Samarkand
editI have removed any reference to the Greek name "Marakanda" from the etymology and thereby made the Iranian etymology of "Samarkand" clear and unambiguous.
As regards a proposed Sanskrit etymology, Wikipedia requires more than just a "ring of truth". It requires verifiability as demonstrated by citation.
The etymology I added—including the Greek name—comes from a book called Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites.
Doesn't that strike you as the ideal authority for the etymology of a city's name?
In fact, the relevant source material was brief enough that I even reproduced it in its entirety in the relevant footnote.
Wikipedia is the encyclopedia that anyone can edit. What that means is that sometimes people will disagree.
That's why it's so important to cite a reliable source.
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JFD 10:19, 22 July 2007 (UTC)