Editing Dacian language (section)

===Place names===
{{Main|Davae}}

Ptolemy gives a list of 43 names of towns in Dacia, out of which arguably 33 were of Dacian origin. Most of the latter included the suffix ''-dava'', meaning settlement or village. But, other Dacian names from his list lack the suffix, for example Zarmisegethusa regia = Zermizirga, and nine other names of Dacian origin seem to have been Latinised.{{sfn|Oltean|2007|p=114}}

The Dacian linguistic area is characterised mainly with composite names ending in ''-dava'', or variations such as ''-deva'', ''-daua'', ''-daba'', etc. The settlement names ending in these suffixes are geographically grouped as follows:{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}
* In Dacia: [[Acidava]], [[Argedava]], [[Argidava]], [[Buridava]], [[Cumidava]], Dokidaua, Karsidaua, Klepidaua, Markodaua, Netindaua, Patridaua, Pelendova, *Perburidava, Petrodaua, Piroboridaua, Rhamidaua, Rusidava, Sacidaba, Sangidaua, [[Setidava]], Singidaua, Sykidaba, Tamasidaua, Utidaua, Zargidaua, [[Ziridava]], Zucidaua&nbsp;– 26 names altogether.
* In [[Lower Moesia]] (the present northern [[Bulgaria]]) and [[Scythia Minor (Dobruja)|Scythia Minor]] ([[Dobruja]]): [[Aedabe]], *Buteridava, *Giridava, Dausdavua, Kapidaua, Murideba, Sacidava, Scaidava (Skedeba), Sagadava, Sukidaua (Sucidava)&nbsp;– 10 names in total.
* In [[Upper Moesia]] (the present districts of Nish, Sofia, and partly Kjustendil): [[Aiadaba]], Bregedaba, Danedebai, Desudaba, Itadeba, Kuimedaba, Zisnudeba&nbsp;– 7 names in total.

Besides these regions, similar village names are found in three other places:
* Thermi-daua (Ptolemy), a town in [[Dalmatia]], a Grecised form of *Germidava. This settlement was probably founded by immigrants from Dacia.
* Gil-doba—a village in [[Thrace]], of unknown location.
* Pulpu-deva in Thrace—today [[Plovdiv]] in Bulgaria.

A number of Dacian settlements do not have the ''-dava'' ending or variant suffix. Some of these are: [[Acmonia, Dacia|Acmonia]], [[Aizis]], [[Amutria]], [[Apulon]], [[Arcina (Dacia)|Arcina]], [[Arcobadara]], [[Arutela]], [[Berzovia|Berzobis]], [[Brucla]], [[Diacum]], [[Dierna (Dacia)|Dierna]], [[Dinogetia]], [[Drobeta (ancient city)|Drobeta]], [[Egeta]], [[Isaccea|Genucla]], [[Romula|Malva]] (Romula), [[Napoca (ancient city)|Napoca]], [[Oescus]], [[Patruissa (Dacia)|Patruissa]], [[Pinon, Dacia|Pinon]], [[Potaissa]], [[Ratiaria]], [[Sarmizegetusa Regia|Sarmizegetusa]], [[Tapae]], [[Tibiscum]], [[Tirista (Dacia)|Tirista]], [[Tsierna]], [[Tyrida]], [[Zaldapa]], [[Zeugma, Dacia|Zeugma]] and [[Zurobara]].{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}