Editing Volga (section)

==Name==
[[File:Rybinsk Reservoir. Cruise ship Maksim Litvinov P5213234 2200.jpg|alt=|thumb|Cruise ship on the Volga.]]
[[File:ISS-60 Volga River flowing into the Caspian Sea.jpg|alt=Large river ending in triangular delta into sea, seen from above the atmosphere|thumb|270x270px|View of the [[Volga Delta]] from the [[International Space Station]]]]

The Russian [[hydronym]] {{Transliteration|ru|Volga}} ({{lang|ru|{{script|Cyrl|Волга}}}}) derives from [[Proto-Slavic]] *''vòlga'' 'wetness, moisture', which is preserved in many Slavic languages, {{Transliteration|ru|vlaga}} ({{lang|ru|влага}}) 'moisture', [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] {{Transliteration|bg|vlaga}} ({{lang|bg|{{script|Cyrl|влага}}}}) 'moisture', [[Czech language|Czech]] {{Transliteration|cs|vláha}} 'dampness', [[Serbo-Croatian]]: {{lang|sh|vlaga}} ({{lang|sh|{{script|Cyrl|влага}}}}) 'moisture', [[Slovene language|Slovene]] {{Transliteration|sl|vlaga}} 'moisture', [[Polish language|Polish]] {{lang|pl|wilgoć}} 'moisture' and [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] {{Transliteration|mk|vlaga}} ({{lang|mk|{{script|Cyrl|влага}}}}) 'moisture', among others.<ref>See [[Max Vasmer]]'s dictionary under "{{lang|ru|Волга}}".</ref>

The [[Scythian languages|Scythian]] name for the Volga was {{Transliteration|xsc|Rahā}},<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arang-river |title=ARANG |last=Brunner |first=C. J. |date=1986 |website=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |publisher= |access-date=13 August 2022 |quote=Middle Persian {{Transliteration|pal|Arang |italics=no}}/{{Transliteration|pal|Arag |italics=no}} renders Avestan {{Transliteration|ae|Raŋhā |italics=no}}, which is cognate with the Scythian name {{Transliteration|grc|Rhâ |italics=no}} ({{Transliteration|xsc|*Rahā |italics=no}}) transmitted by Ptolemy |archive-date=12 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812220052/https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arang-river |url-status=live }}</ref> literally meaning 'wetness'. This is related to the [[Avestan language|Avestan]] name for a mythical stream, {{Transliteration|ae|Raŋhā}} ({{lang|ae|{{script|Avst|𐬭𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬁}}}}), which means "wet" or "moisture", and was derived from [[Proto-Indo-European]] ''{{PIE|*h₁res-}}'' or ''{{PIE|*h₁ers-}}'').<ref>J.P. Mallory & D.Q. Adams, ''Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture'', s.v. "dew" (London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997), 158-9.</ref> This name can be compared to several Indo-Iranic terms, such as:

* [[Sogdian language|Sogdian]] {{Transliteration|sog|rʾk}} ({{lang|sog|{{script|Sogd|𐽀𐼰𐼸}}}}) 'vein, blood vessel' (from Old Iranian {{Transliteration|ira|*rahaka}}),<ref>Michiel de Vaan, ''Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italian Languages'', s.v. "rōs, rōris" (Leiden: Brill, 2008), 526-7.</ref>
* [[Persian language|Persian]] {{lang|fa|[[wikt:رگ|رگ]]}} {{Transliteration|fa|rag}} 'vein,'<ref>Nourai, Ali. 2013. An Etymological Dictionary of Persian, English and Other Indo-European Languages. Index of Words in Different Languages, vol. 1, p. 130.</ref>
* [[Vedic Sanskrit]] {{Transliteration|sa|rasā́}} ({{lang|sa|{{script|Deva|रसा}}}}) 'dew, liquid, juice; mythical river'), which was also the name of [[Rasā|a tributary]] of the Indus river.<ref>Lebedynsky, Iaroslav. ''Les Sarmates: Amazones et lanciers cuirassés entre Oural et Danube''. Paris: Editions Errance, 2002.</ref>
The Scythian name survives in modern [[Moksha language|Moksha]] as {{Transliteration|mdf|Rav}} ({{lang|mdf|{{script|Cyrl|Рав}}}}).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hartley |first1=Janet M. |title=The Volga: A History |date=2021 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-24564-6 |page=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DjoHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Herrala |first1=Eva |last2=Feoktistov |first2=Aleksandr |year=1998 |title=Mokšalais-Suomalainen sanakirja |url= |location=Turku |publisher=University of Turku |page=54 |isbn=951-29-1244-9}}</ref>

The [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] author [[Herodotus]] recorded two more ancient Iranic names of the Volga:
* {{Transliteration|en|Oaros}} ({{langx|grc|Οαρος|translit=Oaros}}; {{langx|la|Oarus}}), which was derived from [[Scythian languages|Scythian]] {{Transliteration|xsc|*Varu}}, meaning "broad".{{sfn|Harmatta|1999|p=129}}
** The Huns' name of the [[Dnieper]] river, {{transliteration|xhc|Var}}, was also derived from Scythian {{Transliteration|xsc|*Varu}}.{{sfn|Harmatta|1999|p=129}}
* {{Transliteration|en|Araxes}} ([[Ancient Greek]]: {{langx|grc|Αραξης|translit=Araxēs}}; {{langx|la|Araxes}})<ref name="OlbrychtCimmerians">{{cite book |editor-last1=Pstrusińska |editor-first1=Jadwiga |editor-link1=:pl:Jadwiga Pstrusińska |editor-last2=Fear |editor-first2=Andrew |last=Olbrycht |first=Marek Jan |date=2000 |title=Collectanea Celto-Asiatica Cracoviensia |chapter=The Cimmerian Problem Re-Examined: the Evidence of the Classical Sources |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/1509846 |location=[[Kraków]] |publisher={{ill|Księgarnia Akademicka|pl|vertical-align=sup}} |isbn=978-8-371-88337-8 |access-date=16 August 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813195535/https://www.academia.edu/1509846 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="OlbrychtNomads">{{cite book |editor-last1=Pstrusińska |editor-first1=Jadwiga |editor-link1=:pl:Jadwiga Pstrusińska |editor-last2=Fear |editor-first2=Andrew |last=Olbrycht |first=Marek Jan |date=2000 |title=Collectanea Celto-Asiatica Cracoviensia |chapter=Remarks on the Presence of Iranian Peoples in Europe and Their Asiatic Relations |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/11934986 |pages=101–104 |location=[[Kraków]] |publisher={{ill|Księgarnia Akademicka|pl|vertical-align=sup}} |isbn=978-8-371-88337-8 |access-date=16 August 2022 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925135705/https://www.academia.edu/11934986 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Turkic people]]s living along the river formerly referred to it as {{Transliteration|trk|Itil}} or ''[[Atil]]''. In modern [[Turkic languages]], the Volga is known as {{Transliteration|tt|İdel}} ({{lang|tt|{{script|Cyrl|Идел}}}}) in [[Tatar language|Tatar]], {{Transliteration|cv|Atăl}} ({{lang|cv|{{script|Cyrl|Атӑл}}}}) in [[Chuvash language|Chuvash]], {{Transliteration|ba|Iźel}} in [[Bashkir language|Bashkir]], {{Transliteration|kk|Edıl}} in [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], and {{Transliteration|tr|İdil}} in [[Turkish language|Turkish]]. The Turkic names go back to the ancient Turkic form "{{Transliteration|trk|Etil}}/{{Transliteration|trk|Ertil}}", the origin and meaning of which are not clear. Perhaps this form has a connection with the hydronym [[Irtysh River|''Irtesh'']].<ref>Akhmetyanov R. G. Brief Historical and etymological dictionary of the Tatar language. - Kazan: Tat. publishing house, 2001. p. 76. {{ISBN|5-298-01004-0}} (In tatar: Әхмәтьянов Р. Г. Татар теленең кыскача тарихи-этимологик сүзлеге. — Казан: Тат. кит. нәшр., 2001. б. 76. )</ref>

The Turkic peoples associated the Itil's origin with the [[Kama (river)|Kama]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kama River {{!}} river, Russia {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kama-River-Russia |access-date=24 January 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=24 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124125816/https://www.britannica.com/place/Kama-River-Russia |url-status=live }}</ref> Thus, a left tributary to the Kama was named the [[Belaya River (Kama)|{{Transliteration|trk|Aq Itil}}]] 'White Itil' which unites with the [[Ufa River|{{Transliteration|trk|Kara Itil}}]] 'Black Itil' at the modern city of [[Ufa]].{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} The name {{Transliteration|kbd|Indyl}} ({{Transliteration|kbd|Indɨl}}) is used in the [[Kabardian language|Cherkess]] language.

In Asia the river was known by its other Turkic name {{Transliteration|trk|Sarı-su}} 'yellow water', but the [[Oirats]] also used their own name, {{Transliteration|xal|Ijil mörön}} or 'adaptation river'. Presently the [[Mari people|Mari]], another [[Uralic languages|Uralic]] group, call the river {{Transliteration|chm|Jul}} ({{lang|chm|{{script|Cyrl|Юл}}}}), meaning 'way' in [[Tatar language|Tatar]]. Formerly, they called the river {{Transliteration|chm|Volgydo}}, a borrowing from [[Old East Slavic]].{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}