Corpus Scythian languages

1 corpus

1.1 inscriptions
1.2 personal names
1.3 herodotus scythian etymologies
1.4 herodotus scythian theonyms
1.5 pliny elder

corpus
inscriptions

some scholars ascribe inscribed objects found in carpathian basin , in central asia scythians, interpretation of these inscriptions remains disputed (given nobody has definitively identified alphabet or translated content).

an inscription saqqez written in hieroglyphic hittite script may represent scythian:

king partitava equates scythian king called prototyēs in herodotus (1.103) , known par-ta-tu-a in assyrian sources. ( partatua of sakasene married daughter of esarhaddon c. 675 bc)

the issyk inscription, found in scythian kurgan dating approximately 4th century bc, remains undeciphered, authorities assume represents scythian.

personal names

the primary sources scythian words remain scythian toponyms, tribal names, , numerous personal names in ancient greek texts , in greek inscriptions found in greek colonies on northern black sea coast. these names suggest scythian language had close similarities modern ossetian.

some scholars believe many toponyms , hydronyms of russian , ukrainian steppe have scythian links. example, vasmer associates name of river don assumed/reconstructed unattested scythian word *dānu water, river , , avestan dānu-, pashto dand , ossetian don. river names don, donets, dnieper, danube, dniester , lake donuzlav (the deepest 1 in crimea) may belong same word-group.

herodotus scythian etymologies

the greek historian herodotus provides source of scythian; reports scythians called amazons oiorpata, , explains name compound of oior, meaning man , , pata, meaning kill (hist. 4,110).

most scholars associate oior man avestan vīra- man, hero , sanskrit vīra-, latin vir (gen. virī) man, hero, husband , pie *u̯ihro-. various explanations account pata kill :


alternatively, 1 scholar suggests iranian aiwa- 1 + warah- breast , amazons believed have removed breast aid drawing bow, according ancient folklorists, , reflected in greek folk-etymology: a- (privative) + mazos, without breast .

elsewhere herodotus explains name of mythical one-eyed tribe arimaspoi compound of scythian words arima, meaning 1 , , spu, meaning eye (hist. 4,27).

some scholars connect arima 1 ossetian ærmæst , avestic airime quiet , greek erēmos empty , pie *h₁(e)rh₁mo-?, , spu eye avestic spas- foretell , sanskrit spaś-, pie *speḱ- see .
however, iranian expresses 1 , eye words aiwa- , čašman- (ossetian īw , cæst).
other scholars reject herodotus etymology , derive ethnonym arimaspoi iranian aspa- horse instead.
or first part of name may reflect iranian raiwant- rich , cf. ossetian riwæ rich .

herodotus scythian theonyms

herodotus gives list of scythian theonyms (hist. 4.59):

tabiti = hestia. perhaps related sanskrit tapatī, heroine in mahābhārata, literally burning (one) .
papaios = zeus. either father (herodotus) or protector , avestan, sanskrit pā- protect , pie *peh₃-.
api = gaia. either mother or water , avestan, sanskrit āp-, pie hep-
goitosyros or oitosyros = apollo. perhaps avestan gaēθa- animal + sūra- rich .
argimpasa or artimpasa = aphrodite urania. ossetic art , pashto or, fire , avestan āθra-.
thagimasadas = poseidon.

pliny elder

pliny elder s natural history (ad 77–79) derives name of caucasus scythian kroy-khasis = ice-shining, white snow (cf. greek cryos = ice-cold).