Editing Scythian languages (section)

===Place names===
Some scholars believe that many toponyms and hydronyms of the Russian and Ukrainian steppe have Scythian links. For example, [[Max Vasmer|Vasmer]] associates the name of the river [[Don River, Russia|Don]] with an assumed/reconstructed unattested Scythian word *''dānu'' "water, river", and with Avestan ''dānu-'', Pashto ''dand'' and Ossetian ''don''.<ref>[[Max Vasmer|M. Vasmer]], ''Untersuchungen über die ältesten Wohnsitze der Slaven. Die Iranier in Südrußland'', Leipzig 1923, 74.</ref>
The river names [[Don River (Russia)|Don]], [[Donets]], [[Dnieper]], [[Danube]], and [[Dniester]], and lake [[Donuzlav]] (the deepest one in [[Crimea]]) may also belong with the same word-group.<ref>{{cite journal|author1-link=Paul Kretschmer|first1=Paul|last1= Kretschmer|title= Zum Balkan-Skythischen|journal=Glotta|volume= 24 |date=1935|pages= 1–56 [7–56]|jstor=40265408|issue=1–2}}</ref>

Recorded Scythian place names include:

{| class="wikitable"
! Name !! Attested forms !! Notes 
|-
| [[Dnieper|{{Transliteration|xsc|*Baurustāna}}]]
|| {{langx|grc|Βορυσθενης|translit=Borusthenēs}}
|| Means "place of beavers." Composed of:{{sfn|Kullanda|2013|p=39-41}}
:{{Transliteration|xsc|*bauru-}} "beaver." Cognate of:
:* [[Avestan]] {{lang|ae|{{script|Avst|𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬀}}}} ({{Transliteration|ae|baβra}}) and {{lang|ae|{{script|Avst|𐬠𐬀𐬡𐬭𐬌‎}}}} ({{Transliteration|ae|baβri}}), meaning "beaver"
:* [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|बभ्रु}} ({{Transliteration|sa|babhrú}}) and {{lang|sa|बभ्रुक}} ({{Transliteration|sa|bábhruka}}), meaning "mongoose"
:{{Transliteration|xsc|*stāna}} "space."
|-
| {{lang|xsc|*Dānu}}
|| {{langx|grc|Ταναις|translit=Tanais}}
|| Means "river."{{sfn|Schmitt|2003}}
|-
| {{lang|xsc|*Pantikapa}}
|| {{langx|grc|Παντικαπαιον|translit=Pantikapaion}}
|| Means "fish-path." Composed of:<ref>{{cite book |last=Diakonoff |first=I. M. |author-link=Igor M. Diakonoff |editor-last=Gershevitch |editor-first=Ilya |editor-link=Ilya Gershevitch |date=1985 |title=The Cambridge History of Iran |volume=2 |chapter=Media |url= |location=[[Cambridge]] |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |pages=93 |isbn=978-0-521-20091-2 }}</ref>
:{{Transliteration|xsc|*panti-}}, "path." Compare with [[Avestan]] {{lang|ae|{{script|Avst|𐬞𐬀𐬧‎𐬙𐬃‎}}}} ({{Transliteration|ae|paṇ‎tā̊}}), "path."
:{{Transliteration|xsc|*kapa-}}, "fish." Compare with Khotanese [[Saka language|Saka]] {{Transliteration|kho|kavā}}, [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] {{lang|os|{{script|Cyrl|Кӕф}}}} {{Transliteration|os|kæf}}, and [[Pashto]] [[wiktionary:کب#Pashto|کب]] (Kab).
|-
| [[Volga|{{Transliteration|xsc|*Rahā}}]]
|| {{langx|grc|Ρα|translit=Rha}}
|| Means "wetness." Compare with [[Avestan]] {{lang|ae|{{script|Avst|𐬭𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬁}}}} ({{Transliteration|ae|raŋhā}}) and [[Vedic Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|{{script|Deva|रसा}}}} ({{Transliteration|sa|rasā́}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arang-river |title=ARANG |last=Brunner |first=C. J. |date=1986 |website=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |publisher= |access-date=13 August 2022 |quote=Middle Persian {{Transliteration|pal|Arang|italics=no}}/{{Transliteration|pal|Arag|italics=no}} renders Avestan {{Transliteration|ae|Raŋhā|italics=no}}, which is cognate with the Scythian name {{Transliteration|grc|Rhâ|italics=no}} ({{Transliteration|xsc|*Rahā|italics=no}}) transmitted by Ptolemy }}</ref>
|-
| [[Don (river)|{{Transliteration|xsc|*Varu}}]]
|| {{langx|grc|Οαρος|translit=Oaros}}
|| Means "broad."{{sfn|Harmatta|1999|p=129}}
|}