Editing Dacians (section)

====Modern theories====
Since the 19th century, many scholars have proposed an [[etymology|etymological]] link between the [[endonym]] of the Dacians and wolves.
* A possible connection with the [[Phrygians]] was proposed by [[Dimitar Dechev]] (in a work not published until 1957).{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} The [[Phrygian language]] word ''daos'' meant "wolf",{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} and ''Daos'' was also a Phrygian deity.{{sfn|Paliga|1999|p=77}} In later times, [[Roman auxiliaries]] recruited from the Dacian area were also known as ''Phrygi''.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} Such a connection was supported by material from [[Hesychius of Alexandria]] (5th/6th century),{{sfn|Eisler|1951|p=136}}{{sfn|Parvan|Vulpe|Vulpe|2002|p=149}} as well as by the 20th century historian [[Mircea Eliade]].{{sfn|Paliga|1999|p=77}} 
* The German linguist [[Paul Kretschmer]] linked ''daos'' to wolves via the root ''dhau'', meaning to press, to gather, or to strangle – i.e. it was believed that wolves would often use a neck bite to kill their prey.{{sfn|White|1991|p=239}}{{sfn|Alecu-Călușiță|1992|p=19}}
* Endonyms linked to wolves have been demonstrated or proposed for other [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European tribes]], including the [[Luvians]], [[Lycians]], [[Lucanians]], [[Hyrcanians]] and, in particular, the [[Dahae]] (of the south-east Caspian region),{{sfn|Eisler|1951|p=33}}{{sfn|Eliade|1995|p=12}} who were known in Old Persian as ''Daos''.{{sfn|Paliga|1999|p=77}} Scholars such as [[David Gordon White]] have explicitly linked the endonyms of the Dacians and the Dahae.{{sfn|White|1991|p=239}}
* Hungarian linguist and historian Dr. Viktor Padányi writes "By all indications their name comes from the [[Sumerian language|Sumerian]] "dag, tag" word meaning two handed axe, battle axe."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Padányi |first=Viktor |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N95HAAAAMAAJ |title=Dentumagyaria |date=1963 |publisher=Editorial Transsylvania |language=hu}}</ref>
* The ''[[Dacian Draco|Draco]]'', a standard flown by the Dacians, also prominently featured a wolf head. 
However, according to Romanian historian and archaeologist [[Alexandru Vulpe]], the Dacian etymology explained by ''daos'' ("wolf") has little plausibility, as the transformation of ''daos'' into ''dakos'' is phonetically unlikely and the ''Draco'' standard was not unique to Dacians. He thus dismisses it as [[folk etymology]].{{sfn|Vulpe|2001|pp=420–421}}

Another etymology, linked to the [[Proto-Indo-European language]] roots ''*dhe-'' meaning "to set, place" and ''dheua'' → ''dava'' ("settlement") and ''dhe-k'' → ''daci'' is supported by Romanian historian [[Ioan I. Russu]] (1967).{{sfn|Russu |1967|p=133}}