List of Dacian names
Encyclopedia
Anthroponyms
Around 1150 Dacian anthroponyms and 900 toponyms have been preserved in ancient sources. As far as the onomastic of Dacians and Thracians is concerned, opinions are divided. According to Crossland (1982), the evidence of names from the Dacian, Mysian and Thracian area seems to indicate divergence of a 'Thraco-Dacian' language into northern and southern groups of dialects, but not so different as to rank Thracian and Dacian as separate languages, There were also the development of special tendencies in word formation and of certain secondary phonetic features in each group. Mateescu (1923), Rosetti (1978) sustain that Thracian onomastic include elements that are common to Geto-Dacians and Bessians (a Thracian tribe). A part of researchers support that onomastically, Dacians are not different from the other Thracians in Roman Dacia’s inscriptions. But recently, D. Dana basing himself on new onomastic material recorded in Egyptian ostraka suggested criteria which would make possible to distinguish between closely related Thracian and Dacian-Moesian names and singled out certain specific elements for the latter.In Georgiev’s opinion (1960; 1977) Dacian placenames and personal names are "completely different" from their Thracian counterparts.
Several Dacian names have also been identified with ostracon
Ostracon
An ostracon is a piece of pottery , usually broken off from a vase or other earthenware vessel. In archaeology, ostraca may contain scratched-in words or other forms of writing which may give clues as to the time when the piece was in use...
s of Dacian cavalry recruited after the Roman conquest and stationed in East Egypt, i.e. Dadas and Dadazi, Zoutoula, Dotos and Dotouzi, Dieri and Diernais, Diengis, Dida(s), Blaikisa, Blegissa, Diourdanos, Thiadicem, Avizina, Dourpokis, Kaigiza, Dardiolai, Denzibalos (see also Dacian king name Deki-balos), Denzi-balus (attested in Britain), Pouridour, Thiaper and Tiatitis, Dekinais, *Rolouzis, (See Ostraca from Krokodilo and Didymoi)
| No | Dacian name | Possible etymology | Attestation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bikili(s) | Decebal's friend (Dio Cassius) | ||
| 2 | Brasus | Inscription at Apulum Apulum Apulum may refer to:*The Latin name of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , the Roman fort of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , a Romanian porcelain manufacturing company.... that reads: Mucatra, son of Brasus, had a son and heir Mucapor Mucatralis |
According to Mommsen (1887) the name formed by the compounds with –poris i.e. Mucaporis appear as Thracian and as Dacian in numerous cases | |
| 3 | Burebista Burebista Burebista was a king of the Getae and Dacians, who unified for the first time their tribes and ruled them between 82 BC and 44 BC. He led plunder and conquest raids across Central and Southeastern Europe, subjugating most of the neighbouring tribes... |
"Possessor of so much" cf Sanskrit bhuri "plenty, so much" and cf Ancient Iranian victa "possessor", | King of Dacians (Strabo Strabo Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea... , Jordanes Jordanes Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life.... and Decree of Dionysopolis Decree of Dionysopolis The Decree of Dionysopolis was written around 48 BC by the citizens of Dionysopolis to Akornion, who traveled far away in a diplomatic mission to meet somebody's farther in Argedauon... ) |
See also: Buri, Buridavense, Buridava Buridava Buridava was a Dacian town. situated in Dacia, later Dacia Apulensis, now Romania, on the banks of the river Aluta now Olt- Tabula Peutingeriana :- Etimology :The name is Geto-Thracian- Dacian town :... , Buricodava Buricodava - See also :* Dacian davae* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia* Dacia* Roman Dacia- External links :**... |
| 4 | Comosicus Comosicus Comosicus was a Dacian king and high priest who lived in the 1st century BC.... |
Priest and king of Dacians (Jordanes Jordanes Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life.... |
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| 5 | Decaeneus | Probably PIE *dek ‘to meet, to honor’ Latin doceo, Greek δέκομαι dékomai or "The one who knows" (dak, dek cf Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... dasa) or "The Dacian" |
High priest and king of Dacians (Strabo Strabo Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea... , Dio Cassius Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek... , Jordanes Jordanes Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life.... ) |
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| 6 | Cotiso Cotiso Cotiso was a Dacian king who ruled the mountains between Banat and Oltenia . Horatius calls him king of the Dacians. Suetonius calls him king of the Getae... |
Cotiso 'loved' | king of Dacians | Tomaschek Tomaschek * Rudolf Tomaschek , a German experimental physicist* Wilhelm Tomaschek , a Czech-Austrian geographer and orientalist... compared this name with the name Cotela of a Getian prince and with the name Cotys, name of several princes of Thracian Odrysians and Sapaeans. Also, he compared with the name Kotys of the Thracian goddess worshipped by the Edonians, a tribe that lived around Pangaion Mountain. He sees here again, the letter "o" as an obscured indistinct, pronunciation of “a”. Therefore, he compared Cotiso with the Bactrian Bactrian Bactrian may refer to*Bactria*the Bactrian language*the Bactrian camel... Kata "loved" |
| 7 | Dapyg | king of Dacians | ||
| 8 | Decaeneus | "The one who knows" (dak, dek cf Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... dasa) or "The Dacian" |
High priest and king of Dacians (Strabo Strabo Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea... , Dio Cassius Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek... , Jordanes Jordanes Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life.... ) |
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| 9 | Decebalus Decebalus Decebalus or "The Brave" was a king of Dacia and is famous for fighting three wars and negotiating two interregnums of peace without being eliminated against the Roman Empire under two emperors... |
Dacian word balas /balos is from PIE *bel 'strong, power' cf. Sanskrit bala "force" and Dece from PIE *dek ‘to take, to honor’ Also, it had been suggested Decebalus "The force of the Dacians" |
King of Dacians (Dio Cassius Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek... ) |
Originally named Diurpaneus, after his victory against Romans he was called Decebalus ("The brave one") Many interpretations are possible for the PIE root *dek that is found also with the name Decaeneus |
| 10 | Diegis Diegis Diegis was a Dacian chief, general and brother of Decebalus, and his representative at the peace negotiations held with Domitian .-See also:*Dacians... |
Diegis / Degis from *dhegh ‘ to burn’ | Dacian | |
| 11 | Dicomes | king of Dacians | ||
| 12 | Diurpaneus | "admired from distance" cf. Sanskrit durepanya | Name of the king of Dacians (Dio Cassius Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek... ) He was renamed to Decebalus after victory over Romans. |
It is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube i.e. Dorpanas (IGB, II, 771) and Dyrpanais (Olbia). |
| 13 | Dromichaeta | Name of the king of Getae It appears this is a Hellenised form | ||
| 14 | Mucapor | Inscription at Apulum Apulum Apulum may refer to:*The Latin name of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , the Roman fort of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , a Romanian porcelain manufacturing company.... that reads: Mucatra, son of Brasus, had a son and heir Mucapor Mucatralis |
These names are Thracians and Dacians (as Mucapor is attested as Dacian and as Thracian name). The names containing Muca are found in Thracian but also in the proper Geto-Dacian names | |
| 15 | Mucatra | Inscription at Apulum Apulum Apulum may refer to:*The Latin name of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , the Roman fort of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , a Romanian porcelain manufacturing company.... that reads: Mucatra, son of Brasus, had a son and heir Mucapor Mucatralis |
These names are probably Thracian, not Dacian, as Mucapor is attested as an ethnic Thracian name (see refs above). | |
| 16 | Natoporus | cf. Sanskrit nata 'bent', de nam 'bend' and cf. Nath 'lean, rely' , 'seek for help' | Dacian name of a prince from a Dacian royal family of the tribe of the Costoboci Costoboci The Costoboci were an ancient people located, during the Roman imperial era, between the Carpathian Mountains and the river Dniester.The Costoboci invaded the Roman empire in AD 170 or 171, pillaging its Balkan provinces as far as central Greece, until they were driven out by Romans... on a Roman inscription (II No. 1801) |
See also Dacian Natu-spardo (attested with Ammianus) NOTE: some scholars consider this a Thracian name. |
| 17 | Orola, Oroles | From ar-, or- ‘eagle, big bird’ | Name of a Dacian prince (Justin) | |
| 18 | Petoporus | Name of a Dacian prince Variant Petipor | ||
| 19 | Pieporus | The first element Pie is analogue by initial and vocalism with the name Pie-figoi of a Dacian tribe mentioned by Ptolemy. The second element Porus is often met with Dacian and also with Bithynian (a Thracian tribe) names. It can be explain by the root *par ‘replenish’ nourish or *pa-la ‘king’ |
Name of a king of the Costoboci Costoboci The Costoboci were an ancient people located, during the Roman imperial era, between the Carpathian Mountains and the river Dniester.The Costoboci invaded the Roman empire in AD 170 or 171, pillaging its Balkan provinces as far as central Greece, until they were driven out by Romans... (inscription C.1 Rom. VI, No. 1801). |
NOTE: some scholars consider this a Thracian name. |
| 20 | Rescuturme | The Dacian name Rescuturme can be related to the Aryan Aryan Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers... word rai "splendor, wealth" and raevant, revant "brilliant", if "-sk" is part of a derivation. |
Name of a Dacian woman. Inscription (CIL III 1195), | cf. names Resculum (a hamlet from Dacia) and Rascuporis / Rascupolis (name with Sapaean and Bithynian Thracian tribes) |
| 21 | Scorylo | From root *sker ' to leap, spin' | Name of a Dacian general Also, the name Scoris | Also names: Scoris (Scorinis) It is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube. |
| 22 | Tarbus | "hard, strong, powerful" cf. Bactrian thaurva (de tarva) | possibly a prince of the Free Dacians Free Dacians The "Free Dacians" is the name given by some modern historians to Dacians who putatively remained outside the Roman empire after the emperor Trajan's Dacian wars... |
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| 23 | Thiamarkos | Dacian king (inscription "Basileys Thiamarkos epoiei") | ||
| 24 | Tsinna (Zinnas, Sinna) |
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| 25 | Tsiru | Tsiru son of Bassus in ISM V 27, Capidava Capidava Capidava is a South American spider genus of the Salticidae family .-Species:* Capidava annulipes Caporiacco, 1947 — Guyana* Capidava auriculata Simon, 1902 — Brazil* Capidava biuncata Simon, 1902 — Brazil... (Scythia Minor Scythia Minor Scythia Minor, "Lesser Scythia" was in ancient times the region surrounded by the Danube at the north and west and the Black Sea at the east, corresponding to today's Dobruja, with a part in Romania and a part in Bulgaria.... ), 2nd century |
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| 26 | Vezina | 'Active, vigorous, energetic ' PIE *ueg | Dacian name | |
| 27 | Zalmoxis | Dacian god | ||
| 28 | Zebeleizis | Other name of the Dacian god Zalmoxis | ||
| 29 | Zia | "mare" cf. Thracian Ziaka, Sanskrit hayaka "horse" (See Ziacatralis Thracian name, that is "who feeds the horses") | Dacian name of a princess Variant Ziais | |
| 30 | Zyraxes Zyraxes Zyraxes was a Getae king who ruled north Dobruja in the 1st century BC. He was mentioned in relation with the campaigns of Licinius Crassus. His capital, Genucla was besieged by the Romans in 28 BC, but he managed to escape and flee to his Scythian allies.... |
"Powerful prince" cf. Bactrian Zura, Zavare "power" and cf. Khsaya "prince" ") | Prince of the Getae | A similar name's form is found in the city name Zurobara Zurobara Zurobara was a Dacian town located in today's Banat region in Romania. It was near the Tisza river, in the area of the Dacian tribe of Biephi.This town was attested by Ptolemy in his Geographia , yet its exact location remains unknown... where bara / vara="city" and zuro="fortified" See also Zurobara Zurobara Zurobara was a Dacian town located in today's Banat region in Romania. It was near the Tisza river, in the area of the Dacian tribe of Biephi.This town was attested by Ptolemy in his Geographia , yet its exact location remains unknown... |
| 31 | Dardanos | ‘Darda-‘ appears as both Daco-Mysian and Thracian.) | ||
| 32 | Bastiza | Name frequently found at Mons Claudianus Mons Claudianus Mons Claudianus was a Roman quarry in the eastern desert of Egypt. It consisted of a garrison, a quarrying site and civilian and workers quarters.Granodiorite was mined for the Roman Empire where it was used as a building material... i.e. two persons have this name on a list of Dacian names but also this name is the patronyme of the soldier named Diernaios. |
The name ‘’bast’’ is found in Thrace (cf. Decev) but never as Bastiza.) | |
| 33 | Komakiza | Koma-kiza / Koma-kissa is a name attested at Didymoi. | The endings term correspond to the Dacian king name Komosicus. | |
| 34 | Damanais | Damanais attested at Mons Claudianus Mons Claudianus Mons Claudianus was a Roman quarry in the eastern desert of Egypt. It consisted of a garrison, a quarrying site and civilian and workers quarters.Granodiorite was mined for the Roman Empire where it was used as a building material... as the father of the Dacian soldier Dida from Krokodilo. |
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| 35 | Daizus | Thraco-Getian name Daizus Comozoi, interfectus a Castabocis. Daizus Comozoi is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube. | ||
| 36 | Drilgisa | With the inscription CIL VI 1801 as Natopor's brother at Rome. | Note also the followings names: Drigissa in Superior Moesia and Dia-giza, slave at Rome, CIL XV 2445. | |
| 37 | Tiati | With the inscription CIL VI 1801 at Rome. | ||
| 38 | Dablosa | He is attested at Mons Claudianus Mons Claudianus Mons Claudianus was a Roman quarry in the eastern desert of Egypt. It consisted of a garrison, a quarrying site and civilian and workers quarters.Granodiorite was mined for the Roman Empire where it was used as a building material... (O. Claud. II 402 and 403). |
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| 39 | Rigozus | Anthroponim. | ||
| 40 | Komozoi | Father of Daizus. Daizus Comozoi is a "Royal" Dacian name found also with Thracians from south of the Danube. | ||
Toponyms
| No | Dacian name | Etymology | Modern city/Location | Attestation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acidava Acidava Acidava 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, Romania.... (Acidaua) |
Enoşeşti, Olt County Olt County Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km².... , Romania |
Tabula Peutingeriana Tabula Peutingeriana The Tabula Peutingeriana is an itinerarium showing the cursus publicus, the road network in the Roman Empire. The original map of which this is a unique copy was last revised in the fourth or early fifth century. It covers Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa... |
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| 2 | Amutria Amutria Amutria was a Dacian town close to the Danube and included in the Roman road network, after the conquest of Dacia.... (Amutrion, Amutrium, Admutrium, Ad Mutrium, Ad Mutriam) |
Hypothetically located at one of the following sites in Oltenia Oltenia Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river .... (Southwestern Romania):
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Ptolemy Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the... 's Geographia, Tabula Peutingeriana |
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| 3 | Apula (Apulon) | Piatra Craivii, 20 km North of Alba-Iulia, Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
Tabula Peutingeriana | Apulum in Latin, see also Apuli Apuli The Apuli were a Dacian tribe centered at the Dacian town Apulon near what is now Alba Iulia in Transylvania, Romania.Apuli has clear resemblance to Apulia, the ancient southeastern Italy region, which it is believe to have been settled by Illyrian tribes .Linguists use it as an example for the... |
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| 4 | Bersobis (Berzobim) | "White, shine" including birch-tree from root *bhereg > ber(e)z
Alternatively, it could be compared with Berzama, place name from Thrace between Amhialos and Kabyle and Bactrian Bactrian Bactrian may refer to*Bactria*the Bactrian language*the Bactrian camel... Bareza ‘height’ |
Modern Berzovia Berzovia Berzovia is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 4,165 people. It is composed of three villages: Berzovia, Fizeş and Gherteniş.It is mentioned on the Tabula Peutingeriana as Berzobia.- References :... village in Caras-Severin county, on the bank of river Bârzava, Romania |
The sole surviving sentence from Trajan's campaign journal in the Latin grammar work of Priscian, Institutiones grammaticae | |
| 5 | Napoca (Napuca) | The followings are the most important hypotheses regarding Napocas etymology:
Independent of these hypotheses, scholars agree that the name of the settlement predates the Roman conquest (AD 106). |
Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade... , Romania |
Tabula Peutingeriana | |
Hydronyms
| No | Dacian name | Etymology | Modern name/Location | Attestation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donaris (Τάναις) | The name Dānuvius is presumably a loan from Celtic (Gaulish Gaulish language The Gaulish language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken by the Gauls, a people who inhabited the region known as Gaul from the Iron Age through the Roman period... ), or possibly Iranic. It is one of a number of river names derived from a Indo-European word *dānu, apparently a term for "river", but possibly also of a primeval cosmic river, and of a river goddess (see Danu (Asura) Danu (Asura) Dānu, a Hindu primordial goddess, is mentioned in the Rigveda, mother of the Danavas. The word Danu described the primeval waters which this deity perhaps embodied. In the Rigveda , she is identified as the mother of Vrtra, the demonic serpent slain by Indra... ), perhaps from a root *dā "to flow/wift, rapid, violent, undisciplined." Other river names with the same etymology include Don Don River (Russia) The Don River is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov.... , Donets, Dnieper and Dniestr. Dniepr and Dniestr, from Danapris and Danastius, are from Scythian Iranic *Dānu apara "posterior river" and *Dānu nazdya- "anterior river", respectively. |
Danube (upper) | ||
| 2 | Istros | The Ancient Greek Istros was a borrowing from Thracian Thracian language The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly... /Dacian Dacian language The extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged... meaning "strong, swift", akin to Sanskrit Sanskrit Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand... is.iras "swift". |
Danube (lower) | ||
| 3 | Naparis | a) According to Russu 'Flow' / 'moisture' It has probably the same root with Napoca (Nowadays Cluj-Napoca) b) According to Parvan, after Tomaschek the meaning is similar with Lith. Napras in which there is a high probability of the root nebh-“to spring”. c) According to Bogrea, 'spring' compared with Old Persian napas ‘spring’ |
Ialomita | Herodotus (IV 48) , | |
See also
- Dacian languageDacian languageThe extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged...
- List of Dacian plant names
- List of Romanian words of possible Dacian origin
- Davae
- List of Dacian towns
- List of Dacian tribes
- List of Dacian kings
- List of historical monuments in Romania