[4] 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'.

[9] Both forms were probably used concurrently and were already recorded in the 9th century[4] (Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum: in loco vocata Nitraua, but in 880 ecclesie Nitrensis).

The Celts minted silver tetradrachms known as coins of Nitra type and probably also built a hillfort in the locality Na Vŕšku.

The largest Germanic settlement from the migration period in the territory of modern-day Slovakia was unearthed in Nitra-Párovské Háje.

[12] The early Slavs settled mainly in the lowlands near the water flows, the highest density of their settlements is documented just in the area of Nitra.

[14] The importance of Nitra for the Slavs began to grow in the 8th century and thereafter it evolved to administrative centre of the wider region.

Three of the eleven extant copies of the Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum contains a reference to a church consecrated for Pribina in his domain called Nitrava.

[16] In 833, Pribina was ousted by the Moravian prince Mojmír I and both regions were united into the early medieval empire of Great Moravia.

[20] In all burial sites, exclusively inhumation rite (compliant with Christian belief) was practised, instead of cremation typical for earlier Slavs.

According to older assumptions, Nitra should have been occupied by masses of Magyar (Hungarian) units, predictably followed by significant destruction of the previous settlements.

[30] Archaeological evidence pointing to an early presence of Magyars directly in Nitra has not been found yet, except of the warrior grave in Nitra-Mlynárce.

[26][31] Paradoxically, their presence is documented north of Nitra (Čakajovce) and from peripheral areas with more rural character, where they joined the majority Slavic population.

[26] Political affiliation of the territory in the 10th and the early 11th century is unclear – the influence of Hungarian Árpáds, Czech Přemyslids and Polish Piasts is being considered.

The town lost its royal privileges and in the next centuries it was unable to recover mainly because of frequent military conflicts.

In 1933, Nitra played an important role in the Slovak autonomist movement when the Pribina's Celebration (the anniversary of the consecration of the first Christian church) turned to the largest demonstration against Czechoslovakism.

In 2008, the remains of Jozef Tiso—the controversial leader of the First Slovak Republic who collaborated with the Nazis and was executed in 1947 as a war criminal—were exhumed from a Bratislava cemetery and reburied in the canonical crypt of the Catholic Cathedral in Nitra.

[43] Nitra lies at an altitude of 190 metres (623 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 100.48 square kilometres (38.8 sq mi).

Points of interest in the area include the Nitra Castle, the old town and the adjacent hill, named Zobor, overlooking the city.

[citation needed] The old town (Staré Mesto) is dominated by the castle (Hrad), which is one of the most interesting ancient structures in Slovakia.

Archaeological findings prove the existence of a church from the ninth century beneath the more recent Gothic St. Emmeram's Cathedral.

The Nitra Synagogue serves as a permanent exhibition space for graphic works by the Nitra-born Israeli artist Shraga Weil.

[46] The most powerful medium wave transmitter of Slovakia, running on 1098 kHz [citation needed], was situated in Nitra at Velke Kostolany until recently.

[citation needed] The Virgin Mary's mission house at the Calvary hill was built in 1765 for Spanish order of Nazarens.

[50] The demographics changed dramatically during the 20th century; in 1910, from total population of 16,419: 9,754 (59.4%) were Hungarians, 4,929 (30.0%) Slovaks and 1,636 (9.96%) Germans - Jews are hidden under these nationalities.

In the new free trade economy after 1989, and after entering European Union and Euro currency club only the wine bottling plant is left.

Nitra is connected to Bratislava, Trnava, Žiar nad Hronom, Zvolen and Banská Bystrica by a freeway (E58).

There are also first-class road connections to Topoľčany, Zlaté Moravce (labelled as "Highway of Death"),[64] Vráble and Nové Zámky.

Local public transport is based on buses with 28 lines, covering the whole city, as well as extending to the neighbouring municipalities of Lužianky, Nitrianske Hrnčiarovce, Štitáre, Ivanka pri Nitre and Branč (as of April 2016).

The Museum of the Nitra Region supervises collection objects on several fields (Archaeology, Ethnography, Numismatics, Geology and Zoology).

[72] Nitra is the home town of popular Slovak music bands Gladiátor, Horkýže Slíže, Desmod, Zoči Voči and Borra.