ÿþ<HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=unicode"> <META NAME="Author" CONTENT="Vassil Karloukovski"> <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> <TITLE>Thracian language - 4d</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <font face="Palatino Linotype"> <B>The Language of the Thracians, </B>Ivan Duridanov </font> <blockquote> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype"><B>IV. The Thracian onomastics</B> </font> <P>&nbsp;<P><font face="Palatino Linotype">&nbsp;&nbsp; D. <U>Names of deities</U> </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype"><B><U>Bendis</U></B> (Herodian, Choer., Hesych. and in inscriptions) - a Thracian goddess, identified by the Greeks with Arthemis or Hekata. Her name is interpreted as  binder ,  patroness of the marriage, the family life , from the IE *<i>bhendh</i>-  to bind, to join , in the Avest. <i>bandayaiti</i>  to connect , the Old-Ind. <i>bándhana</i>-  connection , the Goth., Anlo-Saxon <i>bindan</i>, the German <i>binden</i>  to bind . The cult of Bendida was also spread in Bythinia, Asia Minor. </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">The Thracian deity <B><U>Sabázios</U></B> (Orph., Aristoph., etc.), <B><U>Sabádios</U></B> (Artem., etc.), venerated also by the Phrygians, was thought to be identical to Dionysus-Bacchus, or more correctly - it was an epithet of Dionysus. The name is derived from the IE *<i>s<IMG SRC="U_D.jpg" HEIGHT=18 WIDTH=13 ALIGN=ABSBOTTOM>obhodhi-</i>(<IMG SRC="I_D.jpg" HEIGHT=18 WIDTH=7 ALIGN=ABSBOTTOM>)<i>o-s</i>, related to the Old-Bulg. <i>svobodY</i>  free . This interpreteation is further supported by the fact that one of the Greek epithets of Dionysus-Bacchus is <i>Eleutherós</i> (eleutherós =  free ). Zabazios is thought to be a Thracian name because in it the IE <i>o</i> is <i>a</i>, and <i>di</i> is <i>zi</i>, which is characteristic of the Thracian language. </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">Another deity common to Thracians and Phrygians was <B><U>Semel</U></B>, a goddess of the earth, Dionysus s mother. The name is related to the Phrygian <i>zemelM</i>  mother-earth , related to the Old-Bulg. <i>zemlja</i>, the Russ. <i>zemlja</i>  land , the Lith. <i>zeme</i>, the Latv. <i>zeme</i>, etc., and its initial form must have been *<i>zeml a</i> with an epenthetic <i>l</i>, as the Slavic word from the IE *<i>g h</i>(<i>d</i>)<i>m<IMG SRC="I_D.jpg" HEIGHT=18 WIDTH=7 ALIGN=ABSBOTTOM>a</i>. The insertion of -<i>e</i>- between <i>m</i> and <i>l</i> in the Greek rendering of the name is explained by the lack of the <i>ml</i> combination in Greek. </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">One of the most popular deities in Thracia and the neighbouring regions was <B><U>Zbelthurdos</U></B> (variants: <u><b>Zbelthiurdos</b></u>, <u><b>Zbelsurdos</b></u>, <u><b>Zbeltiurdos</b></u>, <u><b>Zberthurdos</b></u>, <u><b>Zberturdus</b></u>). The name also occurs as Zeus epithet. It is a two-component one: <i>Zbel</i>- (<i>Zber</i>-) belongs to the Latv. <i>zibele</i>  shining , the verb <i>zibelêt</i>  to flash, to twinkle, to shine ; -<i>thurdos</i> is related to the German <i>stürzen</i>  to overthrow, to fall , the Old-HighGerman <i>sturzen</i> from the IE *(<i>s</i>)<i>t<IMG SRC="R_KR.jpg" HEIGHT=19 WIDTH=11 ALIGN=ABSBOTTOM>d-<IMG SRC="I_D.jpg" HEIGHT=18 WIDTH=7 ALIGN=ABSBOTTOM>o</i>-. The name meant  to hurl thunders, lightnings; thunderer , corresponding to the Greek epithet for Zeus - <i>Zeus keráunios</i>, from the Greek <i>keraunós</i>  thunder, lightning . </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">The epithet <B><U>Pyrumrulas</U></B> (variants: <B><U>Pyrmrulas</U></B>, <B><U>Pyrymrylas</U></B>, <B><U>Pirmerulas</U></B>), which occurs as an epithet of the Thracian deity of <B><U>Heros</U></B>, is obviously a two-component word. The first component is linked to the Greek <i>pïrós</i>  maize, corn from the IE *<i>pkro</i>-, compare also to the Lith. <i>pkrai</i>  winter maize , the Latv. <i>puri</i>  maize , the Church Slavonic <i>pYiro</i>  spelt , etc.; the second component is an extension of the stem of the IE verb *<i>mr</i>-  big, great in Slavic personal names, ending in -<i>mrY</i> (Vladimer), the Old-HighGerman -<i>mr</i> in names suc as <i>Volk-mr, Hlodo-mr</i>, the Gal. -<i>mros</i> in names as <i>Nerto-mros</i>  great-in-strength , the Old-Icel. <i>mr</i>  big . </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">The epithet <B><U>Germetitha</U></B> for <U>Diana</U> (in an inscription from the Pleven district) is a two-component name. The second component is etymologically linked to the Greek <i>tito</i>  morning, day , the Alb. <i>ditë</i>  day ; the first component <i>Germe</i>- is compared (not very convincingly) to the place name <i>Germanía</i> from the basis germ- &lt; IE *<i>g<IMG SRC="U_D.jpg" HEIGHT=18 WIDTH=13>erm</i>-  warm . </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">Inscriptions from Aegean Thracia mention  the great god <B><U>Rincaleus</U></B> (or <B><U>Ringaleus</U></B>), whose name may be translated as  quick, adroit from the IE *<i>urngh</i>-, from the IE verb *<i>urengh</i>-, in the Greek <i>rhimpha</i>  quickly, skillfully , the Old-HighGerman (<i>ge</i>)<i>ringi</i>  light , the Middle German (<i>ge</i>)<i>ringi</i>  light, quick, quickly preparing . </font> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">One of the most frequent epithets of <U>Asklepius</U>, who is identified with the Thracian god <B><U>Heros</U></B>, is <B><U>Zymydrnós</U></B> (variants: <u><b>Zymdrnós</b></u>, <u><b>Zymlyzdrinós</b></u>, <u><b>Zymyzrnós</b></u>, <u><b>Zylmyzdrnós</b></u>, etc.). It is a two-component word, which first component is related to the Old-Bulg. <i>zmLia</i>  a snake with an epenthetic <i>l</i> in <i>Zyml</i>-. Recently Vl. Georgiev proposed a better interpretation -  water dragon : <i>zyml</i>-  dragon and -<i>udrnos</i>  water , from *<i>udr</i>-  water , similar to the Greek<i> án-ydros</i>  waterless , <i>hydrinós</i>  referring to water, water . </font> </blockquote> <P><font face="Palatino Linotype">[<A HREF="thrac_4c.html">Previous</A>] [<A HREF="thrac_5.html">Next</A>] <BR>[<A HREF="thrac_4.html">Back</A>] </font> </BODY> </HTML>