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.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.

DacianEnglishBotanicalNotesAdilaBistort Arum Persicaria bistorta, also classified as Polygonum bistorta Arum maculatum primary source for this meaning as yet unidentified Herb., 14 Per Georgiev, from *aydʰ-ilo 'burning' > 'red'.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. Amalusta, Amolusta, or AmulustaChamomileMatricaria recutita or Anthemis tinctoria Herb. 23; possibly related to Albanian ëmbël, ambël "sweet".Malcolm, Noel. Kosovo: A Short History. New York: New York University Press, 1998. *lustu appears as a proto-Celtic word for "plant".Aniarsexe, AniassexieSainfoin a.k.a. CocksheadOnobrychis caput-galiiAprusGladwin irisIris foetidissimaArpopria, ArborriaClimbing IvyHedera helixAsaColtsfootTussilago farfaraalso a Bessian plant name.Aurumetti, AurimetellumCranesbill a.k.a. crowsfoot or wild geranium ?Geranium sylvaticum or Ranunculus sardous?MM 2.175, Herb. 67AzilaHoundstongueCynoglossumProbably a variant of Usazila (see below)Bles, BlisPurple AmaranthAmaranthus blitumBudalla, Budama, Budathala, BudathlaAnchusaAnchusa italicaPer Georgiev, Boudathla corresponds to bou-glosson 'ox's tongue'; from *gʷṓw-dn̥ǵʰ(w-e)lä 'ox-tongue'.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. Caropithla, KaropithlaYellow serradella Common PolypodyOrnithopus compressus Polypodium vulgareCercer, Cerceraphron, Kerker, KerkeraphronPimpernelAnagallisChodela, KhodelaGround PineLycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum or Lycopodium annotitum / Lycopodium dubium?) Cinouboila, Cinuboila, Kinouboila, KinuboilaWild pumpkin White bryony White grapeCucurbita foetidissima Bryonia alba Vitisa compound of kinu "dog" and oboila "apple", akin to Lithuanian šúnobuolas "wild pumpkin", Thracian dinupula, sinupyla "id". Per Georgiev, literally "hound's apple".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. Coadama, KoadamaPondweedKatičic, Radislav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976. p. 144. Potamogeton zosteraefoliumCoicolida, KoikolidaNightshadeAtropa belladonnathe 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, KotiataSwitchgrassPanicum dactylumalso refers to genus Agropyron?Courionnecum, Couriounnecum, Curiounnecum, KourionnekoumArumArumCoustane, Croustane, Crustane, Custane, Koustane, Kroustane, Krustane, KustaneGreater celandine or Lesser celandineChelidonium majus or Ranunculus ficariaCycolis, KykolisGroundcherry or AshwagandhaPhysalis sp. or Withania somniferaDacina, DakinaBeet False helleborineBeta vulgaris Veratrum nigrumthe Moesian name for these plants was Mendruta (see below)DicotellaWhite bryonyBryonia albaDiellina, Dielina, Dielleina, DiellenaHenbaneHyoscyamus 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".DiesapterMulleinVerbascumGeorgiev argued that the word contains the stem *dies 'light, day', also present in Diesema.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. DiessathelWavyleaf mulleinVerbascum sinuatumfrom 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)Orel, Vladimir E. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Brill, 1998.DiesemaMulleinVerbascumfrom IE *diyes eusmn. "burning sky" (cf. Latin dies "day", Greek heúein "to burn") and similar to German Himmelbrand "mullein", literally "burning heavens".Katičic, Radislav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976. p. 149. Diodela, Duodela, Duodella, ZiodelaYarrow? Chamomile Sweet MarjoramAchillea millefolium? Matricaria recutita Origanum majoranaDracontosRosemaryRosmarinus officinalisDokelaBugleAjuga ivaDynNettleUrticaEbustroneLesser celandineRanunculus ficariaFrom Pseudo-ApuleisGonoleta, Gouoleta, Guoleta, GuoleteGromwellKatičic, Radislav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976. p. 144. Lithospermum tenuiflorumConsumed as an oral contraceptiveHormea, HormiaAnnual clarySalvia horminumLaxPurslanePortulaca oleraceaUsed as a laxativeManteia, MantiaWoolly blackberryRubus tomentosusrelated to Albanian man "mulberry"MendrutaBeet False helleborineBeta vulgaris Veratrum nigrumActually, a Moesian plant nameMizela, Mizila, Mozula, MouzulaThymeThymusNemenepsaGround PineLycopodiumOlmaDwarf elder, DanewortSambucus ebulusParithia, ParthiaDog's Tooth GrassCynodon ?PegrinaWhite bryonyBryonia albaPhithophthethelaMaidenhair fernAdiantumPolpumDillAnethum graveolensPriadela, PriadilaWhite Bryony or Black bryonyBryonia alba or Tamus communisProbedula, Procedila , Propedila, Propedula, PropodilaCreeping CinquefoilPotentilla 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, ProdiornaBlack HelleboreHelleborus nigerRathibidaItalian asterAster amellusRiborastaBurdockArctiumSaliaAnise Stinking TutsanPimpinella tragium Hypericum hircunumSebaElderberrySambucusGeorgiev equated it to Lithuanian šeivà.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. SkiareWild TeaselDipsacus sylvestris or Dipsacus fullonumSkinpoax, Sipoax, SpioaxBroadleaf PlantainPlantago majorSikupnoex, SikupnuxEryngoEryngium campestreStirsozilaCentauryCentaurium erythraea, formerly classified as Erythraea centauriumfrom Pseudo-ApuleisTanidilaCatmintNepetaTeudilaPeppermint or Horsemint or Calamint?Mentha x piperita or Mentha sylvestris or Calamintha?Troutrastra, Trutrastra, TutrastraPumpkin ColocynthCucurbita Citrullus colocynthisToulbela, TulbelaCentauryCentaurium erythraeaUsazilaHound's TongueCynoglossumProbably a variant of Azila (see above)ZenaPoison HemlockConium maculatumZiredRedstem WormwoodArtemisia scopariaZououster, Zuste, ZuusterWormwoodArtemisia arborescens or campestris

See also Dacian language List of Dacian words List of Romanian words of possible pre-Roman origin List of Dacian names

References

External links

Sorin Olteanu's Project: Linguae Thraco-Daco-Moesorum - The Dacian Plant Names