![]() | Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy |
Common remarks: the place-names have been put in the nominative case, an asterisk * means not attested, reconstructed form. The late place-names of probable Latin origin have not been included. The IE roots are in the form given by Pokorny's Indogermanische Wörterbuch. The links will be active when the single pages will be published, see the main page. For any comment, suggestion, email me.
The language of the south and of the interior is a centum language, has no aspirated stops (*bh>b, etc.) and shows some typical trait like *-ri->-rr- and probably the already mentioned *-nti->-si-. It should be the language recorded and known as Messapian, which is also considered as belonging to the Illyrian branch. It is difficult to assign to these two groups the various ethnical of Calabri, Peuceti (Poediculi), Sallentini, Messapi, etc.
At the border with Lucania there is at least an evidence of an Oscan stratum, due to the Lucani. Some Greek names are found around the city of Tarentum.