Re: Decebalus, help needed

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "altamix" <alxmoeller@...> wrote:

> We have tried more joking some time ago to find out what could have
> meant "Decebalus". It seems there has been indeed just a joke and

the

> real facts have never been mentioned.
>
> First, the name Decebalus was not a name but a compositum. This name
> appeared late, after his victorius war in 84-85 AC.
>
> We know his real name was a variant of Diupaneus, Dorpaneus,

Diurpaneus

> at least these variations of his name have been recorded by ancient
> writers.
> So, the name "Decebalos" was given by Dacians to him after his
> victorious war against Domitian.
>
> I want to point out that Dio Cassius said he call the

Dacians "Daki" so

> as they call themselves.
> It seems the name "daki" is a plural form as many other folks.
>
> Now, I guess here is the interesting aspect. We know some languages

know

> the change of "a" to "e" in genitival forms. For instance

Rom. "fatã"=

> "girl" but "of the girl" is "fetei" with the change of "a" to "e".
> Now, we have 2 important aspects.
> -the name of the king which was a nickname given after the war
> -the name of the Dacians
>
> It appears that there the translation of his name should have

been "XXXX

> of the dacians"; the construction should be the typically IE
> constructions.
> Where is the help I am speaking about here?
> The first part "deke-" should be seen genitival form of "daki" (
> Genitive plural?). The second part is the one who should be

explained.

>
> Assuming there have not been too many changes from IE to the times

of

> Decebalus, then we have to explain the last part which can be maybe
> *balus, *ebalus, *abalus. I consider just these forms with /e/

and /a/

> before "balus" because I guess such kind of vowels will merge

together

> in a compositum as the one I am speaking about:
> deke+balos or deke+abalos or deke+ebalos will merge easy

in "dekebalos".

> other forms as *ubalos, *ibalos, *obalos seems to be a bit hard to

merge

> with "e" together.
>
> Any idea about any similar names with "*Vbalos" where one know the
> meaning of this "balos"?
>
> Alex

************
Maybe Decebalus means "The head of the Dacians/The leader of the
Dacians", through Alb. <ballë> 'head, forehead', related to Skt.
<bhala> 'id.', OPrus balto 'id.'. Old Alb. form should be <bala:>,
derived later <ballë> an neuter plural, as Burebista "The beater of
the warriors" from Alb. <bisht>, probably OAlb. <bist>, derivative of
verb. <bie> 'to beat'. Same formation we found in Sl. <biti> and
<bic^>.

Konushevci