List of Dacian plant names


This is a list of plant names in Dacian, surviving from ancient botanical works such as Dioscorides' De Materia Medica and Pseudo-Apuleius' Herbarius. 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.
A separate list exists containing Romanian words of possible Dacian origin that form the Eastern Romance substratum.
DacianEnglishBotanicalNotes
Adila
  1. Bistort
  2. Arum
  • Persicaria bistorta, also classified as Polygonum bistorta
  • Arum maculatum
  • primary source for this meaning as yet unidentified
  • Herb., 14
  • Amalusta, Amolusta, AmulustaChamomileMatricaria recutita or Anthemis tinctoria Herb. 23; possibly related to Albanian ëmbël, ambël "sweet". *lustu appears as a proto-Celtic word for "plant".
    Aniarsexe, AniassexieSainfoin a.k.a. Cock's HeadOnobrychis caput galii-
    AprusGladwin IrisIris foetidissima-
    Arpopria, ArborriaClimbing IvyHedera helix-
    AsaColtsfootTussilago farfaraalso a Bessian plant name.
    Aurumetti, AurimetellumCranesbill a.k.a. Crow's Foot, Wild Geranium ?Geranium sylvaticum or Ranunculus serdous?MM 2.175, Herb. 67
    AzilaHound's TongueCynoglossumProbably a variant of Usazila
    Bles, BlisPurple AmaranthAmaranthus blitum-
    Budalla, Budama, Budathala, BudathlaAnchusaAnchusa italica-
    Caropithla, Karopithla
    1. Yellow Serradella
    2. Common Polypody
  • Ornithopus compressus
  • Polypodium vulgare
  • -
    Cercer, Cerceraphron, Kerker, KerkeraphronPimpernelAnagallis-
    Chodela, KhodelaGround PineLycopodium -
    , Cinuboila, Kinouboila, Kinuboila
  • Wild Pumpkin
  • White Bryony.
  • White Grape
  • Cucurbita foetidissima
  • Bryonia alba
  • Vitis
  • a compound of kinu "dog" and oboila "apple", akin to Lithuanian šúnobuolas "wild pumpkin", Thracian dinupula, sinupyla "id"
    Coadama, KoadamaPondweedPotamogeton zosteraefolium-
    Coicolida, 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, KourionnekoumArumArum-
    Coustane, Croustane, Crustane, Custane, Koustane, Kroustane, Krustane, KustaneGreater celandine or Lesser celandineChelidonium majus or Ranunculus ficaria-
    Cycolis, KykolisGroundcherry or AshwagandhaPhysalis sp. or Withania somnifera-
    Dacina, Dakina
  • Beet
  • False helleborine
  • Beta vulgaris
  • Veratrum nigrum
  • the Moesian name for these plants was Mendruta
    DicotellaWhite BryonyBryonia alba-
    Dielina, Dielleina, DiellenaHenbaneHyoscyamus niger
    DiesapterMulleinVerbascum-
    DiessathelWavyleaf MulleinVerbascum sinuatumfrom IE *diwes-sētlo; where the second element meant "sieve"
    DiesemaMulleinVerbascumfrom IE *diyes eusmn. "burning sky" and similar to German Himmelbrand "mullein", literally "burning heavens".
    Diodela, Duodela, Duodella, Ziodela
  • Yarrow?
  • Chamomile
  • Sweet Marjoram
  • Achillea millefolium?
  • Matricaria recutita
  • Origanum majorana
  • -
    DracontosRosemaryRosmarinus officinalis-
    DokelaBugleAjuga iva-
    DynNettleUrtica-
    EbustroneLesser celandineRanunculus ficariaFrom Pseudo-Apuleis
    Gonoleta, Gouoleta, Guoleta, GuoleteGromwellLithospermum tenuiflorumConsumed as an oral contraceptive
    Hormea, HormiaAnnual ClarySalvia horminum-
    LaxPurslanePortulaca oleraceaUsed as a laxative
    Manteia, MantiaWoolly BlackberryRubus tomentosus-
    Mendruta
  • Beet
  • False Helleborine
  • Beta vulgaris
  • Veratrum nigrum
  • Actually, a Moesian plant name
    Mizela, Mizila, Mozula, MouzulaThymeThymus-
    NemenepsaGround PineLycopodium-
    OlmaDwarf elder, DanewortSambucus ebulus-
    Parithia, ParthiaDog's Tooth GrassCynodon ?-
    PegrinaWhite BryonyBryonia alba-
    PhithophthethelaMaidenhair fernAdiantum-
    PolpumDillAnethum graveolens-
    Priadela, PriadilaWhite Bryony or Black BryonyBryonia alba or Tamus communis-
    Probedula, 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.
    Prodiarna, ProdiornaBlack HelleboreHelleborus niger-
    RathibidaItalian AsterAster amellus-
    RiborastaBurdockArctium-
    Salia
  • Anise
  • Stinking Tutsan
  • Pimpinella tragium
  • Hypericum hircunum
  • -
    SebaElderberrySambucus-
    SkiareWild TeaselDipsacus sylvestris or Dipsacus fullonum-
    Skinpoax, Sipoax, SpioaxBroadleaf PlantainPlantago major-
    Sikupnoex, SikupnuxEryngoEryngium campestre-
    StirsozilaCentauryCentaurium erythraea, formerly classified as Erythraea centauriumfrom Pseudo-Apuleis
    TanidilaCatmintNepeta-
    TeudilaPeppermint or Horsemint or Calamint?Mentha x piperita or Mentha sylvestris or Calamintha?-
    Troutrastra, Trutrastra, Tutrastra
  • Pumpkin
  • Colocynth
  • Cucurbita
  • Citrullus colocynthis
  • -
    Toulbela, TulbelaCentauryCentaurium erythraea-
    UsazilaHound's TongueCynoglossumProbably a variant of Azila
    ZenaPoison HemlockConium maculatum-
    ZiredRedstem WormwoodArtemisia scoparia-
    Zououster, Zuste, ZuusterWormwoodArtemisia arborescens or campestris-