Thracian language

Thracian (†)
Spoken in	Thrace (south-eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula )
Linguistic classification	Indo-European languages Thracian
Language codes
ISO 639 -1	-
ISO 639-3	txh

The extinct Thracian language (sometimes also called Dako-Thracian ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European or Indo-European languages and was spoken in antiquity by the Thracians , large parts of the Balkan Peninsula ( Thrace ), several Aegean islands and some areas of northwestern Asia Minor , i.e. today's Turkey , inhabited ( Mysia , Bithynia , Paphlagonia ).

Kinship and linguistic monuments

The presumption of a closer relationship between Thracian and Phrygian has not been confirmed. A relationship with Greek has also not been conclusively clarified. Dialects of Thracian were Dacian , Getisch and Moesisch . Ivan Vasilev Duridanov, who tries to determine the place of Thracian within the Indo-European language family, sees a special proximity to the Baltic languages . Jan Henrik Holst follows this when he classifies Thracian as belonging to the Baltic and proposes “South Baltic” as a name for this branch of language.

Thracian was hardly used as a written language and there is no separate script. There are few inscriptions in Greek script; most of them are very short and cannot always be clearly identified as Thracian. The longest is engraved on a gold ring. Most of the language material is known from numerous names of places and waters. For example, the word Pergamon is of Thracian origin ( see also Perpericon ). Individual words and names of gods can also be found in works by Roman and Greek authors .

At the turn of the ages, the Thracians gradually adopted the Greek or Latin language , corresponding to the Jireček line . They had been completely assimilated by the 6th century AD at the latest.

Dakisch

Dacish is the western dialect of Thracian. Occasionally it is also viewed as a separate language. All that is known is an inscription found on a clay vase. In addition, the Greek doctor Dioscurides handed down 57 Dacian names of medicinal herbs in a treatise in the 1st century AD. Another list of plant names dates from the 3rd century, e.g. B. amalusta (chamomile), mantua (blackberry) and dyn (nettle); see. on this “dyn” with “dil-gėlė” (lit.) “nettle”. There are also around 200 place names from the Roman province of Dacia .

Dacian substratum of Romanian

The Romanians see themselves as direct descendants of the Dacians . Therefore, the adherents of the Dako-Romance continuity theory suspect that in modern Romanian there are at least 160 lexical inheritance from the Dacian Thracian, the language of the Dacians subjugated by the Romans. The corresponding words, e.g. B. balaur (dragon) or brânză (cheese), are considered to be the Dacian substratum of the Romanian vocabulary. About 90 of these terms can also be found in the Albanian language .

Getisch

Getically was in the eastern part of Thrace by the Getae spoken, so at the Black Sea coast . However, some researchers assume an original Dacian-Getic language unit.

The Roman poet Ovid , who lived in exile in Tomis on the Black Sea from 8 AD , wrote that he had written getic poems, but they have not survived.

Moesian

Moesian was spoken south of the Danube in Moesia , but possibly also in Asia Minor in the Mysia region . It is only known by a few names of places and waters. Differences to Dakischen and Getischen are therefore hardly detectable; therefore one also suspects language unit.

Thracian words

Many Thracian words have equivalents, especially in modern Baltic (here Lithuanian, abbreviated lit.) and Slavic languages. Wherever the German translations also match, they are underlined . Thematically related words with a slightly different meaning are given with cf. = compare marked. The following list was taken from Duridanov's language of the Thracians :

• achel = water ( Latin aqua )
• aiz = goat ( old Greek αἶξ aix )
• ala = flow, stream (cf. Lithuanian ala, alma "flows")
• alta (s) = current, stream, compare e.g. B. the etymology of Alster or Black Elster
• ang = winding, curvy (cf. Lithuanian ankštas, ankšta " eng ", Latin ango - be eng e)
• aphus = water, river, spring (see lit. upė )
• arma = bog, swamp (cf. lit. armuo "water hole in the swamp")
• arda (s) = river, current ( Arda ( Арда ) name of a river in Bulgaria)
• arzas = white (Gr. argós "white", toch. A ārki- , B rkwi- "white", het. kar-ki-is "white")
• as = I (see Bulgarian as ( аз ), dialect jas ( яс , яз ); also lit. aš )
• asa = stone (compare Swedish ås = "ridge")
• asdule = rider, riding (see Bulgarian esdatsch , jasdja , esda / ездач , яздя , езда / scientific transliteration: ezdač , jazdja , ezda )
• at (u) - = current, stream
• aq = steep coastal slope
• bebrus = beaver (lit. bebras , Slavic bobr )
• bela = white ( Old Church Slavonic bělъ , Serbian belo , Slovenian bel , Russian belyj / белый )
• bend = bind , connect
• beras = brown, dark (Urindo-European * bher- = brown, lit. bėras , but also German bear = "the brown one" as an old taboo word )
• berga (s) = hill, bank (urslaw. * bergъ, Old Church Slavonic brěgъ, Russian bereg '/ берег = bank, also Serbian breg ) ( norw. berg = small mountain )
• berza (s) = birch ( lit.beržas , Slavic breza )
• bistras = fast ( Russian bystryj ( быстрый )), Serbian bistro
• bolinqos = wild bull (cf. Serbian vol / вол = "ox")
• bredas = pasture area (lit. brėdas, brydė ; Old Church Slavonic bred, brad ( бред, бръд ), Low German breede for "field")
• brentas = deer
• bria = city (cf. Bulgarian Mesembria - ancient name of a city, today Nessebar )
• brink- = to swell
• briza = rye
• bruzas = fast (cf. Serbian brzo , Bulgarian bars )
• brynchos = guitar (cf. bulg. bramtscha = "hum")
• bryton = barley juice, beer (cf. German brew , also French brasser )
• burd = way (cf. Slav. brod = " ford ")
• bur (is) = man ( alban. burrë ), Buris, Boris - name
• calsus = dry place (cf. ancient Greek chalix / χάλιξ and Latin calx = "lime")
• Chalas = mud (see FIG. Bulg. kal ( кал ))
• dama = habitable area (cf. Slav. dom ( дом ) = "house", Latin domus = "house")
• daphas = flood
• darsas = brave, brave (lit. drąsus , Serbian drsak , Bulgarian darsak ( дързък )) (cf. English to dare = "dare")
• datan = place, place of residence
• dentu = Genesis, stem (lit. gentis , Latin gens, gentis )
• desa, disa, diza (s) = God, deity (Greek theos )
• dinga = fertile place (cf. German "fertilize")
• diza = fortress, fort
• don = area, place
• drenis = deer (alban. drenush )
• dumas = dark (cf. Serbian tama ( тaма )), (cf. Lithuanian dūmas , Slavic dym = "smoke") (cf. Serbian dim , ancient Greek thymos / θυμόϛ = "soul" or thymia- / θυμια- = "Rauch-", from Latin fumus = "smoke")
• dark-= hill, mountain, fortress (also Slavic. Duno ( Дуно ) = male name)
• ermas = wild, furious
• esvas = horse ( lit.ašva , Farsi asp )
• gaidrus = bright, cheerful ( lit.gaidrùs , giedras )
• gava (s) = country, region (cf. Germanic "Gau")
• genton = meat
• germas = warm , hot (Greek thermós "warm", from which lat. thermae " warm baths ")
• gesa = stork (Lat. dzēse "heron")
• gin = dry up, spoil, dissolve, perish (cf. Bulgarian gina ( гина ) - "perish")
• haimos = mountain ridge, chain (cf. Latin hemus for Balkan mountains )
• ida (ide) = tree, forest
• ilu- = earth mud (Slavic il - mud, Greek ilys - mud, dirt)
• iuras- = water, river ( lit.jūra - sea, lots of water)
• kaba (s) = bog, swamp
• kalamintar = plane tree
• kalas = region (lit. galas "end")
• kalsas = dry, withered
• kapas = hill, slope (lit. kapas "grave") (Albanian kepa "hill") ( norw. kapp = "kapp") (слав. kapischte "капище" = church of the ancient Slavic gods on a hill)
• kela = water source (ahd. quella , Swedish källa )
• kenqos = child, offspring
• kerasos = cherry (Latin cerasum , is considered to be the designation of origin)
• kersas = black (bulg. tscher / чер , serb. crno , čech. černý ), (cf. Lithuanian keršas = "black and white" for horses)
• ketri = four (lit. keturi , Lat. četri , Latin. quatuor , Serb. četiri ( четири ), Polish. cztery)
• kik- = lively, nimble (Anglo-Saxon cwicu , English quick )
• kir (i) = forest, mountain (avest. gairi- "mountain", lit. girià , gìre "forest, wood", Slavic gora = "mountain", Bulgar . korij )
• knisa (s) = excavated earth spot
• kupsela = pile, hill (lit. kupselis, Bulgarian kup , kuptschina ( куп, купчина )), Serbian skup
• kurta = forest, oak forest (apr. korto "groove", bulg. kurija )
• laza (-as) = ​​clearing, alp, meadow (Serbian loza - vineyard, vineyard, vine)
• lingas = pasture plain (lit. lénge "lowland", Old Church Slavonic lǫgъ , Polish łąka [woŋka] = meadow)
• mar- = water, moorland (lit. marios = moor , Polish morze = " sea ", Latin mare = "sea")
• mer- = big, famous (-mār in ahd.Volkmār , Hlodomār , isl. mār )
• mezena = horse rider
• midne = village, place of residence
• mukas = mud (cf. Latin mucus = "slime")
• muka-s = gender, family, offspring
• musas = moss , mold
• navlohos = city of Osra in Bulgaria
• ōstas = estuary (Latin ostium , čech. ústí , Russian ust '/ усть , Serbian usce , Lithuanian uostas , norw. os)
• paivis, pavis = child, offspring, son ( gr.att.paus , pais )
• paisa (s) = soot
• palma = swamp, swamp (lit. dialect palvė , Latin "palus" / Gen. "paludis")
• para = village
• pautas = foam (lit. puta "foam")
• per (u) - = rock (het. peruna- "rock", aind. párvata- "mountain")
• pes = child, son (old Greek pais / παῖϛ (genitive paidós / παιδόϛ))
• phara = village
• piza (s) = swamp, willow
• por, -puris = son
• pras = wash, sprinkle (Serbian prasti , lit. prausti "to wash")
• purda = swampy place
• putras = talker, screamer
• raimas = colorful (lit. raimas )
• raka (s) = excavated ground, ditch (Serbian raka )
• ramus = calm, quiet (also Lithuanian)
• rascus = fast, nimble, lively (also German "quickly")
• rera = stones (alb. lerë )
• rezas (res) = king (lat. rex ) (cf. German empire )
• rhomphaia = spear, saber
• ring- = fast, nimble
• rudas = reddish (also lit. and Polish)
• rus-a = hole in the ground (lit. rūsys )
• sabazias = free ( čech. /slowen./russ. svoboda / свобода = "freedom", Serbian sloboda )
• saldas = golden ( čech. zlatý , Russian zolotoj / золотой old Bulgarian salta ( залта ))
• sara = current
• sartas = light red (also Lithuanian)
• satras = lively, nimble, quick
• seina (s) = village (arm. šēn , gen. sini "village", Serbian selo )
• sekas = grass, greenery, hay ( lit.šėkas )
• sem (e) la = earth (Slavic semlja ) ( lit.žemelė )
• serma (s) = current, stream
• siltas = warm, pleasant ( lit.šiltas )
• are (u) - = flow
• singas = depression, plain, depression
• skaivas = left
• Skalme = knife, sword
• scalp = hew, poke
• skaplis = small ax (lit. (s) kaplis )
• skapt- = excavate earth (lit. skaptuoti ) (cf. Swedish = " create ")
• skaras = quick, soon (Serbian skoro ( скоро ))
• skilas = quick, stormy
• skreta = circle (Serbian skretati "abbieben")
• skumbr-as = hill, hill
• spinda = clearing in the forest (cf. lit. spinda "glow")
• struma = current , river, (ahd. stroum , dt. stream , lit. sraumuõ , "struma" - name of a Bulgarian river)
• suka = ​​gap, defile (lit. šùkė ; Serbian nasukati "to go aground"; cf. "Siek", old German for Bachtal)
• suku = girl (Bulgarian sukalche "small child")
• sula = small forest, forest ( lit.sula = birch sap )
• sunka = juice (also Lithuanian)
• suras = strong, brave; Hero (aind. Sūrah "hero")
• suras = salty, bitter (lit. sūras , sūrùs "salty", Lat. sūrs "bitter, tart") (cf. Swedish sur = " sour ")
• svit = to shine, to shine (lit. švitėti , Serbian sveti ) (Polish świecić ) ( ikavic Croatian svitlo for "light" or "bright", svića for "candle")
• taru- = spear (Greek dory "tree; spear", het. taru "tree", German and old high German der, the "tree", English tree "tree", Serbian drvo )
• tirsas = bushes, forest thickets (lit. tirštis "density, thickness" and Serbian trska )
• tiqa = light
• torelle = lament
• tranas = lazy, modern (Serbian trunuti )
• traus- = to break (lit. traušti "break", Lat. trausls "brittle"; cf. bulgarian troscha ( троша ))
• tund- = to bump
• tuntas = flock of birds, collection of insects (also Lithuanian)
• udra (s) = otter ( lit.ūdra ) (see Bulgarian widra ( видра ))
• ukas = fog, cloudy ( lit.ūkas , ūkanas )
• urda = stream, brook
• usku- = water, moist (air. u (i) sce "water")
• ut- = water, river
• varpasas = whirlpool ( lett.vārpats )
• veger- = moist
• veleka (s) = washing place by the river
• zalmos = leather
• zelas = wine
• zelmis = descendant (Lithuanian želmuõ "plant")
• zenis = born (cf. Old Greek genea / γενεά = birth) (cf. Old Greek gyn / γυνή = woman, also čech. žena ) (cf. Latin gens = clan)
• zēri = animal, beast ( lit.žvėris , Russian zwer '/ зверь )
• zetraia = clay jug
• zejra = outer clothing
• zoltas = yellow (cf. Russian zoloto ( золото ) = "gold", Romanes điltes [ˈd͡ʒɪl.tɘs])
• zum- = dragon (Bulgarian zmej ( змей ))
• zvaka (s) = bright (cf. lit žvakė = "candle")

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ivan Duridanov: The Language of the Thracians . In: Bulgarian Collection . tape 5 . Hieronymus Verlag, Neuried 1985, ISBN 3-88893-031-6 (Bulgarian: Ezikăt na trakite (Sofia 1976) . Translated by Ivan Duridanov).
2. ^ Jan Henrik Holst: Armenian Studies . Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-447-06117-9 , On the emergence of the Armenian language - rubble languages ​​and Balkan Indo-European, p. 66/67 ( online [accessed November 28, 2011]).
3. ^ Ovid: Epistulae ex Ponto 4, 13, 19: Getico scripsi sermone libellum .
4. ^ Ivan Duridanov: The Language of the Thracians. V. The Thracian vocabulary. www.kroraina.com, November 24, 2007, accessed November 29, 2011 (English).