| Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy |
Peucetia et Calabria (Apulia part II)
Contents
This is the second and last page devoted to the second region of Italy, Apulia et Calabria. For the other part, see under Hirpinia (which includes Daunia). This second part considers the region of the Peuceti, south of the Ofanto river, the region of the Calabri, around Tarentum, and the region of the Sallentini that forms the "heel" of Italy, still today called Salento.
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.
Peuceti
Aveldius fl.
- Place: disappeared, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Aveldius fl. (Peut.)
- Etymology: At least the first part of the hydronym is likely related with the IE root *au(e)- 'to flow', possibly through an extension *auel-. The ending is tentatively a suffix -idius.
Barduli
- Place: Barletta, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Barduli (Peut., Rav.)
- Etymology: For the stem *bard-, which can be found also in Bardarius fl. (Illyria), in the same Illyrian domain, Alessio and De Giovanni postulated a pre-IE stem *bard-/brad- 'mud'. But the name can be also compared with some Oscan-like names such as Furfo (Samnium) and Furfane (Apulia), which can be derived from the IE root *bheredh- 'board' (with this I renounce to a previous explaination for the two placenames mentioned).
Barium
- Place: Bari, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Barium (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Liv., Mel., Hor., Peut.)
- Etymology: Usually attributed to the Messapian language (UTET) and explained from an appellative glossed as burion, bauria meaning 'house' and similar. This appellative derives ultimately from the IE root *bheu- 'to be, grow'.
Cannae
- Place: not proveably Canne della Battaglia di Barletta, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Cannae (Plin., Strab., Liv., Polib.)
- Etymology: According to Alessio and De Giovanni, this name is from a pre-IE *canda/ganda 'stone' and derives from the pre-Italic name of the Aufidus fl.. Remaining in an IE frame, the consonant cluster should ensure that the name is Italic, i.e., Apulian. Then, the IE root *k'ad- 'to shine, flaunt, invoked' can be invoked.
Canusium
- Place: Canosa di Puglia, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Canusium (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Mel., Liv., Hor., Burd., Paul. Diac.)
- Etymology: Unknown. It has been explained from a pre-IE *canda/ganda 'stony land', like its vicus Cannae, and from Latin canis (UTET).
Celia
- Place: Ceglie di Bari, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Celia (Ptol., Peut., Rav.) Caelia (Strab.)
- Etymology: A place differing from Caelia, although the origin of the name is likely the same.
Diria
- Place: not identified, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: *Diria from Dirini (Plin.)
- Etymology: It seems to be a counterpart of the hydronym *Tirinus fl. (Samnium) and, like this, be derived from the IE root *der- at the zero-grade *dr- 'to run'.
Egnatia
- Place: Agnazzo di Fasano, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Egnatia (Ptol., Strab.) Gnatia (Plin., Mel., Hor., Peut.)
- Etymology: Possibly from Latin. The forms like gna- have been influenced by the Greek gnathos 'jaw'.
Forentum
- Place: Lavello, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
- Name: Forentum (Plin.) Ferentum (Diod.)
- Etymology: The name has the same origin of Ferentum (Latium), Ferentum (Etruria), Ferentinum (Latium). This Italic series *fer- can be likely related to Latin fero, ferre 'to bear', ferax 'fruitful', Eastern Italic fer- 'to bear', all from the IE root *bher- 'to bear, carry'. The ending -ent- is a participe marker, and the meaning of the place-name can be reconstructed as '(the place) bearing (fruits), fertile'. The name Forentum is mentioned by Alessio and De Giovanni and explained from a pre-IE stem *frent- 'deer' (UTET).
Genusia
- Place: close to Ginosa, province Taranto, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Genusia (Plin.)
- Etymology: Usually compared with Genusus fl. (Illyria), in the same Illyrian domain, and explained (Pokorny) from the IE root *g'enu- 'knee', as referred to a hill or similar. Then the name compares also with Genua (Liguria) and Genava (Lugdunensis)
Mateola
- Place: disputed between Matera, province Matera, region Basilicata, and Mottola, province Taranto, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: *Mateola from Mateolani (Plin.)
- Etymology: It has been explained with a pre-Latin stem *mat- 'hill'. But such a stem could belong to a series including in Italy Matilica (Umbria) and other place-names in the Celtic domain. These names may be related to Latin mateola 'tool to stave in the earth', from an IE root *mat- 'hack, flapper'. Therefore, the name may have originated from some agricultural term. Another hypothesis is that the placename is purely Latin, and related to the already mentioned appellative mateola.
*Melfa
- Place: Molfetta, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Respa (Ant.) *Melfa (inferred from the survival of the name)
- Etymology: The name Respa is usually corrected as *Melpa or Melfa (De Giovanni). This compares with Melpis fl. (Latium), Melpes fl. (Lucania) and Melpum (Transpadana). According to De Giovanni they all derive from a "mediterranean" stem *melf-/melp- with uncertain meaning (maybe 'mud').
Natiolum
- Place: Giovinazzo, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Natiolum (Plin., Peut.) Netium (Strab.)
- Etymology: It can be derived from the widespread extension *sne-t- of the IE root *(s)ne- 'to flow, swim, damp'. The diminutive suffix tells us that the probable meaning of the place name is 'small harbor'. It compares in Italy with Natiso fl. (Venetia)
Pactius fl.
- Place: possibly Canale Reale, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Pactius fl. (Plin.) Pastium (?) (Peut.)
- Etymology: Possibly a Latin name.
Rubi
- Place: Ruvo di Puglia, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Rubi (Plin., Burd., Peut.)
- Etymology: Unknown. Tentatively, the name can be related to an extension *reub- 'to break' of the comprehensive IE root *reu- 'to tear out, dig out, open, acquire'.
Rudiae
Silvium
- Place: Botromagno di Gravina in Puglia, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Silvium (Strab., Plin.) Silutum (Peut.) Sidi(n)on (coins ?)
- Etymology: Unclear is the relationship between the Roman name Silvium and the supposed Greek name Sidion, Sidinon or similar.
Strapellum
- Place: not identified
- Name: *Strapellum from Strapellini (Plin.)
- Etymology: Unknown. Possibly, from an IE *strep-, considered by Pokorny as a variant of *sterp-, extension of the root *(s)ter- 'stiff, solid'. In this case, the name should belong to a stratum characterized by the conservation of the "mobile" initial *s-, then a stratum different from the Italic one.
Turenum
- Place: Trani, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Turenum (Peut.)
- Etymology: Unknown. The name has been explained from a Tyrrhenian foundation, also for the suffix -eno that is usually intepreted as an Etruscan "spy".
Venusia
- Place: Venosa, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
- Name: Venusia (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Liv., Vell. Pat.)
- Etymology: Unclear for UTET, where a comparison for the ending -usia with Perusia (Etruria) and Genusia is made. For what concerns the stem *ven-, the relationship with Venafrum is doubt. Tentatively, it may recall the IE root *uen(e)- 'to strive, to wish for, to love', with an original meaning of '(place) of the family (stock)'. The popular etymology from Latin Venus (also from IE *uen-) could be seen in this way under a new light.
Calabri
Apaneste
- Place: not identified
- Name: Apamestini (Plin.) Apenestae (Ptol.)
- Etymology: Ptolemy places the town in the Dauni, Pliny in the Calabri, so maybe there were two places with a similar name that should have been the one found in Ptolemy (Alessio-De Giovanni). This has been compared with a series of appellatives and placenames *ap- and explained from a "Mediterranean" stem meaning 'sharp'.
*Argetium
- Place: not identified
- Name: *Argetium from Argetini (Plin.)
- Etymology: As for Aletium, the ending -etium could be the Messapian variant of an IE *ent-io, a participe marker. The stem is likely the Messapian word for 'white, silver', derived from the IE root *ar(e)g- 'glittering, white', and the whole name meant 'by the glittering'.
Aezetium
- Place: Castiello di Rutigliano, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Aezetium (Plin.) Ezetium (Peut.)
- Etymology: The name is Azet- on coins. Usually the z found in Messapian placenames derives from an IE s, and the suffix -etium from a previous *ent-ium. Then the name can be reconstructed as *Ais-ent-io and explained from the IE root *eis- 'to move rapidly', in its zero-grade or A-grade form.
Balesium
- Place: Valesio di Torchiarolo, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Balesium (Plin.) Balentium (Peut.) Valesium (Mel.)
- Etymology: The name shows a suffix -esium probably derived from an earlier *-entium. This phonetic development has been postulated by Georgiev for some Balkan languages too. Then, Balentium compares with Baletum fl. (Bruttium) and can be derived, as Krahe did, from the IE root *bhel(e)- 'shining, white', also with the meaning of 'swamp' in some cognate languages. The meaning of the placename could be therefore 'the shining (place) > the swamp'.
Butuntum
- Place: Bitonto, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Butuntum (Plin., Peut.) Butontonis (Burd.)
- Etymology: Unknown. Usually considered as pre-Latin and compared with Butua (Illyria), in the same Illyrian domain (UTET). Actually, the ending -untum is typically Illyrian for the development of sonant n into un, as it derives from the IE *-ent- 'rich of', or a participe marker.
Brundisium
- Place: Brindisi, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Brundisium (Ptol., Plin., Mel., Paul. Diac.) Brentesium (Strab.) Brundusium (Plut., Hor.) Brindisium (Burd., Peut.)
- Etymology: Already Strabo explained the name from a Messapian appellative brentesion meaning 'a deer's head', for the shape of the harbor basin. This word, together with brendon 'deer', is from the IE root *bhren- 'horn', or better from a suffixed form *bhren-to- 'horned, i.e., deer' (but in Pokorny the meaning of the IE word is 'herdsman'). The name shows also a development of sonant n into un, that is typically Illyrian.
Caelia
- Place: Ceglie Messapica, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Caelia (Plin.)
- Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart Celia in the Peuceti. Both should reflect a *kailia (UTET) that could be intepreted in many different ways.
Carbinium
- Place: Carovigno, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Carbinium (Athen.)
- Etymology: Usually considered a Grecized Messapian name Carbina (UTET). This name would fit rather good the series with Corbio (Latium) and maybe Corfinium and Cerfennia (Samnium), from the IE root *(s)kerbh- 'to turn, curve'.
Grumum
- Place: Grumo Appula, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: *Grumbum from Grumbestini (Plin.) Grumum (coins)
- Etymology: It has been explained (UTET) from the extension *greu-mo- of the IE root *greu- from which also Latin grumus 'bunch of earth'.
Manduria
- Place: Manduria, province Taranto, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Manduria (Plin., Liv.) Manduriae (Peut.)
- Etymology: Usually explained as a Messapian name from a word *mando- 'horse', which is related to the Messapian deity Menzana and the Latin (loanword from Messapian) mandus 'beef', all from the IE root *mend- 'to suck, breast'. The most likely meaning for the placename is 'fence for the horses' (UTET), like in Sanskrit mandura, which compares together with Manduria under Pokorny's root *mand- 'hurdle'. But very probably the two roots are to be grouped in one.
Mesochorum
- Place: Misicuro di Grottaglie, province Taranto, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Mesochorum (Peut., Rav.)
- Etymology: It is the Greek mesochoron 'in the middle of the land' and probably signed the border between the Peucetia and the Messapia.
Norba
- Place: Conversano, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Norba (Plin.) Norva (Peut.)
- Etymology: It has an exact counterpart in Norba (Latium) and both have been explained as a formation *nor-bha 'the strong' (UTET), from the IE root *ner- 'vital energy, man'. De Giovanni proposed instead a pre-IE stem *nor- meaning 'strength'. The shift *bh>b is found both in Messapian and in what we know about the Illyrian languages.
Palio
- Place: possibly Palo del Colle, province Bari, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: *Palio from Palionenses (Plin.)
- Etymology: It has been connected to a pre-IE *pala 'mount' (UTET), but possibly it can be explained from the IE root *pel(i)- 'rocky'.
Stulni
- Place: disputed, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Sturni (Ptol.) Stulni (Plin.)
- Etymology: If the version Stulni is the original, then the name compares with Stulpi (Illyria). In this case, they may be derived from the zero-grade of the IE root *stel- 'to put, place', with the development of sonant l into ul that should be regarded as Illyrian.
Tarentum
- Place: Taranto, province Taranto, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Tarentum (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Varr., Hor., Peut., Paul. Diac.) Tarentus (Sil. It., Mel.) Taras (Strab.)
- Etymology: It should derive from the name of the river Taras (today Tara) that flows not far from the city. The hydronym has been explained in various ways. The substratists invented a "Mediterranean" stem *tar-/ter- that would explain the accent of Tàrentum. A likely IE etymology is from the root *ter- 'to cross, transgress, to stay', which is often (UTET, Villar) interpreted as 'rapid'. A comparison can be made with Tarus fl. (Transpadana). A third hypothesis, mentioned by UTET and found in the volume edited by Pellegrini, finds the placename in a Messapian daranthoa, found in an inscription. This would be an equivalent of Greek gerusia 'senatus', from a form *ger-ont-ia. In any case, the name does not show the Illyrian (and Messapian ?) suffix -unt-, but rather the Sallentinian -ent-.
Uria
- Place: Oria, province Brindisi, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Uria (Plin., Strab.) Orra (coins)
- Etymology: The Messapian name Orra derives from a previous *Uria, given the known Messapian development *ri->rr. The Greek name Hyria has a counterpart in Hyrium (Apulia), and both have been related to a Messapian urios 'portam' or to the IE root *(a)uer- 'water, rain, flow'.
Uretum
Sallentini
Aletium
- Place: Alezio (Villapicciotti), province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Aletium (Ptol., Plin.) Aletia (Strab.) Baletium (Peut.)
- Etymology: For UTET it is unclear, considered by some scholars as Messapian, by other as pre-IE. From the Messapian name alixias, found in inscriptions, the original name can be reconstructed as *Alentium, with the IE suffix *-ent-io that became -es-io in the language of the Messapi, like in Balesium. Then, the name could have originally referred to a stream, and may be derived from the IE root *al- 'to nourish, grow'.
Basta
- Place: Vaste di Poggiardo, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: *Basta from Basterbini (Plin.) Bausta (Ptol.)
- Etymology: Also found as Basta in a Messapian inscription. The etymology is unknown, also if Villar postulated a toponymical series *bas-t- on the basis of placenames like Basti (Tarraconensis). On the contrary, for De Giovanni, the Messapian appellative is co-radical of Latin faustus. Possibly, if the original name showed a diphthong, it may be derived from a *bheusto- 'sac, bag', from the IE root *b(h)eu- 'to swell, puff'.
Callipolis, Anxa
- Place: Gallipoli, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Callipolis (Plin., Strab., Mel.) Anxa (Plin.)
- Etymology: The Greek name means 'beautiful city'. The more recent name, according to Pliny, Anxa may be compared with Anxanum (Samnium), Anxanum (Apulia), Anxa (Samnium) and Anxur (Latium). But the x in the name could be a graphical rendering of s, maybe from an earlier *Antia (according to the Messapian phonetics).
Fratuentium
- Place: not identified, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Fratuentium (Plin.)
- Etymology: This name is an enygma, because a name showing an Italic-type initial f is not expected in the region of the Sallentini, but the ending -entium is typical of this region. Maybe it is only a Latinization of an old Greek name with phr-.
Hydruntum
- Place: Otranto, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Hydruntum (Plin.) Hydrus (Ptol., Strab., Mel.) Ydruntum (Peut.) Ydrontum (Paul. Diac.)
- Etymology: Usually derived from the name of a stream flowing to its harbor (today Idro), which is likely related to Greek udor 'water' or udros 'water spring' (UTET). The hydronym could be also pre-Greek, still related to the IE root *(a)ued- 'water'. This could be confirmed by the phonetics of the placename that shows a typical Illyrian trait: the development of sonant n into un.
Iapyx fl., Iapygium pr.
- Place: not identified (Iapyx fl.) Santa Maria di Leuca di Castrignano del Capo (Iapygium pr.), province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Iapyx fl. (Plin.) Iapygium pr. (Ptol.) Acra Iapygia (Plin., Strab.)
- Etymology: It could have been originally a river name, Iapyx fl., from the well-known IE root *ap- 'water, river'. The initial ia- < *a- has been recognized by Georgiev as a typical Daco-Mysian feature. Since this phonetic development can be traced also in Illyria (see e.g. Iader), it is probable that the Iapygi/Iapudes of the tradition were of the Illyrian, i.e., Daco-Mysian stock. The name Apuli shows a different phonetics and may have given to them by the Sabellic tribes of the interior.
Lupiae
- Place: Lecce, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Lupiae (Ptol., Strab., Mel.) Lupia (Plin., Peut.)
- Etymology: In UTET there is mention of a relationship with the name of the 'wolf' (or 'fox'). For the substratist scholar De Giovanni, the name is explained with a "Mediterranean" *lup- 'a bird's name'. Another explanation is present under Udolph's *Lupia fl., the reconstructed name for a river in today Poland. He recalls, also for Lupiae, the IE root *leu- 'dirt', and a possible extension *leup-.
Neretum
- Place: Nardó, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Neretum (Ptol., Plin., Ovid., Peut.)
- Etymology: Many hydronyms of the series *ner- are explained by Pokorny under the IE root *ner- 'to conceal, cover, hiding place, hollow' (see Nar fl. (Umbria) for example). But for the substratists (UTET), all these are from a pre-IE stem *ner-/nar-.
Rudiae
Soletum
- Place: probably Soleto, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Soletum (Plin.)
- Etymology: Maybe the name is simply the Latin soletum 'a desert place', since Pliny mentions it as ''...Soletum desertum...''.
Uzentum
- Place: Ugento, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Uzentum (Plin., Liv.) Uzintum (Peut.) Uxentum (Ptol.)
- Etymology: It is explained in UTET from a pre-IE *ausa 'spring' and by Alessio-De Giovanni from an earlier *Ausentum. This form could be compared with *Ausentus fl. (Samnium) and explained from the IE root *aues- 'to shine' and a participe marker.
Veretum
Conclusions
A phonetic distinction arises between some toponyms of the coast and of the north, and the bulk of the placenames in the Sallentini and in the interior. In the first ones, there is evidence of a development of sonant n into un, and hence the typical placenames in -untum. Vice versa in the south, the IE participe marker *-ent-ium is clearly represented by an *-ent-ium that became *esium and transcribed often as etium. The northern stratum has a correspondence in Illyria, also for the typical development *a->ia- in initial position. This feature is considered as Daco-Mysian by Georgiev and therefore it is possible that this stratum was extended from Dacia and Moesia also on the shores of the Adriatic sea and then was transported into coastal Apulia by the ones who are recorded as Iapudes, Iapygi.
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.