Re: [tied] Scythian tribal names: Paralatai

Thank you for the clarification. The Nap- names probably reflect the Iranian etymon *na:f-a- 'navel', *na:f-ah- 'kinship, family'. There was an Ossetic deity called Naf (cf. Sogd. n'B [na:f] 'gens').

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: george knysh

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2001 6:40 PM

Subject: Re: [tied] Scythian tribal names: Paralatai

Pliny has more on the "Napae" or "Napitae". It is tempting to identify them with that portion of the "Royal Scythians" which Herodotus localizes somewhere in Central Asia (where they withdrew after a "misunderstanding"). In Herodotus these extraneous "Royal Scythians" live close to the Issedones. In Pliny the "Napae" or "Napitae" are assisted by the Issedones in their border wars against the Scythians of the West. So the "Pali" of Diodorus could be the "Paralatai" of the Herodotan version.