Tanais
/ˈtæn.eɪɪs/noun
An ancient Greek and Latin name for the Don River and for a Greek trading city near its mouth.
Did you know?The city of Tanais became a major cultural meeting point where Greek, Scythian, Sarmatian, and later Roman worlds collided near the Sea of Azov.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰenh₂-
“A proposed ancient root associated with flowing or water; its connection with Tanais is uncertain.”
Proto-Indo-Iranian
PII
*dānu-
“A proposed word for “river” or “flowing water,” seen in a family of ancient Eurasian river names.”
Scythian period
Scythian/Iranian
*Dānu-
“A reconstructed Iranian-form river name thought by some scholars to underlie later names of major rivers.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Τάναϊς (Tánaïs)
“The Don River; also the name of a Greek colony established near its mouth.”
Ancient Rome
Latin
Tanais
“The classical Latin name for the Don River and its neighboring settlement.”
Modern English
English
Tanais
“A historical name used for the Don River or the ancient city on its lower course.”