Personal names
The primary sources for Scythian words remain the Scythian toponyms, tribal names, and numerous personal names in the ancient Greek texts and in the Greek inscriptions found in the Greek colonies on the Northern Black Sea Coast. These names suggest that the Sarmatian language had close similarities to modern Ossetian.[4]
Recorded Scythian personal names include:
More information Name, Attested forms ...
Name | Attested forms | Notes |
*Aryāpaiϑah |
Ancient Greek: Ἀριαπείθης, romanized: Ariapeíthēs |
Composed of:[8]
- *Aryā, meaning "Aryan" and "Iranic."
- *paiϑah, meaning "decoration" and "adornment." Compare with Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀 (paēsa).
|
*Hiϑāmϑrauša |
Ancient Greek: Ἰδάνθυρσος, romanized: Idánthursos |
Meaning "prospering the ally." Composed of:
- a cognate of Avestan 𐬵𐬌𐬚𐬄𐬨 (hiϑąm), meaning "companion."
- a cognate of Avestan 𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱 (ϑraoš-), meaning "to prosper."
|
*Hupāyā |
Ancient Greek: Ὀποίη, romanized: Opoíē |
Composed of:
- *hu-, "good."
- *pāyā, "protection"; an abstraction of the root *pā-, "to protect."
|
*Pālaka |
Ancient Greek: Πάλακος, romanized: Pálakos |
From an earlier form *Pāδaka after the evolution of Proto-Iranic /d/ to Proto-Scythian /δ/ to Scythian /l/. Means "tall-legged" and "long-legged." Composed of:[12]
- *pāla-, "foot," from earlier *pāδa-.
- *-ka, hypocoristic suffix.
|
*Pr̥tatavah |
Akkadian: 𒁹𒁇𒋫𒌅𒀀, romanized: Bartatua or Partatua[14] Ancient Greek: Προτοθύες, romanized: Protothúes |
Means "who is mighty in battle." Composed of:[16]
- *pr̥tah "battle." Compare with Avestan 𐬞𐬆𐬱𐬀𐬥𐬀 (pəšana) and Vedic Sanskrit पृत् (pṛt-), both meaning "battle."
- *-tavah "strength, power." Compare with Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬵 (-tauuah).
|
*Pr̥ϑutavā |
Composed of:[18]
- *pr̥ϑu- "wide, broad." Compare with Avestan 𐬞𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬎 (pərᵊϑu-).
- *-tavah "strength, power." Compare with Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬵 (-tauuah).
|
*Skilura |
Ancient Greek: Σκίλουρος, romanized: Skílouros |
From an earlier form *Skiδura after the evolution of Proto-Iranic /d/ to Proto-Scythian /δ/ to Scythian /l/. Means "sharp" and "victorious."[12] |
*Skula |
Ancient Greek: Σκύλης, romanized: Skúlēs |
From the Scythian endonym *Skula, itself a later dialectal form of *Skuδa resulting from a sound change from /δ/ to /l/. |
*Spakayah |
Akkadian: 𒁹𒅖𒉺𒅗𒀀𒀀, romanized: Išpakāya[21] |
Hypocoristic derivation from the word *spakah, meaning "dog." |
*Spargapaiϑah |
Ancient Greek: Σπαργαπείθης, romanized: Spargapeíthēs |
Composed of:
- *spargah "scion" and "descendant." Compare with Avestan 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬖𐬀 (sparᵊγa).
- *paiϑah "decoration" and "adornment." Compare with Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀 (paēsa).
|
*Tigratavā |
Ancient Greek: Τιργαταὼ, romanized: Tirgataṑ |
Means "with the strength of an arrow." Composed of:[25]
- *tigrah "arrow." Compare with Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬌 (tiγri-), "arrow."
- *-tavah "strength, power." Compare with Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬵 (-tauuah).
|
*Uxtamazatā |
Ancient Greek: Ὀκταμασάδης, romanized: Oktamasádēs |
Means "possessing greatness through his words." Composed of:
- *uxta-, "word." Compare with Avestan 𐬎𐬑𐬙𐬀 (uxta), "spoken," and 𐬎𐬑𐬜𐬀 (uxδa), "word."
- *-mazatā-, "great."
|
*Varika |
Ancient Greek: Ὄρικος, romanized: Órikos |
Hypocorostic derivation from the word *vari-, meaning "chest armour, armour." Compare with Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌 (vaⁱri-), 𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬌 (uuari-) "chest armour." |
Close
Tribal names
Recorded Scythian tribal names include:
More information Name, Attested forms ...
Name | Attested forms | Notes |
*Haxāϑrauša |
Ancient Greek: Ἀγάθυρσοι, romanized: Agáthursoi |
Means "prospering the friend/socius." Composed of:
- a cognate of Old Persian 𐏃𐎧𐎠 (haxā-), meaning "friend."
- a cognate of Avestan 𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱 (ϑraoš-), meaning "to prosper."
|
*Skuδa |
Akkadian: 𒅖𒆪𒍝𒀀𒀀, romanized: Iškuzaya
- 𒊍𒄖𒍝𒀀𒀀 (Asguzaya)
- 𒊍𒆪𒍝𒀀𒀀 (Askuzaya)
- 𒀾𒄖𒍝𒀀𒀀 (Ašguzaya)
Ancient Greek: Σκύθαι, romanized: Skúthai |
*Skuδa, the Scythian endonym,
From the Proto-Indo-European root skewd-, itself meaning lit. 'shooter, archer', whence also English "shoot". |
*Skula |
Ancient Greek: Σκόλοτοι, romanized: Skólotoi |
Later form of *Skuδa resulting from the evolution of Proto-Scythian /δ/ into Scythian /l/. |
*Paralāta |
Ancient Greek: Παραλάται, romanized: Paralátai |
Cognate with Young Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬜𐬁𐬙𐬀 (Paraδāta), meaning "placed at the front." |
Close
Place names
Some scholars believe that many toponyms and hydronyms of the Russian and Ukrainian steppe have Scythian links. For example, Vasmer associates the name of the river Don with an assumed/reconstructed unattested Scythian word *dānu "water, river", and with Avestan dānu-, Pashto dand and Ossetian don.[30]
The river names Don, Donets, Dnieper, Danube, and Dniester, and lake Donuzlav (the deepest one in Crimea) may also belong with the same word-group.[31]
Recorded Scythian place names include:
More information Name, Attested forms ...
Name | Attested forms | Notes |
*Baurustāna |
Ancient Greek: Βορυσθένης, romanized: Borusthénēs |
Means "place of beavers." Composed of:[32]
- *bauru- "beaver." Cognate of:
- Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬀 (baβra) and 𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬌 (baβri), meaning "beaver"
- Sanskrit बभ्रु (babhrú) and बभ्रुक (bábhruka), meaning "mongoose"
- *stāna "space."
|
*Pantikapa |
Ancient Greek: Παντικάπαιον, romanized: Pantikápaion |
Means "fish-path." Composed of:[33]
- *panti-, "path." Compare with Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬃 (paṇtā̊), "path."
- *kapa-, "fish." Compare with Khotanese Saka kavā, Ossetian Кӕф kæf, and Pashto کب (Kab).
|
*Rahā |
Ancient Greek: Ῥᾶ, romanized: Rhâ |
Means "wetness." Compare with Avestan 𐬭𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬁 (raŋhā) and Vedic Sanskrit रसा (rasā́).[34] |
*Varu |
Ancient Greek: Ὄαρος, romanized: Óaros |
Means "broad." |
Close
Herodotus' Scythian etymologies
The Greek historian Herodotus provides another source of Scythian; he reports that the Scythians called the Amazons Oiorpata, and explains the name as a compound of oior, meaning "man", and pata, meaning "to kill" (Hist. 4,110).
- Most scholars associate oior "man" with Avestan vīra- "man, hero", Sanskrit vīra-, Latin vir (gen. virī) "man, hero, husband",[36] PIE *wiHrós. Various explanations account for pata "kill":
- Persian pat- "(to) kill", patxuste "killed";[37]
- Sogdian pt- "(to) kill", ptgawsty "killed";[38]
- Ossetian fædyn "cleave", Sanskrit pātayati "fell", PIE *peth₂- "fall".[39]
- Avestan paiti- "lord", Sanskrit páti, PIE *pótis, cf. Lat. potestate (i.e. "man-ruler");[40]
- Ossetian maryn "kill", Pashto mrəl, Sanskrit mārayati, PIE *mer- "die" (confusion of Greek Μ and Π);[41]
- Alternatively, one scholar suggests Iranic aiwa- "one" + warah- "breast",[42] the Amazons believed to have removed a breast to aid drawing a bow, according to some ancient folklorists, and as reflected in Greek folk-etymology: a- (privative) + mazos, "without breast".
Elsewhere Herodotus explains the name of the mythical one-eyed tribe Arimaspoi as a compound of the Scythian words arima, meaning "one", and spu, meaning "eye" (Hist. 4,27).
- Some scholars connect arima "one" with Ossetian ærmæst "only", Avestic airime "quiet", Greek erēmos "empty", PIE *h₁(e)rh₁mo-?, and spu "eye" with Avestic spas- "foretell", Sanskrit spaś-, PIE *speḱ- "see".[43]
- However, Iranic usually expresses "one" and "eye" with words like aiwa- and čašman- (Ossetian īw and cæst).
- Other scholars reject Herodotus' etymology and derive the ethnonym Arimaspoi from Iranic aspa- "horse" instead.[44]
- Or the first part of the name may reflect something like Iranic raiwant- "rich", cf. Ossetian riwæ "rich".[45]
Scythian theonyms
More information Name, Attested forms ...
Name | Attested forms | Notes |
*Tapatī́ |
Ancient Greek: Ταβιτί, romanized: Tabití |
Means “the Burning One” or “the Flaming One.”[46][47]
Related to:[48]
- Avestan 𐬙𐬁𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬈𐬌𐬙𐬌 (tāpaiieⁱti), “to warm.”
- Sanskrit तापयति (tapayati), “to heat” and “to warm”; theonym तपती (Tapatī); तपस् (tápas)
- Latin tepeo.
|
*Api |
Ancient Greek: Ἀπί, romanized: Apí
- and Ἀπία, romanized: Apía
|
Related to Avestan 𐬀𐬞𐬌 (api), "water." |
*Targī̆tavah |
Ancient Greek: Ταργιτάος, romanized: Targitáos |
Means "possessing the might of the goddess Tarkā." Composed of:
- *Targiya, "of the goddess Tarkā."
- *-tavah "strength, power." Compare with Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬵 (-tauuah).
|
|
Ancient Greek: Ἀρτίμπασα, romanized: Artímpasa |
Composed of:
- Iranic theonym *Arti
- a term related to *paya, "pasture" and *pati, "lord."
|
*Apatura |
Ancient Greek: Ἀπάτουρος, romanized: Apátouros |
Means "swift water." Composed of:
- *ap-, "water." Related to Avestan 𐬀𐬞 (ap-), "water."
- *tura-, "quick" or "mighty."
|
*Gaiϑāsūra |
Ancient Greek: Γοιτόσυρος, romanized: Goitósuros |
Composed of:
- *gaiϑā, "herd" and "possessions." Cognate of 𐬔𐬀𐬊𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬊𐬌𐬙𐬌𐬱 (gaoiiaoⁱtiš), "cow pasture."[53]
- *sūra, "strong" and "mighty."
|
|
Ancient Greek: Θαγιμασάδας, romanized: Thagimasádas
- and Θαμιμασάδας, romanized: Thamimasádas
|
Composed of:
- a possible cognate of Avestan 𐬚𐬡𐬁𐬴𐬀 (ϑβāṣ̌a), "firmament," and Vedic Sanskrit त्वक्ष् (tvakṣ-) or तक्ष् (takṣ-), "to create by putting into motion."
- mazatā, meaning "great."
|
*Lipoxšayah |
Ancient Greek: Λιπόξαϊς, romanized: Lipóxaïs |
From an earlier form [*Δipoxšayah] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 2: Δ) (help) after the evolution of Proto-Iranic /d/ to Proto-Scythian /δ/ to Scythian /l/.
Means "king of radiance" and "king of heaven." Composed of:
- *lipah, from earlier *δipah, "to be bright" as well as "sky" and "heaven."
- *-xšayah, "ruler."
|
*R̥buxšayah |
Ancient Greek: Ἀρπόξαϊς, romanized: Arpóxaïs |
Means "king of the airspace." Composed of:
- *r̥bu-, a cognate of Sanskrit ऋभु (Ṛbhú), the name of a group of deities of the airspace.
- *-xšayah, "ruler."
|
*Kolaxšayah |
Ancient Greek: Κολάξαϊς, romanized: Koláxaïs
Latin: Colaxes |
From an earlier form *Kauδaxšayah after the evolution of Proto-Iranic /d/ to Proto-Scythian /δ/ to Scythian /l/. Means "axe-wielding king," where the axe also has the meaning of "sceptre," as well as "blacksmith king," in the sense of "ruling king of the lower world." Composed of:
- *kolah, from earlier *koδa, "axe."
- *-xšayah, "ruler."
|
Close
Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder's Natural History (AD 77–79) derives the name of the Caucasus from the Scythian kroy-khasis = ice-shining, white with snow (cf. Greek cryos = ice-cold).
Aristophanes
In the comedy works of Aristophanes, the dialects of various Greek people are accurately imitated. In his Thesmophoriazusae, a Scythian archer (a member of a police force in Athens) speaks broken Greek, consistently omitting the final -s (-ς) and -n (ν), using the lenis in place of the aspirate, and once using ks (ξ) in place of s (sigma); these may be used to elucidate the Scythian languages.[57]