Valentyn Stetsiuk
More about Scythians & Chuvashes
How it is showed in my book "Research into Prehistorc Ethnogenetic
Processes in East Europe" (see:
http://brama.com/education/stetsiuketh
noabs.html ), an original Turk's fatherland was near the lake Sevan in
present Armenia. They wandered from there to East Europe in 5 mill B.C.
after Indo-European and Finn-Ugrian did it. They settled here between
Don and Dniepr river. Separate Turk languages began to form at this
area. The most of Turks wandered to Central Asia to find more area for
their horse and cattle herds in 3 mill B.C. But a purt of Turks stayed
in East Europe. The ancestors of present Chuvashes, original Bulgars,
crossed Dniepr river and settled an area near to original Italics, wich
were settled in area between Teterev and Sluch river accordingly to
results of my previous researches. Some Latin-Chuvash lexical parallel
confirm this: L (Latin) amikus "friend" - Ch (Chuvashian) ami "friend",
L cito "swift" - Ch khyta "swift", L cocles "crooked" - Ch kuklek
"crooked", L farnus "ash" - Ch verene "ash" (more examples are given in
the book).
In this time famous Tripolye culture existed in Dniestr river basin and
in nearest areas. Its bearers came here from Balkan Peninsula. Bulgars
were with them in concact too. Some Hebraic-Chuvashian lexical
accordances let us to suppose, that Tripolye culture bearers were of
Semitic origin (Hebr. khail "force" - Ch khal "force", Hebr. takham
"taste" - Ch tekhem "taste", Hebr. satar "destroy" - Ch satar "damage"
and others). On the other hand some Turkish common words can be of
Semitik origin too (alma "apple", ögüz "cattle" a.o.). Semitic tribes
could come in East Europe from Asia Minor.
Later Bulgars were in contact with original Germanics, which were
settled in Pripiat river basin in end of 2 mill B.C. Many lexical
Germanic-Chuvashian parallels confirm the contact between orinal
Bulgars and Germans. Some examples are such: G. (German) Wermut
"wormood" - Ch armuti "wormwood", G Volk "folk" - Ch pulkka "herd", G
Herde "herd" - Ch kert "herd", G Wake "ice hole" - Ch vak "ice hole"
and many other.
Ukrainian archaeologists have found many relics of early Scythian
culture in West Ukraine, but such relics were not found in East
Ukraine. This fact let us to suppose, that Scythian culture was of
native origin and it has not been brought from Central Asia to the
North Coast of Black and Azov Sea, how many of scholars think. Going on
farther, one can suppose, that Scythians were the same Bulgars, since
no other people lived in this area at that time. To check this
supposition, Scythian onomasticon has been compared with modern
Chuvashian words. Scythian onomasticon (the list of Scythian proper
names) is known from work of an Ukrainian scholar V.P. Petrov (Petrov
V.P. 1968, Skify. Kiev. - in Ukrainian, p. 118 -143). Nearly 200
proper names were included by Petrov to the onomastikon from
different, mostly Greek sources. It was difficult to divide Scythian
and Thracian names, therefore there can be some Thracian words in the
onomasticon too. Sens of names is unknown and many scholars tried to
explain the words. Almost all scholars tried to explain Scythian names
on the basis of Iranian languages, but mostly only on old Persian or
Ossetian ones. Therefore they consider, that Ossetian language is
continuation of Scythian one. To chek Iranian origin of Scythian
languge, Scythian onomastikon has be compared not only with Chuvashian
language, but with other modern Iranian languages. As result of this
comparative analysis was a conclusion, that Scythian words have mostly
parallels in Chuvashian language (130 from 199). Out of Iranian
languages Kurdish one has much more parallels in Scythian, than
Ossetian has. The exsamoles of explanation of Scythian's word on the
basis of Ossetian language are unnumerous and great part of them are
accidental, unsystematic and unconvincing. Best of them are given in my
article (see ) beside parallel from other Iranian and Chuvashian
languages, wich are much numerous and have mostly sens, that is more
fit to proper names. For example: V. Abaev gave for explanation Scyth.
Ababos Osset. wafun "to weav", wich is phoneticly too far. Kurdish
ebaboz "thief" fits much better for a proper name. To Scyth. Adziagos
Osset. az "year" is not enough, Ch acha "child" and akash "swan"
("Child of swan") is much better too. To Scyth. Skartanos fits better
Ch s'arttan "pike" (fish), than Osset. skäryn "to drive", for having
many Scythian proper names, which can be explained as Chuvashian animal
names (pike, trout, falcon, lynx, polecat, calf, bull etc) . Who knows
Chuvashian language can check the onomasticon in ( )
himself.
Our supposition about Chuvashes as Scythian descendants can be
confirmed by explanation of Scythian mythology on the basis of
Chuvashian language. Herodotos reported us a Scythian legend, according
it the first man in Scythia was Targitaios, the son of god Zeus and
goddes of Borysthen river. Targitaios had three sons - Lipoksaios,
Arpaksaios and Kolaksaios. The name Targitaios in conformity with law
of Chuvashian historical phonetics can be explained as "Wedding of
Gods" (Ch. tura "god" and tuy "wedding"). The name Arpaksaios can be
explained as "treat of barley" (Ch urpa "barleu" and say "treat"), what
is suited to wedding good. Then name Kolaksaios can be considered as
"treat of bird" (Ch kayak "bird"). The name Lipoksaios is impossible to
explain, but it can be spoiled by Herodotos and the original form was
Poliksaios, that can be explained as "treat of fish" (Ch pulak "fish").
Goddes Tabiti was the most respected at Scythians. Herodotos said,
that she was corresponded to Greek virginal goddes Gestia. The name
Tabiti can be explained as "Promisor of Celibasy" (Ch tupa "oath" and
te "to say"). Scythian gods Papay and Api were correspondented by
Herodotos to main Greek gods Zeus and Gea. Their names can be
understanded as "Grandfather" and "Grandmother" (Ch papay
"grandfather" and epi "midwife"). The name of Scythian god Oytosir can
be explained as "Disaster-calling" (Ch ayta "call" and shar
"disaster"). The Scythian goddes of fruitivity had name Argimpasa, that
can be composed out two word, which have such Chuvashian accordances:
aram "woman" and pusa "field". The last known us Scythian god had name
Tagimasad. He was corresponded by Herodotos with Greek god Poseidon. In
his time Poseidon had destroyed Odyseus' ship, thefore the name
Tagimasad can be explained as "Ship-destroyer" (Ch takana "wash-tub",
possibly, earlier "boat" and shat "to punch").
Some Scythian toponimy can be explained with help of Chuvashian
lexicon. For example, locality Eksampay can mean "rich on wild garlic"
(Ch uksam "wild garlic" and puy "to be rich"). Pantikap river can be
explained as "mouldy" (Ch pantakh "mould" and kap "appearance"). Some
researcher identify Pantikap with modern Molchnaya (milky) river. Old
and modern names of river can have the same exlpanation, if water of
this river has whitish colour. The name of Gipakiris river can be
composed out of two words as Ch kipek "coll" and iresh "siftings, bran".
All these facts give us enough grouns to believe, that modern
Chuvashes are descendants of old Scythians. Kurdish-Scythian parallels,
which were found in lexicon, let us suppose, that some Iranian tribe,
related to modern Kurds, resided in neighbourhood to Scytians.