Sacae
/ˈseɪ.kiː/noun
An ancient name used by Greek and Roman writers for various Iranian-speaking steppe peoples, especially eastern Scythians.
Did you know?The Sacae were not a single unified nation but a broad ancient label applied to several nomadic Iranian-speaking groups across Central Asia.
Etymological Timeline
1st Millennium BCE
Old Persian
Sakā
“The name used in Achaemenid Persian inscriptions for eastern Iranian steppe peoples.”
1st Millennium BCE
Sanskrit
Śaka
“A term for the Saka peoples, later associated with Indo-Scythian groups in South Asia.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Σάκαι (Sákai)
“Greek plural name for eastern Scythian peoples.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Sacae
“Latin rendering of the Greek ethnonym for Central Asian nomadic peoples.”
Modern English
English
Sacae
“A historical name for ancient eastern Scythian or Iranian-speaking steppe peoples.”