Stephanos of Byzantium - Ethnika
Skythai: Skythai, a Thracian people. They were previously called Nomaioi, and Skythai from Skythes son of Heracles, though some say from 'skyzesthai'; for they are most irascible. So Skythia and 'Skythai' and 'Skythikoi' and 'Skythika' are said, and 'Skythike'. There is also a kind of shoe, as 'Persikai'. And 'Skythie', and "Skythes throng", and "to the Skythian path", and "Skythian iron". Whence 'aposkythisai', to cut the hair with the iron. The vocative is Skytha, as 'Persa', and there is Skythe. And 'Skythis' the feminine, and 'Skythaina', as 'kerykaina', and 'to skythize'.
External translation supplied by Brady Kiesling; reported Claude Fable 5.5 translation. Credit: Brady Kiesling and the Stephanos project (Greg Baker, Gabriel Jower, Greta Hawes, Brady Kiesling). Not individually verified; exact Greek input not supplied.
Stephanos excerpt (left) is aligned with matched Herodian passages (right). Colors indicate corresponding overlap spans.
… Νομαῖοι Σκύθαι δὲ ἀπὸ Σκύθου παιδὸς Ἡρακλέους, τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σκύζεσθαι· ὀργιλώτατοι γάρ. Σκυθία τοίνυν καὶ Σκύθαι καὶ Σκυθικοί καὶ Σκυθικά λέγεται καὶ Σκυθική. ἔστι καὶ ὑποδήματος εἶδος, ὡς Περσικαί. καὶ Σκυθίη καὶ “Σκύθης ὅμιλος” καὶ “Σκύθην ἐς οἶμον” καὶ “Σκύθης σίδηρος”. ὅθεν τὸ ἀποσκυθίσαι τὸ τῷ σιδήρῳ τὰς τρίχας τεμεῖν. ἡ κλητικὴ Σκύθα ἐστίν, ὡς Πέρσα, ἔστι δὲ Σκύθη. καὶ Σκυθίς τὸ θηλυκόν, καὶ Σκύθαιναν ὡς κηρύκαιναν, καὶ σκυθίζειν.
… καὶ φραδής ἐπιθετικά. καὶ τὸ Ποδῆς καὶ Ῥοδῆς περιεσπάσθη, ὅτι τὸ 'ο' παραλήγει. Τὰ εἰς 'ης' ἀσυνάλειπτα βαρύνονται, Ἄνθης, Σκύθης ἔθνος Θρᾴκιον ἀπὸ Σκύθου παιδὸς Ἡρακλέους· τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σκύζεσθαι. ὀργιλώτατοι γάρ. «Σκύθης ὅμιλος» (Aeschyl. Prom. 415) καὶ «Σκύθην ἐς οἶμον» (ibid. v. 2) καὶ «Σκύθης σίδηρος» (Septem 799). ὅθεν τὸ ἀποσκυθίσαι τὸ τῷ σιδήρῳ τὰς τρίχας τεμεῖν. Σεύθης, Λάχης, Πάχης, λέσχης, Σάκης ἔθνος· τοὺς Σκύθας οὕτω φασίν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅπλου, ὅτι αὐτὸ εὕραντο. Μέλης ποταμὸς Σμυρναῖος, Μήλης ποταμὸς Κολοφῶνος, Πόλλης, Κόμης κύριον, Τρόμης πατὴρ Αἰσχίνου τοῦ ῥήτορος, Σάπης ἔθνος…