Editing Bastarnae (section)

== Etymology ==
The origin of the tribal name is uncertain. It is not even clear whether it was an exonym (a name ascribed to them by outsiders) or an endonym (a name by which the Bastarnae described themselves). A related question is whether the groups denoted "Bastarnae" by the Romans considered themselves a distinct ethnic group at all (endonym) or whether it was a generic exonym used by the Greco-Romans to denote a disparate group of tribes of the Carpathian region that could not be classified as Dacians or Sarmatians.

One possible derivation is from the [[proto-Germanic]] word ''*bastjan'' (from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] root *''bʰas-''), meaning "binding" or "tie".<ref>Köbler *''bʰas''</ref> In this case, ''Bastarnae'' may have had the original meaning of a coalition or ''bund'' of tribes.

It is possible that the Roman term ''[[basterna]]'', denoting a type of wagon or litter, is derived from the name of this people (or, if it is an exonym, that the name of the people is derived from it) who were known, like many Germanic tribes, to travel with a wagon train for their families.<ref name="Dio LI.24.4">Dio [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/51*.html LI.24.4]: "For not only were they hindered by their waggons, which were in the rear, but their desire to save their wives and their children was also instrumental in their defeat."</ref>{{Synthesis inline|date=July 2021}}

It has also been suggested that the name is linked with the Germanic word ''bastard'', meaning illegitimate or mongrel, and this name is sometimes contrasted to proposed Germanic etymologies for the name of the [[Sciri]] who lived in the same general region. However, [[Roger Batty]] considers this Germanic derivation unlikely.<ref>Batty (2008)</ref> If the name is an endonym, then this derivation is unlikely, as most endonyms have flattering meanings (e.g. "brave", "strong", "noble").

Trubačev<ref name="ReferenceA">Trubačev INDOARICA в Северном Причерноморье, pp. 212–3</ref> proposes a derivation from [[Old Persian]], [[Avestan]] ''bast-'' "bound, tied; slave" (cf. [[Ossetic]] bættən "bind", bast "bound") and [[Iranian languages|Iranian]] ''*arna-'' "offspring", equating it with the ''δουλόσποροι'' "slave Sporoi" mentioned by [[Nonnus]] and [[Cosmas of Maiuma|Cosmas]], where the [[Sporoi]] are the people [[Procopius]] mentions as the ancestors of the [[Slavs]].<ref>Procopius. Wars (VIII.I4, 22–30)</ref>