Editing Dacian language (section)

==Sources==
[[File:Poiana vase.jpg|right|thumb|A fragment of a vase collected by [[Mihail Dimitriu]] at the site of [[Poiana, Galați]] ([[Piroboridava]]), [[Romania]] illustrating the use of Greek and Latin letters by a Dacian potter (source: [[Dacia (journal)|Dacia journal]], 1933)]]
Many characteristics of the Dacian language are disputed or unknown. No lengthy texts in Dacian exist, only a few glosses and personal names in ancient Greek and Latin texts. No Dacian-language inscriptions have been discovered, except some of names in the Latin or Greek alphabet. What is known about the language derives from:

[[File:Koson 79000126.jpg|thumb|Gold ''[[stater]]'' coin found in Dacia. ''Obverse'': [[Roman magistrate]] with [[lictors]]. Legend [[Coson|ΚΟΣΩΝ]] (''Coson'') and (''left centre'') monogram BR or OΛB. ''Reverse'': Eagle clutching laurel-wreath. Probably minted in a Greek [[Black sea]] city ([[Olbia, Ukraine|Olbia]]?), commissioned by a Thracian or Getan king ([[Cotiso]]? Koson?) or by a high Roman official ([[Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger|Brutus]]?), in honour of the other. Late 1st century BC]]
* Placenames, river-names and personal names, including the names of kings. The coin inscription KOΣON (''Koson'') may also be a personal name, of the king who issued the coin.
* The Dacian names of about fifty plants written in [[Greece|Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] sources (see [[List of Dacian plant names]]). Etymologies have been established for only a few of them.{{sfn|Daicoviciu|1972|p=27}}
* [[Substrata (linguistics)|Substratum]] words found in [[Romanian language|Romanian]], the language that is spoken today in most of the region once occupied by Dacian-speakers. These include [[List of Romanian words of possible pre-Roman origin|about 400 words]] of uncertain origin. Romanian words for which a Dacian origin has been proposed include: {{lang|ro|balaur}} ("dragon"), {{lang|ro|brânză}} ("cheese"), {{lang|ro|mal}} ("bank, shore"), and {{lang|ro|strugure}} ("grape").{{sfn|Price|1998|p=21}} However, the value of the substratum words as a source for the Dacian language is limited because there is no certainty that these are of Dacian origin. This can be seen in the ''Dicționar Explicativ al Limbii Române'' (DEX), which shows multiple possible etymologies for most of the words:
# Many of the words may not be "substratum" at all, as Latin etymologies have been proposed for them. These are inherently more likely than a Dacian origin, as the Romanian language is descended from Latin, not Dacian, e.g., {{lang|ro|melc}} ("snail") may derive from Latin {{lang|la|limax}}/proto-Romance *''limace'' (cf. It. {{Lang|la|lumaca}}), by [[Metathesis (linguistics)|metathesis]] of "m" with "l".{{sfn|DEX|loc=[https://dexonline.ro/definitie/melc melc]}}
# Some may derive from other little-known ancient languages at some time spoken in Dacia or Moesia: for example, the [[Iranian languages|Iranian]] [[Sarmatian language|Sarmatian]], or the [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] [[Pannonian Avars#Language|Pannonian Avar]], [[Bulgar language|Bulgar]] or [[Cuman language|Cuman]] languages,{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} or, conceivably, some unknown pre-Indo-European language(s) of the Carpathians or Balkans.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} An illustration of the latter possibility are pre-Indo-European substratum (i.e., [[Iberian language|Iberian]]/[[Basque language|Basque]]) in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], e.g., "fox" = {{lang|es|zorro}}, from Basque {{lang|eu|azeri}}, instead of [[proto-Romance]] *''vulpe''. A pre-Indo-European origin has been proposed for several Romanian substratum words, e.g., {{lang|ro|balaur}},{{sfn|DEX|loc=[https://dexonline.ro/definitie/balaur balaur]}}  {{lang|ro|brad}} ("fir-tree").{{sfn|DEX|loc=[https://dexonline.ro/definitie/brad brad]}}
# About 160 of the Romanian substratum words have [[cognate]]s in [[Albanian language|Albanian]].{{sfn|Polomé|1982|p=998}} A possible example is Romanian {{lang|ro|brad}} ("fir-tree"), Alb. cognate {{lang|sq|bradh}} (same meaning).{{sfn|DEX|loc=[https://dexonline.ro/definitie/brad brad]}} Duridanov has reconstructed *''skuia'' as a Dacian word for fir-tree.{{sfn|Duridanov|1969|p=94}}
# The numerous Romanian substratum words that have cognates in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] may derive from [[Thracian language|Thracian]], which may have been a different language from Dacian (see below, [[Dacian language#Relationship with ancient languages|Thracian]]).

{{Lang|ro|[[Balaur#Etymology|Balaur]]}} ("dragon"), ascribed a Dacian origin by some scholars, exemplifies the etymological uncertainties. According to DEX, {{lang|ro|balaur}} has also been identified as: a pre-Indo-European relic; or derived from Latin {{lang|la|belua}} or {{lang|la|beluaria}} ("beast" cf. It. {{Lang|la|belva}}), or ancient Greek {{lang|grc-Latn|pelorion}} ("monster"); or as a cognate of Alb. {{Lang|sq|buljar}} ("water-snake").{{sfn|DEX|loc=[https://dexonline.ro/definitie/balaur balaur]}} DEX argues that these etymologies, save the Albanian one, are dubious, but they are no more so than the unverifiable assertion that {{lang|ro|balaur}} is derived from an unknown Dacian word.

The substratum words have been used, in some cases, to corroborate [[List of reconstructed Dacian words|Dacian words reconstructed from place- and personal names]], e.g., Dacian *{{lang|xdc|balas}} = "white" (from personal name ''Balius''), Romanian {{lang|ro|bălan}} = "white-haired" However, even in this case, it cannot be determined with certainty whether the Romanian word derives from the presumed Dacian word or from its [[Proto-Slavic language|Old Slavic]] cognate ''belu''.