Editing Nuraghe (section)

==Etymology==

Natively, the structure is called a ''nuraghe'' ({{IPA|sc|nuˈɾaɣɛ|lang}}, {{IPA|it|nuˈraːɡe|lang}}; plural: [[Logudorese dialect|Logudorese Sardinian]] {{lang|sc|nuraghes}}, [[Campidanese dialect|Campidanese Sardinian]] {{lang|sc|nuraxis}} {{IPA|sc|nuˈɾaʒizi|}}, [[Italian language|Italian]] {{lang|it|nuraghi}}). According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' the etymology is "uncertain and disputed": "The word is perhaps related to the Sardinian place names ''Nurra'', ''Nurri'', ''Nurru'', and to Sardinian ''nurra'' 'heap of stones, cavity in earth' (although these senses are difficult to reconcile). A connection with the Semitic base of Arabic ''nūr'' 'light, fire, etc.' is now generally rejected."<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'' (online ed.), s.v. ''nuraghe''.</ref> The Latin word ''murus'' ('wall') may be related to it,<ref>M. Pittau, philologist</ref> being a result of the derivation: ''murus''–''*muraghe''–nuraghe. However, such theories are debated.

An etymological theory suggests a [[Proto-Basque language|Proto-Basque]] origin by the term ''*nur'' (stone) with the common {{nowrap|-''ak''}} plural ending;<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/1559257/Recensione_di_Blasco_Ferrer_Paleosardo Recensione di Blasco Ferrer, Paleosardo]</ref> the [[Paleo-Sardinian language|Paleo-Sardinian]] suffix {{nowrap|-''ake''}} is also found in some [[Indo-European languages]] such as [[Latin]] and [[Greek language|Greek]].<ref>M. Wagner, La lingua sarda, Berna 1951</ref> Another possible explanation is that the term ''nuraghe'' came from the name of the [[Iberians|Iberian]] mythological hero [[Norax]], and the root ''*nur'' would be an adaptation of the Indo-European root ''*nor''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Ugas|first=Giovanni|title=L'alba dei Nuraghi|publisher=Fabula|year=2005|isbn=88-89661-00-3|location=Cagliari|pages=25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Arquer|first=Sigismondo|title=Sardiniae brevis historia et descriptio|publisher=CUEC|year=2008|editor-last=Laneri|editor-first=Maria Teresa|pages=16|quote=Nowadays Sardinia is part of Spain and ancient tower-like ruins tapered towards the upper end dot the rural and mountainous areas, and they are built with solid rocks and have narrow openings; to the center are small steps leading to the top: they seem like fortresses. The native Sardinians call this type of ruins Nuraghes, perhaps because they are what is left of Norax's feats. [original text: Hodie insula paret regi Hispanorum habetque passim antiquissimas ruinas in locis agrestibus et montosis instar rotundarum turrium in angustiam ascendentium, quae robustissimis saxis sunt extructae, habentes ianuas angustissimas; intra vero muri mediam latitudinem sunt gradus per quos in altum conscenditur: prae se ferunt formam propugnaculorum. Incolae vocant huiusmodi ruinas nuragos, fortassis quod reliquiae quaedam sint operum Noraci.]}}</ref>

[[File:Sardegna densità nuragica.svg|thumb|160px|Density map of nuraghes on [[Sardinia]] per km<sup>2</sup>.]]