During antiquity, the name of the river was recorded as 'Axios'. Although it appears to look like a Greek word, it may in fact be a Thracian word which meant 'black'. The Macedonian river 'Crna Reka' (originally known as 'Erigon', another Thracian word meaning 'black'), although not the same as the 'Vardar', is nevertheless one of its tributaries. There is another river which was known as 'Axios' and located in Romania, and this river is now known as 'Cernavoda'.
A suggested origin for 'Axios' is PIE η-ks(e)y-no, which is supposed to mean 'dark' or 'black', and is cognate with Avestan 'Axsaena'. This could then be connected to PIE n.-sk(e)i, which is supposed to mean 'dark-coloured', and is cognate with Avestan 'Axšaēna' and Thracian 'Axios' (which would mean 'not-shining').
A suggested origin for 'Vardar' (which also may be Thracian) is PIE (s)wordo-wori-, which is supposed to mean 'black water', and is cognate with German 'Schwarz'.
I would also like to find out when exactly the river has been referred to as 'Vardar', as I have read on some websites that it may have been used earlier than once thought. This is only a summary after a brief search on the net, if anybody has anything more to add, please do so, it would be good to corroborate the above.
A suggested origin for 'Axios' is PIE η-ks(e)y-no, which is supposed to mean 'dark' or 'black', and is cognate with Avestan 'Axsaena'. This could then be connected to PIE n.-sk(e)i, which is supposed to mean 'dark-coloured', and is cognate with Avestan 'Axšaēna' and Thracian 'Axios' (which would mean 'not-shining').
A suggested origin for 'Vardar' (which also may be Thracian) is PIE (s)wordo-wori-, which is supposed to mean 'black water', and is cognate with German 'Schwarz'.
I would also like to find out when exactly the river has been referred to as 'Vardar', as I have read on some websites that it may have been used earlier than once thought. This is only a summary after a brief search on the net, if anybody has anything more to add, please do so, it would be good to corroborate the above.
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