List of Dacian plant names

Centaury, Stirsozila in Dacian language, as depicted in 6th-century Leiden manuscript of Pseudo-Apuleius' Herbarius
Skiare, Dacian for Wild Teasel, depicted in 6th-century Vienna manuscript of Dioscorides' De Materia Medica

This is a list of plant names in Dacian, surviving from ancient botanical works such as Dioscorides' De Materia Medica (abb. MM) and Pseudo-Apuleius' Herbarius (abb. Herb.). Dacian plant names are one of the primary sources left to us for studying the Dacian language, an ancient language of South Eastern Europe. This list also includes a Bessian plant name and a Moesian plant name, both neighboring Daco-Thracian tribes, as well as a clear Albanoid name. According to linguist Vladimir I. Georgiev, the suffixes -dela, -dil(l)a, -zila and -tilia indicate names of medicinal plants.[1]

Dacian English Botanical Notes
Adila
  1. Bistort [1]
  2. Arum [2]
  1. Persicaria bistorta, also classified as Polygonum bistorta [3]
  2. Arum maculatum [4]
  1. ^ primary source for this meaning as yet unidentified
  2. ^ Herb., 14

Per Georgiev, from *aydʰ-ilo 'burning' > 'red'.[2]

Amalusta, Amolusta [5], Amulusta Chamomile Matricaria recutita or Anthemis tinctoria ^ Herb. 23; possibly related to Albanian ëmbël, ambël "sweet".[3]
*lustu appears as a proto-Celtic word for "plant".[4]
Aniarsexe, Aniassexie Sainfoin a.k.a. Cock's Head Onobrychis caput galii
Aprus Gladwin Iris Iris foetidissima
Arpopria, Arborria Climbing Ivy Hedera helix
Asa Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara also a Bessian plant name.
Aurumetti, Aurimetellum Cranesbill a.k.a. Crow's Foot, Wild Geranium ? Geranium sylvaticum or Ranunculus serdous? MM 2.175, Herb. 67
Azila Hound's Tongue Cynoglossum Probably a variant of Usazila (see below)
Bles, Blis Purple Amaranth Amaranthus blitum
Budalla, Budama, Budathala, Budathla Anchusa Anchusa italica Per Georgiev, Boudathla corresponds to bou-glosson 'ox's tongue'; from *gʷṓw-dn̥ǵʰ(w-e)lä 'ox-tongue'.[5]
Caropithla, Karopithla
  1. Yellow Serradella
  2. Common Polypody
  1. Ornithopus compressus
  2. Polypodium vulgare
Cercer, Cerceraphron, Kerker, Kerkeraphron Pimpernel Anagallis
Chodela, Khodela Ground Pine Lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum or Lycopodium annotitum / Lycopodium dubium?)
Cinouboila, Cinuboila, Kinouboila, Kinuboila
  1. Wild Pumpkin
  2. White Bryony.
  3. White Grape
  1. Cucurbita foetidissima
  2. Bryonia alba
  3. Vitis
 a compound of kinu "dog" and oboila "apple", akin to Lithuanian šúnobuolas "wild pumpkin", Thracian dinupula, sinupyla "id". Per Georgiev, literally "hound's apple".[6]
Coadama, Koadama Pondweed[7] Potamogeton zosteraefolium
Coicolida, Koikolida Nightshade Atropa belladonna the first element koiko means "one-eyed" or "blind", and is akin to Latin caecus "blind", Irish caoch "one-eyed", Goth haihs "one-eyed", Sanskrit kekara "squint-eyed"
Cotiata, Kotiata Switchgrass Panicum dactylum also refers to genus Agropyron?
Courionnecum, Couriounnecum, Curiounnecum, Kourionnekoum Arum Arum
Coustane, Croustane, Crustane, Custane, Koustane, Kroustane, Krustane, Kustane Greater celandine or Lesser celandine Chelidonium majus or Ranunculus ficaria
Cycolis, Kykolis Groundcherry or Ashwagandha Physalis sp. or Withania somnifera
Dacina, Dakina
  1. Beet
  2. False helleborine
  1. Beta vulgaris
  2. Veratrum nigrum
 the Moesian name for these plants was Mendruta (see below)
Dicotella White Bryony Bryonia alba
Diellina, Dielina, Dielleina, Diellena Henbane Hyoscyamus niger a Proto-Albanoid term, with a clear etymological connection to Albanian dielli ("sun") < PAlb. *dðiella < *dziella- < EPAlb. *ȷ́élu̯a- < PIE *ǵʰélh₃u̯o- "yellow, golden, bright/shiny".[8]
Diesapter Mullein Verbascum Georgiev argued that the word contains the stem *dies 'light, day', also present in Diesema.[9]
Diessathel Wavyleaf Mullein Verbascum sinuatum from IE *diwes-sētlo; where the second element meant "sieve" (cf. Old Norse sáld "sieve", Welsh hidl "strainer", Lithuanian sėkla "seed", Greek ēthein "to strain", Old Church Slavonic sito)[10]
Diesema Mullein Verbascum from IE *diyes eusmn. "burning sky" (cf. Latin dies "day", Greek heúein "to burn") and similar to German Himmelbrand "mullein", literally "burning heavens".[11]
Diodela, Duodela, Duodella, Ziodela
  1. Yarrow?
  2. Chamomile
  3. Sweet Marjoram
  1. Achillea millefolium?
  2. Matricaria recutita
  3. Origanum majorana
Dracontos Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Dokela Bugle Ajuga iva
Dyn Nettle Urtica
Ebustrone Lesser celandine Ranunculus ficaria From Pseudo-Apuleis
Gonoleta, Gouoleta, Guoleta, Guolete Gromwell[12] Lithospermum tenuiflorum Consumed as an oral contraceptive
Hormea, Hormia Annual Clary Salvia horminum
Lax Purslane Portulaca oleracea Used as a laxative
Manteia, Mantia Woolly Blackberry Rubus tomentosus related to Albanian man "mulberry"[13]
Mendruta
  1. Beet
  2. False Helleborine
  1. Beta vulgaris
  2. Veratrum nigrum
 Actually, a Moesian plant name
Mizela, Mizila, Mozula, Mouzula Thyme Thymus
Nemenepsa Ground Pine Lycopodium
Olma Dwarf elder, Danewort Sambucus ebulus
Parithia, Parthia Dog's Tooth Grass Cynodon ?
Pegrina White Bryony Bryonia alba
Phithophthethela Maidenhair fern Adiantum
Polpum Dill Anethum graveolens
Priadela, Priadila White Bryony or Black Bryony Bryonia alba or Tamus communis
Probedula, Procedila [6], Propedila, Propedula, Propodila Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans ^ Procedila< Prokedila, probably a scribal error for *Probedila, a graphic confusion between β/κ being rather common in Greek manuscripts. Compare to the Gaulish name for this plant, Pempedula (five-leaved).
Prodiarna, Prodiorna Black Hellebore Helleborus niger
Rathibida Italian Aster Aster amellus
Riborasta Burdock Arctium
Salia
  1. Anise
  2. Stinking Tutsan
  1. Pimpinella tragium
  2. Hypericum hircunum
Seba Elderberry Sambucus Georgiev equated it to Lithuanian šeivà.[14]
Skiare Wild Teasel Dipsacus sylvestris or Dipsacus fullonum
Skinpoax, Sipoax, Spioax Broadleaf Plantain Plantago major
Sikupnoex, Sikupnux Eryngo Eryngium campestre
Stirsozila Centaury Centaurium erythraea, formerly classified as Erythraea centaurium from Pseudo-Apuleis
Tanidila Catmint Nepeta
Teudila Peppermint or Horsemint or Calamint? Mentha x piperita or Mentha sylvestris or Calamintha?
Troutrastra, Trutrastra, Tutrastra
  1. Pumpkin
  2. Colocynth
  1. Cucurbita
  2. Citrullus colocynthis
Toulbela, Tulbela Centaury Centaurium erythraea
Usazila Hound's Tongue Cynoglossum Probably a variant of Azila (see above)
Zena Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum
Zired Redstem Wormwood Artemisia scoparia
Zououster, Zuste, Zuuster Wormwood Artemisia arborescens or campestris
  1. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1180. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015
  2. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1179. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015
  3. ^ Malcolm, Noel. Kosovo: A Short History. New York: New York University Press, 1998.
  4. ^ "Prifysgol Cymru University of Wales; Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies; English - proto-Celtic word list" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-02-05. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  5. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1179. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015
  6. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1180. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015
  7. ^ Katičic, Radislav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976. p. 144. doi:10.1515/9783111568874.128
  8. ^ Crăciun, Radu (2023). "Diellina, një bimë trako-dake me emër proto-albanoid" [Diellina, a Thracian-Dacian plant with a Proto-Albanoid name]. Studime Filologjike (1–2). Centre of Albanological Studies: 77–83. doi:10.62006/sf.v1i1-2.3089. ISSN 0563-5780.
  9. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1180. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015
  10. ^ Orel, Vladimir E. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Brill, 1998.
  11. ^ Katičic, Radislav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976. p. 149. doi:10.1515/9783111568874.128
  12. ^ Katičic, Radislav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976. p. 144. doi:10.1515/9783111568874.128
  13. ^ Rusakov, Alexander (2017). "Albanian". In Mate Kapović (ed.). The Indo-European Languages (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 556. ISBN 978-1-315-67855-9.
  14. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1180. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015