Editing Scythians (section)

=== Etymology ===
The name is derived from the Scythian endonym {{translit|xsc-x-pontic|Skuda}}, meaning {{lit|archers}}{{sfn|Szemerényi|1980|p=16}}{{sfn|Tokhtasyev|2005b|p=296}} which was derived from the Proto-Indo-European root ''{{PIE|skewd-}}'', itself meaning {{lit|shooter, archer}}.{{sfn|Szemerényi|1980|p=20-21}} This name was semantically similar to the endonym of the Sauromatians, {{translit|xsc|*Saᵘrumata}}, meaning "armed with throwing darts and arrows."{{sfn|Tokhtasyev|2005b|p=296}}

From this earlier term {{translit|xsc-x-pontic|Skuda}} was derived:{{sfn|Diakonoff|1985|p=96}}{{sfn|Ivantchik|1999a|p=500-501}}{{sfn|Ivantchik|2006|p=150}}
*the [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] designation of the Scythians:
**{{translit|akk-x-neoassyr|Askuzāya}} ({{lang|akk-x-neoassyr|{{cuneiform|11|𒇽𒊍𒆪𒍝𒀀𒀀}}}}{{sfn|Parpola|1970|p=178}}<ref name="Asguzayu SCYTHIAN EN">{{cite web |title=Asguzayu [SCYTHIAN] (EN) |url=http://oracc.org/qcat/cbd/qpn-x-ethnic/x00000280.html |website=Q Catalogue |series=[[Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus]] |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref>
**{{translit|akk-x-neoassyr|Ašguzāya}} ({{lang|akk-x-neoassyr|{{cuneiform|11|𒇽𒀾𒄖𒍝𒀀𒀀}}}}{{sfn|Parpola|1970|p=178}}<ref name="Asguzayu SCYTHIAN EN"/>);
**{{translit|akk-x-neoassyr|Asguzāya}} ({{lang|akk-x-neoassyr|{{cuneiform|11|𒇽𒊍𒄖𒍝𒀀𒀀}}}}{{sfn|Parpola|1970|p=178}}<ref name="Asguzayu SCYTHIAN EN"/>);
**or {{translit|akk-x-neoassyr|Iškuzāya}} ({{lang|akk-x-neoassyr|{{cuneiform|11|𒇽𒅖𒆪𒍝𒀀𒀀}}}}<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Parpola|1970|p=178}}|{{cite web |title=Iškuzaya [SCYTHIAN] (EN) |url=http://oracc.org/saao/saa04/sig?☣%40saao%2Fsaa04%25akk-x-neobab%3Aiš-ku-za-a.a%3DIškuzaya[Scythian%2F%2FScythian]EN´EN%24Iškuzaya |department=Queries to the Sungod: Divination and Politics in Sargonid Assyria |website=State Archives of Assyria Online |series=[[Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus]] |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |access-date=20 June 2024}}|{{cite web |title=Iškuzaya [SCYTHIAN] (EN) |url=http://oracc.org/tsae/cbd/qpn-x-ethnic/x000004580.html |website=Textual Sources of the Assyrian Empire |series=[[Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus]] |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |access-date=20 June 2024}}|{{cite web |title=Iškuzaya [SCYTHIAN] (EN) |url=http://oracc.org/armep/cbd/qpn/x000093060.html |website=Ancient Records of Middle Eastern Polities |series=[[Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus]] |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |access-date=20 June 2024}}}}</ref>)
* as well as the [[Ancient Greek]] name {{translit|grc|Skuthai}} ({{lang|grc|Σκυθαι}}), from which was derived the Latin name {{lang|la|Scythae}}, which gave the English name {{translit|en|Scythians}}.{{sfn|Ivantchik|2018}}

The [[Urartian language|Urartian]] name for the Scythians might have been {{translit|xur|Išqigulu}} ({{lang|xur|{{cuneiform|11|𒆳𒅖𒆥𒄖𒇻}}}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Išqigulu [(A LAND)] (GN) |url=http://oracc.org/ecut/cbd/qpn/x000001130.html |website=Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts |series=[[Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus]] |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Išqigulu [(A LAND)] (GN) |url=http://oracc.org/ecut/cbd/qpn-x-places/x000000890.html |website=Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts |series=[[Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus]] |publisher=[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref>).{{sfn|Sulimirski|Taylor|1991|p=558}}

Due to a sound change from /δ/ ({{IPAslink|ð}}) to {{IPAslink|l}} commonly attested in East Iranic language family to which Scythian belonged, the name {{translit|xsc-x-pontic|Skuδa}} evolved into {{translit|xsc-x-pontic|Skula}}, which was recorded in ancient Greek as {{translit|grc|Skōlotoi}} ({{lang|grc|Σκωλοτοι}}), in which the Greek plural-forming suffix {{lang|grc|-τοι}} was added to the name.{{sfn|Szemerényi|1980|p=22}}{{sfn|Tokhtasyev|2005a|p=68-84}}

The name of the 5th century BC king [[Scyles]] ({{langx|grc|Σκυλης|translit=Skulēs}}) represented this later form, {{translit|xsc-x-pontic|Skula}}.{{sfn|Diakonoff|1985|p=96}}{{sfn|Ivantchik|1999a|p=500-501}}