ("must boiled down").[a] |
dinupula, si/nupyla | wild melon | Pseudoapuleus | Lithuanian ?ùnobuolas, lit. ("dog's apple"), or with Slavic *dynja ("melon"). |
(génton) | meat | Herodian., Suid., Hesych | Taken from IE *gn-tó-, cf. Sanskrit hatá- 'hit, killed' |
? (kalamíndar) | plane-tree (Edoni) | Hesych. | |
(kêmos) | a kind of fruit with follicle | Phot. Lex. | |
? (ktístai) | Ctistae | Strabo | |
(midne) | village | inscription from Rome | Latvian m?tne ("a place of stay") |
(?) (poltym-bría) | board fence, a board tower | Old Norse spjald ("board"), Old English speld ("wood, log") | |
? (rhomphaía) | broadsword | many | Compared with Latin rump? ("to rupture"), Slavic: Russian , Polish r?ba? ("to hack", "to chop", "to slash"), Polish r?baj?o ("eager swordsman"), Serbo-Croatian ''rmpalija'' ("bruiser") |
(skálm?) | knife, sword | Soph. y Pollux, Marcus Anton., Hesych., Phot. L | Albanian shkallmë ("sword"), Old Norse skolm ("short sword, knife") |
(skárk?) | a silver coin | Hesych., Phot. Lex. | |
(spínos) | a kind of stone (?) | Arist. | |
? (toréll?) | a refrain of lament mourn song | Hesych. | |
(zalmós) | animal hide | Porphyr. | |
(zeira) | long robe worn by Arabs and Thracians | Hdt., Xen., Hesych. | |
? (zelâ), also ? (zêla), (zel?s) | wine | many | Compared with Greek (khális; "unblended wine") and ? (kálithos; "wine") |
? (zetraía) | pot | Pollux | |
zibythides | the noble, most holy one | Hesych. | Lith. ?ibùt? ("shining") |
An additional 180 Thracian words have been reconstructed.[12]
The proposed Thracian words in the Ancient Greek lexicon are not numerous. They include the parth- element in Parthenon;[] balios ("dappled"; < PIE *bhel-, "to shine", Bul. bel/bial () "white" or bljaskav 'bright, shiny'; Pokorny also cites Illyrian as a possible source, the non-Greek origin is argued on phonological grounds), bounos, "hill, mound".[14]
The Thracian horseman hero was an important figure in Thracian religion, mythology, and culture. Depictions of the Thracian Horseman are found in numerous archaeological remains and artifacts from Thracian regions. From the Duvanlii ring and from cognates in numerous Indo-European languages, mez?na is seen to be a Thracian word for "horse", deriving from PIE *mend-. Another Thracian word for "horse" is hypothesized, but it looks certain, there is no disagreement among Thracologists: aspios, esvas, asb- (and some other variants; < PIE *ekwo [2], the Thracian showing a satem form similar to Sanskrit á?va-, "horse", Avestan aspa, "horse", Ossetic jäfs, Prussian aswinan 'mare milk', Lithuanian a?víenis 'stallion', a?và, dial. e?và 'mare'[15]), from outaspios, utaspios, an inscription associated with the Thracian horseman. Ut- based on the PIE root word ud- (meaning "up") and based on several Thracic items, would have meant "upon", "up", and utaspios is theorized to have meant "On horse(back)", parallel to ancient Greek ephippos (epi-hippos).[16]
The early Indo-European languages had more than one word for horse; for example Latin had equus from PIE *ekwo- and mannus ("a pony") from another IE root, later receiving cabalus as a loanword.
In many cases in current Thracology, there is more than one etymology for a Thracian lexical item. For example, Thracian Diana Germetitha (Diana is from Latin while the epithet Germetitha is from Thracian) has two different proposed etymologies, "Diana of the warm bosom" (Olteanu; et al.?) or "Diana of the warm radiance" (Georgiev; et al.?). In other cases, etymologies for the Thracian lexical items may be sound, but some of the proposed cognates are not actually cognates, thus confusing the affinity of Thracian.
The following are the longest inscriptions preserved. The remaining ones are mostly single words or names on vessels and other artifacts.
Only four Thracian inscriptions of any length have been found. The first is a gold ring found in 1912 in the village of Ezerovo (Plovdiv Province of Bulgaria); the ring was dated to the 5th century BC.[17] On the ring an inscription is found written in a Greek script and consisting of 8 lines, the eighth of which is located on the edge, the rim, of the rotating disk; it reads without any spaces between: / / / / / ? / // ?
as Dimitar Dechev (Germanised as D. Detschew) separates the words thus[18][19] ? ? ? i.e. Rolisteneas Nerenea tiltean ?sko Arazea domean Tilezypta mi? era z?lta proposing the following translation:
A second inscription, hitherto undeciphered, was found in 1965 near the village of Kyolmen, Varbitsa Municipality, dating to the sixth century BC. Written in a Greek alphabet variant, it is possibly a tomb stele inscription similar to the Phrygian ones; Peter A. Dimitrov's transcription thereof is:[20]
i.e.
A third inscription is again on a ring, found in Duvanlii, Kaloyanovo Municipality, next to the left hand of a skeleton. It dates to the 5th century BC. The ring has the image of a horseman with the inscription surrounding the image. It is only partly legible (16 out of the initial 21):
i.e.
The meaning of the inscription is 'Horseman Eusie protect!'
If this reading is correct, the Thracian word mezenai might be cognate to Illyrian Menzanas (as in "Juppiter/Jove Menzanas" 'Juppiter of the foals' or 'Juppiter on a horse');[23] Albanian mëz 'foal'; Romanian mînz 'colt, foal'; Latin mannus 'small horse, pony';[24][25] Gaulish manduos 'pony' (as in tribe name Viromandui[26] 'men who own ponies').[b]
The Thracian language in linguistic textbooks is usually treated either as its own branch of Indo-European, or is grouped with Dacian, together forming a Daco-Thracian branch of IE. Older textbooks often grouped it also with Illyrian or Phrygian. The belief that Thracian was close to Phrygian is no longer popular and has mostly been discarded.[28]
No definite evidence has yet been found that demonstrates that Thracian or Daco-Thracian belonged on the same branch as Albanian or Baltic or Balto-Slavic or Greco-Macedonian or Phrygian or any other IE branch. For this reason textbooks still treat Thracian as its own branch of Indo-European, or as a Daco-Thracian/Thraco-Dacian branch.
The generally accepted clades branched from the Proto-Indo-European language are, in alphabetical order, the Proto-Albanian language, Proto-Anatolian language, Proto-Armenian language, Proto-Balto-Slavic language, Proto-Celtic language, Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Greek language, Proto-Indo-Iranian language, Proto-Italic language, and the Proto-Tocharian language. Thracian, Dacian, Phrygian, Illyrian, Venetic, and Paeonian are fragmentarily attested and cannot be reliably categorized.
Change | o > a | r > ir, ur (or) l > il, ul (ol) |
m > im, um (om) n > in, un (on) |
k?, g?, g > k, g (k), g |
?, ?, > s (p), z (d) |
p, t, k > p?, t?, k? |
b, d, g > p, t, k |
b?, d?, g? > b, d, g |
sr > str | tt, dt > st |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thracian | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
Dacian | + | + | + | + | + | - | - | + | + | - |
Balto-Slavic | + | + | + | + | + | - | - | + | -/+ | + |
Pelasgian | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | ? | ? |
Albanian | + | + | - | +/- | +/- | - | - | + | - | - |
Germanic | + | + | + | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
Indo-Iranian | + | - | - | +/- | + | - | - | +/- | - | +/- |
Greek | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | + |
Phrygian | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | + | - | ? |
Armenian | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | - | - | ? |
Italic | - | + | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Celtic | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | - | - |
Hittite | + | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | ? | ? |
Tocharian | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | - | ? |
Proto-Indo-European | Dacian | Thracian | Phrygian |
---|---|---|---|
*o | a | a | o |
*e | ie | e | e |
*ew | e | eu | eu |
*aw | a | au | |
*r?, *l? | ri | ur (or), ur (ol) | al |
*n?, *m? | a | un | an |
*M | M | T | T |
*T | T | TA (aspirated) | TA |
*s | s | s | ? |
*sw | s | s | w |
*sr | str | str | br |
Note: Asterisk indicates reconstructed IE sound. M is a cover symbol for the row of voiced stops (mediae), T for unvoiced stops (tenues) and TA for aspirated stops (tenues aspiratae). ? indicates zero, a sound that has been lost.
Indo-European | Dacian | Thracian |
---|---|---|
*b, *d, *g | b, d, g | p, t, k |
*p, *t, *k | p, t, k | ph, th, kh |
*? | ä (a) | ? |
*e (after consonant) | ie | e |
*ai | a | ai |
*ei | e | ei |
*dt (*tt) | s | st |
Thraco-Dacian has been hypothesized as forming a branch of Indo-European along with Baltic.[31]
For a large proportion of the 300 Thracian geographic names there are cognates within the Baltic toponymy, most similarities between Thracian and Balto-Slavic personal and geographic names were found, especially Baltic. According to Duridinov the "most important impression make the geographic cognates of Baltic and Thracian" "the similarity of these parallels stretching frequently on the main element and the suffix simultaneously, which makes a strong impression". According to him there are occasional similarities between Slavic and Thracian because Slavic is related to Baltic, while almost no lexical similarities within Thracian and Phrygian were found.[32] This significant relatedness show close affinity and kinship of Thracian with Baltic.
The following table shows the cognate Thracian and Baltic place names,[12] some Polish and related Lechitic names from the transitional area of the ancient Veneti-Eneti along the Amber Road were added:[]
Thracian place | Lithuanian place | Latvian place | Old Prussian place | Polish / Lechitic place | cognates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaaiabria | Alajà | Lith. aléti 'to be flooded' | |||
Altos | Altis | ||||
Antisara | Sarija | Sarape | |||
Armonia | Armona, Armenà | Lith. armuõ, -eñs 'a swamp, bog', arma 'the same'[] | |||
Armula | Armuli?kis | lit. arma 'mud'[] | |||
Arpessas | Varpe, Varput?s, Várpapievis | Warpen, Warpunen | Latv. v?rpats 'whirlpool'; Lith. varpýti (-pa, -pia) 'to dig'[] | ||
Arsela | Arsen | Arsio, Arse | Ursynów | May refer to multiple etymologies: ursa ("she-bear"), ? artha (ara) ("true meaning", "truthfulness", "honesty", "integrity", "wealth", "prosperity"), some other word derived from ? (A?v?) ("horse"), or rather its back like the English arse or some combination based on selo, e.g. ("village of the honest people", "prosperious hamlet", "wealthy residences", "river of wealth"). The -a ending denotes a plural or feminine form. In Taunus there is Urselbach, originally probably Arsela (compare A?arya near mines in Harz and A?aperk in Vindelicia) from ? ("hope", "desire", "prospect") and/or aa (the Zarathu?trian concept of "truth") next to antique goldmines of the zibythides of Bithynia, Apa?a, Sparda, Sparte, A?a and Chaldia (goldmines, e.g. near Speri) referred above known for their Golden hats.[] | |
Aspynthos | Latv. apse; Old-Pruss. abse; Lith. apu[] | ||||
Atlas | Adula | ||||
Asamus | a?man- 'stone'; Lit. a?muo, a?menys, also derived from ? ("hope", "desire", "prospect") and/or aa (the Zarathu?trian concept of "truth") - the gem or any kind of [precious] stone being totally "integer", "truthfull" and "honest" not changing "itself", "equal" to "oneself", withstanding interference and passing of time, "promising" "wealth", therefore being object of "desire" from sam?, sam, also "hymns" were composed about its multiple aspects and "weapons" s?m were made of it. The "weapons" of "wrath" were called in Avestan ama and so eventually the terminus ama-da?va Lat. Deus Asmodeus was born. The name Osama, Arsenius but also Arya and Siddhartha may be related. The names around the Thracian river Asamus incl. Yantra point to the presence of Sarmatians, probably Zychy (Zyx) (House of Zyx - Zy- "from" + x or Sanskr. ? short for k?atriya k?atrija x?a?ra (Var?a caste), "ruler, authority, satrap, voivode") who were not only guards of the Solar dynasty, e.g. Iak?aku of Andhra Prade? but also of their European kinsmen, the aforementioned zibythides known as Sperun, Spyra, Pernus e.t.c. The Yantras of Zyx or their Sindi followers carved in stone have been discovered on Crimea.[] | ||||
Vairos | Vaira | Lit. vairus 'diverse' | |||
Baktunion | Batkunu kaimas | ||||
Beres | B?r?, B?r?, B?r-upis, B?rup? | B?r-upe, Ber?ka | Bieru?, Beroun, P?rno | Lit. b?ras, Latv. b?rs 'brown, swarthy', Pol. apparently germanized P>B form of original Pieru? / P?roun (sanctuary of Perun - Perk?nas - Perkwunos) | |
Bersamae | Berezina, Brest | Brze, Brest (incl. Brest of the Veneti in Armorica), Brest (Drav?nopo?abski), Brzózki (multiple entries), Brzeziny (multiple entries), B?est, Brest (ancient settlement), Brest (Mero?ina), Brest (depopulated), Brest (repopulated) | Lith. bér?as; Latv. b?rzs; Old-Pruss. berse, Pol. brzoza 'birch'
The Breton language Brezhoneg, Pol. przybrze?ny less the przy- prefix, of the Veneti, Namn?ti and their Samo?ony of Armorica was considered by the Norman invaders a "tongue of the Dacians", in contrast to the "tongue of the Romans" used by the Gauls and even already by the Franks. Toponyms derived from brzeg, e.g. Brzeg do not appear in the listing, however close to brzoza they may sound.[][] | ||
Veleka | Vel?kas | g (multiple entries), Wielu?, Wylewa, Wysieka | Lit. vel?kl?s 'place in the water', Pol. g 'flood-meadow, riparian forest', wylewa 'overflows, spills over', wycieka present tense 3rd person singular 'leaks out', wysi?ka 'leaks out' (less intensive)[] | ||
Bolba bria | Balvi, Bàlvis, Bolva | Lith. Bálvis 'a lake'; Old-Pruss. Balweniken | |||
Brenipara | Brenna (Brennabor), Branibor / Braniborsko, Brenna, Brenno, Brenica, Brenik, Brennik (multiple entries), Brynica (multiple entries), Branew (Thracians among settlers), Branica (multiple entries) | Messapian brendon, Latv. briedis 'deer', Pol. Branibor 'the protecting forest/woods'[] | |||
Calsus | Kalsi, Kalsi, Kals-Strauts 'dry stream' | Kalisz | Latv. kalst, kalt?t 'dry', the town Kalisz already mentioned by Ptolemy[] | ||
Chalastra | cha?astra, ha?astra | Lith. sravà 'a stream'; Latv. strava 'stream, torrent', Pol. ha?astra 'a disorderly crowd, stream of peoples, mob', cha?tura 'an ad hoc job, unprepared performance (often of low quality), a forced slaverish work', cha?a 'substandard, poor quality, worthless' - so the toponym may mean a "worthless stream" (muddy or poisonous water)[] | |||
Daphabae | Lith. dãpas 'a flood'; Old-Pruss. ape 'river'[] | ||||
Dingion | Dingas, Dindze, Dingupite | Dinge | Dynów | Latv. dinga 'a plant' and 'fertile place'[] | |
Dimae | D?m? | D?mis | Dumen | Dukla (Scythian settlement since 2nd millennium BCE) | Lit. d?mas 'dark (for beef)'; Latv. d?ms 'dark-brown'[] |
Egerica | Veger? | Vedzere | |||
Ereta | Veretà | ||||
Gesia | Gesavà | Dzêsiens | Gesaw | G?siek, Rzeszów? | Latv. dz?se 'heron', Pol. g 'goose', Gesia (G?sia) in Pol. genitive 'of the goose', G?siek nominative from g+zasieki 'fenced goose', compare Gusle and Duzaga? Pol. du?a g 'big goose' - apparently a certified poultry weight found among "Kassite deities". G?sia seems to be one of the most popular IE words.[][][][] |
Ginula | Ginu?i | Ginulle | Goni?dz | Latv. g'inis, g'inst 'to spoil', Pol. gin 'to get lost, to perish', compare Engl. gone[] | |
Armonia | Armona | Lit. armuo, -ens 'quagmire'[] | |||
Iuras | J?ra, J?r?, J?rupis | Jura | Lit. and Latv. j?ra 'sea'[] | ||
Kabyle | Kabile | Cabula | |||
Kallindia | Galindo, Galinden, Galynde | Golina, Goleniów, Go?dap, Go?a?cz | Galindai, Lit. galas 'end'[] | ||
Kapisturia | Kaplava | Kapas-gals | Kappegalin | Kopanica (multiple entries) |
Latv. kãpa, kãpe 'long mountainous strip, dune, slope'; Lith. kopà 'sandy hill', Pol. directly from kopa 'heap, pile', from kopati 'to dig', e.g. kop+pernik 'dig+rock/stone' Kopernik 'rock digger, miner' > Copper 'dugout/mined rock', Kopa is still the original Venetic name of the main mountain massive of the Hallstatt culture[] |
Kurpisos, Kourpissos | Kurp? kámas, Kurpulaukis | Kaz?kurpe, Kurpesgr?vis, Kurpkalns | Kurpie | Lit. kurpti 'to dig', Pol. kierpce (kurp?) - archaic mocassinss called in Romania opinc?[] | |
Kersula | Ker?uli?ki? kaimas | Lit. ker?ulis 'pigeon' | |||
Knishava | Knisà | Kn?si, Kni, Kn?sukalns | Knyszyn | Lith. knìsti 'to dig, to rummage' | |
Kypsela | Kup?eliai | Kup?e?i | Kutno? | ||
Lingos | Ling?, Lingenai | Lingas, Lingi, Lingasdikis | Lingwar | L?dziny, Le?ajsk, Legnica, | Lit. leng? 'valley' |
Markellai | Mark?lis, Markel?ne | Marken | Marki (mesolithic settlement) | Lit. marka 'pit', merkti 'dunk' | |
Meldia | Meld?, Meldínis | Meldine, Meldini | Mildio, Mildie | Zhemait. Mel?d?ikvirshe, Mel?d?in?i, Lith. meldà, méldas 'marsh reed'; Latv. meldi 'reed' | |
Mygdonia | M?k? | Mukas | Myszków, My?no | Zhemait. river Muka, Mukja, Pol. mysz 'mouse' (the same in Iranian languages) is cognate rather with Moesia, another region of Thrace and Mysia across Propontis. Mygdonia is rather akin to 'land of heroes' or more precisely 'land, that gives men/(heroes)'[] | |
Ostophos | Uõstas, ?stas | Uostupe, ?ostup | Ustup (part of Zakopane), Ústup, Puszczykowo | Lit. pu?ynas 'spurs forest', Pol. ost?p (regional: ustup) 'wilderness', 'section set aside', compare pustynia 'desert', pustkowie 'wasteland'[] | |
Paisula | Pai?eliai | Paissyn | Pask, Pasym | Lit. pai?ai 'soot' | |
Palae | Palà | Po?czyn-Zdrój, Pelpin, Pe?czyce, Poltava | Lit. palios 'swamp' | ||
Palnma | Palmin?s, Palmajos káimas | Pa?muota | Palmiry | Lit. palios 'swamp' | |
Panion | Panewniki | Old-Pruss. pannean 'swamp, quagmire', Pol. panew (panewka) 'frying pan, flash pan, socket', compare Panis, Punics, Pan, Pan (god), Pannonia.[].[][] | |||
Pannas | Panyen | Panewniki | Old Pruss. pannean 'quagmire', Pol. panew (panewka) 'frying pan, flash pan, socket', compare Panis, Punics, Pan, Pan (god), Pannonia..., Gothic fani[] | ||
Pautalia | Pa?tupis | Paute?i, Pautup?te, Pautustrauts | Pauta, Pauten | Puck, Pu?tusk, Pu?awy | Lith. putà, pl. pùtos 'foam, froth', putóti 'to foam'; Latv. putas 'foam' |
Pizos | Pisa ?z?rs | Pissa, Pissen, Pisse, Pysekaym, Piselauk | Pyskowice | Latv. p?sa 'swamp' | |
Praizes Limne | Praustuv? | Praga | Lith. pra?sti (prausiù, -sia?) 'to wash', praus?n?s 'washing'; Latv. prauslât 'to spray, to sprinkle', Pol. pra? 'to wash, to beat' | ||
Pusinon | Pusyne, Pu?in?, Pu?yno káimasPu?in? | Pszczyna | Lit. pu?ynas 'spurs forest', Zhemait. Pushina 'a stream', Pushine 'meadows', Pol. pszczo?a 'bee', an animal living on the meadows | ||
Pupensis vicus(village) | Pupi? káimas, Pupin? | Pupa | Pupkaym, Paupayn | Latinized vicus for 'village', Lit. and Latv. pupa 'beans', kaimas 'village'(cf. Bobov Dol) | |
Purdae | Porden, Purde | Zhemait. Purdjaknis? Popel?ki | |||
Raimula | Raimoche | Lith. ráimas 'motley, particoloured' | |||
Rhakule | Rãkija, Rakavos káimas | Roklawken, Rocke | Raci, Racibórz | Lith. ràkti, rankù, rakia? 'to dig out, unearth'; Latv. rakt, rùoku 'to dig', rak?ât 'to dig' | |
Rhamae | Rãmis, Ramùne | R?mava | Ramio, Rammenflys | Rumia (populated since 6th century BC) | Lit. ramus 'quiet' |
Rhodope Mountains | Rudupe | Rudawy, Rudawy, Rudoho?í, Rudnik, Ruda ?l?ska, Rudno, Rudniki, Rudnia e.t.c. | Zhemait. Rudupja, Rudup?, Rudupi, Lith. rùdas 'reddish, ruddy, dark yellow', Lith. ùp? 'river', Pol. directly from ruda 'ore, mineral' | ||
Rhusion | Russe, Russien, Rusemoter | Lith. r?s?s (and rúsas) 'a pit for potatoes; cellar, basement'; Latv. r?sa 'a pit' | |||
Rumbodona | Rum?ba, Rum?ba, Rum?b, Rum?bas, Rumbai | Por?bka, Zar?by, R?baczów e.t.c. | Latv. rum?ba 'waterfall, river rapids'; Lith. rum?bas, rùmbas, rumbà 'periphery', Pol. r?ba? 'to chop, to hew, to fell, to cut down' | ||
Sarte | Sar?t?, Sartà | S?r?te, S?rtupe | Zhemait. Sarta, Sarti, Lit. sartas 'red (horse)'; Latv. sarts 'ruddy' | ||
Scretisca | Skreti?k? | Zakr?t | Lit. skret? 'circle', Pol. skr?ci? si? 'to twist, to turn' + the suffix -si? '-oneself' | ||
Seietovia | Sietuvà, Si?tuvas | Zhemait. Setuva, Lit. sietuva 'whirlpool' | |||
Sekina | kin? | Siekierki, Sieczka | Lith. kas 'recently mowed down grass, hay'; Latv. sêks 'the same', Pol. siekiera, sieczka directly from sekyra 'axe' and si 'to chop, cut, mow' - from those roots derived also the Aryan name , , ?aka, ka of the 'Scythians' and of any kind of 'chopped herbs/vegetables' and also of the Engl. 'Scythe' and everything 'Scottish'. Via the proto-Celto-Scythian Iak?as and Kau with the help of chariots and ships of the Panis, Pany (gemstone, ores, fabrics, fragrants, ghee and pan traders) and Pany (of their western colony) those and many other words, customs and inventions (Amber, I?kur, Sugar, Mead, Chariot, Bearing, Lathe, Industry, Wrought iron...) of proto-Balto-Slavic and Indo-Iranian origin entered Mesopotamia, Arabia, Ancient Egypt, Kingdom of Kush etc., see Scythopolis.
Some IE languages and dialects render , , ?aka, ka as Saka, Sákai, Sacae, Sieka-, Siepa- (also variant Sierp, Serbi, Serboi...), Csaka, Caka, ?aka (Ciaka-, Ciacha-), ?aka (Czaka-, Chaka-) related to the Scythians of Haraxvait? / Haravati, ?echy (Czechy), ?esko (Czesko-)... and Romance-Celto-Germanic borrowings (most from Magyarized version Csák) include Shaka, Shako, Sakko, Sacco, Sjako, Sciaccò, Chacó, Checo, Tchéqu, Tschako, Tschecho, Tsjech. The name Tesla (Cie?la) ('carpenter') has similar roots. Another prominent , , ?aka, ka name used in Sogdia and Europe, incl. ancient Thrace and ?kudra is ?koda ('archer').[] | ||
Serme | Sermas | May be connected to Sarmatians, most probably to Siraces, who traded with Ancient Egypt and Syria or to Zychy (Zyx, Zichi...), Zakaryans of Armenia, House of Zik of the Seven Great Houses of Iran and finally the kidnapped by Nogais young Zych of Zychia who established the Burji dynasty of Egypt) who protected Thacians, Dacians, Kotyni, Speroi e.t.c. from the invasion of the Roman Empire, annihilated the Roman Legio XXI Rapax in battle [33][34][35] until Trajan crushed their forces. Legio XXII Deiotariana was then sent to subdue Kingdom of Pontus, Kingdom of Armenia (both partners of the Iazyges), Judea, Egypt and Nubia.[] | |||
Silta | ?iltupis | Siltie, Siltums, Siltine | Lit. ?iltas 'warm, nice'; Latv. sìlts 'warm' | ||
Skaptopara, Skalpenos, Skaplizo | Skalbupis, Skalbýnupis, Skalbstas, Skaptotai, Skaptùtis | Toporów | Lith. skãplis 'a type of axe'; Lith. skaptúoti 'to cut, to carve', Pol. topór a special kind of siekiera 'axe' - a 'cutting axe' using asymmetric cutting edge[] | ||
Skarsa | Skarsin, Skarsaw | Skoczów | Lith. sker?sas 'transverse, oblique, slanting', Sker?s?, Sker?s-up?s, Sker?sravi, Pol. directly from skakati 'to hop, to leap' | ||
Scombros | Lith. kumbr?s, kum?bris 'hill, top of a mountain; small mountain'; Latv. kum?bris 'hump, hunch' | ||||
Spindea | Spind?i? káimas, Spind?iùs | Spindags | Lit. spind?ius, spindis, 'clearing'; Latv. spindis 'spark' | ||
Stambai | Str?obas, Struõbas | Lit. stramblys 'cob'; Old-Pruss. strambo 'stubble-field' | |||
Strauneilon | Str?nel?, Str?nà | Lit. sr(i)?ti 'flow' | |||
Strymon | Stryj, Strumie?, Czerwony Strumie?, Strumie? Godowski e.t.c. | Lit. sraumuo 'stream', Pol. strumie? 'stream' | |||
Strauos | Str?va | Strawa, Strawka (rivers) | Latv. strava, Lit. srava 'course', Pol. strawa 'food, fodder' also 'costs, expenses' - 'something that vanishes' or precisely 'something that is being digested' but also 'something that traces (a path)', obviously names of small streams and a source of Celtic and English etymology of 'trace'[] | ||
Suitula | Svite | ?wiecie | Lit. ?vitulys 'light', Pol. ?wiat?o 'light', ?wieci? 'to light', ?wit 'dawn', ?witula 'the dawning one' (feminine) | ||
Souras | S?ris, S?rup?, S?upis | Sure | So?a, Solina, Solinka, Wis?a (Vyso?a), (Weso?a) | Lit. s?ras 'salty', Pol. direct from sol? 'salt', (Weso?a may have a different etymology vesel? 'merry') | |
Succi | ?ukis | Sukas, Sucis | Sucha (multiple entries) | Pol. suchy 'dry', susi (akin to Succi) is the masculine plural nominative form | |
Tarpodizos | Tárpija | Târpi, T?rpu p?ava | Tarnów, , Tarnowola, Tarnowskie Góry, Tarnowo (multiple entries) | Lith. tárpas 'an interstice' and 'a gap, a crack'; Zhemait. Tarpu kal?ne, Tarpdovd?i | |
Tarporon | Poronin | Lith. tárpas 'an interstice', Pol. roni? 'to shed, to moult', poroni? 'to miscarry', compare Perkwunos - Perun - Tar?unz - Tarchon - Taranis. Maybe a syncretism Tar(hun/?unz/chon/anis)-Poron(Perun) ? Something abrupt, shocking, hard... ? | |||
Tarpyllos | Terpìn?, Tárpija | Cierplewo, Cierpisz, ?a?cut County, Cierpisz, Ropczyce-S?dziszów County, Cierpi?ta (multiple entries), Cierpigórz (multiple entries), Cierpice (multiple entries) | Pol. cierpienie 'suffering, anguish', cierpliwo 'patience' | ||
Tirsai | Tirza | Tirskaymen | Lith. tirtis 'density, thickness' and 'thicket, brush-wood' | ||
Tranoupara | Tran?s | Trani, Tranava | Lit. tranas 'hornet' | ||
Trauos | Traupis | Lith. trati 'to break, to crumble', trau?us 'brittle'; Latv. trau?s, trausls 'brittle, fragile' | |||
Tynta | Tunti, Tunte | Thuntlawken | Lit. tumtas, tuntas 'flock' | ||
Urda, Urdaus | Ùrdupis, Urdenà | Urdava | Zhemait. Urdishki; Lit. urdulys 'mount stream', virti 'spring' | ||
Veleka | Vel?kas | Wielichowo (Pomerania), Wielichowo | Lith. vel?kles 'a place, used for washing' | ||
Verzela | Vér?a, Vér?as | Lith. vár?as 'a basket for fish'; Latv. varza 'dam' | |||
Vevocasenus | Vàive | Woywe, Wewa, Waywe | Latin vicus | ||
Zburulus | ?iburi? káimas | Lit. ?ibur?s 'a fire, a light, something burning; a torch' | |||
Zilmissus | ?ilmà, ?ilmas | Latv. zelme 'green grass or wheat' | |||
Zyakozeron | ?vakùt? | Zvak | Lith. ?vãk? 'a light, a candle' |
According to Skordelis, when Thracians were subjected by Alexander the Great they finally assimilated to Greek culture and became as Greek as Spartans and Athenians, although he considered the Thracian language as a form of Greek.[36] According to Crampton (1997) most Thracians were eventually Hellenized or Romanized, with the last remnants surviving in remote areas until the 5th century.[37] According to Marinov the Thracians were likely completely Romanized and Hellenized after the last contemporary references to them of the 6th century.[38] This theory holds the Christianization of the Roman Empire as the main factor of immediate assimilation.
A quick extinction would intensely contrast the avoidance of Hellenization at least by Albanian till the present, possibly with the help of isolated mountainous areas.
Another author considers that the interior of Thrace have never been Romanized or Hellenized (Trever, 1939).[39] This was followed also by Slavonization. According to Weithmann (1978) when the Slavs migrated, they encountered only a very superficially Romanized Thracian and Dacian population, which had not strongly identified itself with Imperial Rome, while Greek and Roman populations (mostly soldiers, officials, merchants) abandoned the land or were killed.[40] Because Pulpudeva survived as Plovdiv in Slavic languages, not under Philippopolis, some authors suggest that Thracian was not completely obliterated in the 7th century.[41][42]
Ich bin Rolisteneas, Sprößling des Nereneas; Tilezypta, Arazerin nach ihrer Heimat, hat mich der Erde übergeben (d.h. begraben).