Nitra

Nitra
City
Andreja Bagara Divadlo theatre
Coat of Arms
Country	Slovakia
Region	Nitra
River	Nitra River
Elevation	190 m (623 ft)
Coordinates	48°18′25″N 18°05′11″E / 48.30694°N 18.08639°E / 48.30694; 18.08639Coordinates: 48°18′25″N 18°05′11″E / 48.30694°N 18.08639°E / 48.30694; 18.08639
Highest point
- elevation	587 m (1,926 ft)
Lowest point
- elevation	138 m (453 ft)
Area	100.48 km2 (38.80 sq mi)
Population	79,472 (2017-01-02)
Density	791/km2 (2,049/sq mi)
First mentioned	828
Mayor	Jozef Dvonč
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	949 01
Area code	+421-37
Car plate	NR
Location in Slovakia
Location the Nitra Region
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: www.nitra.sk

Nitra (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈɲitra]; also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 79,472, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia; it was the political center of the Principality of Nitra. Today, it is a seat of a kraj (Nitra Region) and an okres (Nitra District).

The first mention of Nitra dates back to the 9th century. The name of the city is derived from the Nitra river. The name is Indo-European, but the question of its pre-Slavic or Slavic origin has not been satisfactorily answered yet. Nitra might be derived from the old Indo-European root neit-, nit- meaning "to cut" or "to burn" using a derivation element -r- (see also slash-and-burn agricultural technique). The same root is still present in the Slovak verb nietiť (to make a fire), but also in other Indo-European languages like Latin nitere (to burn) or in German schneiden (to cut). Another view to the origin of the name is related to the Latin Novi-iter or Neui-iter meaning "new territory behind the limes". The hypothetical Latin name could be adopted by the Quadi and later by the Slavs.

The first written records contain also suffix -ava (Nitrava). Particularly in older literature, the suffix is interpreted as an Indo-European/old Germanic basis ahwa (water). However, the suffix -ava can be found also in numerous toponyms with a clearly Slavic origin and without any relationship to rivers. Although, the existence of hydronym Nitrava remains hypothetical and all versions with the suffix are related to a location, not a river. Thus, the form Nitrava can refer to a larger property or territory around the river Nitra. Both forms were probably used concurrently and were recorded already in the 9th century (Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum: "in loco vocata Nitraua", but in 880 "ecclesie Nitrensis").