Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy Ancient Toponymy

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Lucania

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This page is for the Lucania, a section of the third regio of Italy, Lucania et Bruttii. For the other section, see under Bruttium. This region is bounded by the Campania on the north-west, beyond the river Sele, by the Apulia on the north-east, by the Tyrrhenian sea on the west, by the Ionian sea on the south-east and by the Bruttii on the south, beyond the river Lao and the Pollino massif.

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.

Lucani

Acalandrus fl.

• Place: river Cavone, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Acalandrus fl. (Strab.) Talandrus fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Maybe it is a Greek name, but the stem acal- recalls some IE appellatives derived from the extension *_ekwel- (Duridanov) of the root *akwa- 'water, river'.

Aceruntia

• Place: Acerenza, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Acherontia (Hor.) Agerentia (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: The name has been considered "not separable" (UTET) from that of various hydronyms like Acheron fl. (Bruttium) and some others in Greece. The two Italian names probably depend on the Greek ones through the mythology.

Aciris fl.

• Place: river Agri, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Aciris fl. (Plin., Strab.)
• Etymology: The hydronym should be somehow related to the IE root *akwa- 'water, river', thus it cannot be Oscan.

Alburnus m.

• Place: mounts Alburni, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Alburnus m. (Verg.)
• Etymology: It is likely related to the IE root *albho- 'white', but in a pre-Oscan language which kept the voiced stops. Such a language can belong to the Italic branch, given the presence of the development of sonant r into ur.

Alentus m.

• Place: river Alento, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Hales fl. (Cic.) Alentus fl. (Vib. Seq.)
• Etymology: Like its counterpart *Alentus fl. (Samnium) likely derives from the participe form *al-ent- 'the nourisher' of the IE root *al- 'to grow, nourish'.

Anxia

• Place: Anzi, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Anxia (Rav.)
• Etymology: The name shows the stem *anx- also found in Anxanum (Samnium), Anxanum (Apulia), Anxa (Samnium), Anxa (Apulia) and Anxur (Latium). According to UTET, any relationship with Latin anxius is to be excluded, and all these names derive from a pre-Latin stem *anxa of unknown meaning. Possibly, these names are from an Oscan appellative meaning 'hillock', from the IE root *ank- 'to bend, bow'.

Atina

• Place: Atena Lucana, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Atina from Atinates (Plin.)
• Etymology: It has an exact counterpart in Atina (Latium) and related to a personal name Atius, Etruscan atinate, to a Romance (Ligurian) atina 'a kind of elm', to a (pre-)Latin attinae 'stones used to mark the boundaries'. Another explaination is from a stem *at-, as a river-name (UTET). This latter stem *at- has been proposed also by Villar to explain some place-names but especially personal names. Having excluded any relationship with Aternus fl. and *Atessa (Samnium), that we interpreted as "Picene", a derivation from a personal name is supported by the presence of the ending -inum/-ina.

Bantia

• Place: pre-Roman settlement and Roman town at Cimitero and Montelupino di Banzi, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Bantia (Plin., Liv., Plut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. It has been related to a placename Bandusia fons (Hor.) not idenfied and to Latin pantanus (UTET). In the Tabula Bantina, found here and containing an Oscan-Latin inscription, the placename is Bantia in Latin and Bansa in Oscan.

Bradanus fl.

• Place: river Bràdano, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Bradanus fl. (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: It has been related to Greek bradus 'slow' (DNGI, p. 66), but maybe it is only a folk-etymology.

Buxentum, Pyxus

• Place: Policastro di Santa Marina, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Buxentum (Plin., Ptol.) Buxentium (Mel.) Buxentia (Sil. It.) Pyxus (Plin., Strab.)
• Etymology: It is considered a foundation of the Sybarites. The name Pyxous, -ountos is from Greek pyxos 'boxwood' (Frisk). Buxentum is likely a Latin translation, from buxus 'id.' and a collective suffix. Compare with Pyxites fl. in Asia Minor.

Calasarna

• Place: not idenfied, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Calasarna (Strab.)
• Etymology: It is a two-names compound. The second is clearly related to Sarnus fl. (Campania) and derives from the IE root *ser- 'to flow', with an adjectival suffix and a sonant r resulting in a A-grade. The first part cala- is likely derived from the IE root *kel- 'spotted', as an adjective. Then, the meaning of the name is 'dark, muddy stream'.

Calor fl.

• Place: river Calore, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Calor fl. (?)
• Etymology: The hydronym is formally the same as Latin calor 'heat'. But more likely the origin is the IE root *kal- 'spotted', through an appellative meaning 'mud'. A river with the same name is Calor fl. (Hirpinia).

Casuentus fl.

• Place: river Basento, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Casuentus fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Like Casuentum (Umbria), in the same Italic domain, the name is built of a stem *kas-, possibly from the IE root *k'as- 'gray' (compare with Paelignan casnar 'senex'), and a second part that may be the IE *-uent- 'rich of', or a participe marker. In this case, the place-names can be the participe of an adjective meaning 'shining', which fits an hydronym.

Eburum

• Place: Eboli, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Eburum (Plin.)
• Etymology: Usually explained from an Oscan appellative related to Gaulish eburos 'yew tree', which is from IE *ereb(h)- 'a kind of dark colour', with dissimilation. The form with non-aspirated b is preferable because in Oscan it is *bh>f.

Consilinum

• Place: no Civita di Padula, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Consilinum (Plin.) Cosilianum (Peut.) Cosilinum (inscr.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The stem cons- recalls that of Consentia (Bruttium), which has been explained as 'confluence'.

Elea, Velia

• Place: Elea Velia di Casal Velino, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Elea (Plin., Strab., Hdt.) Velia (Plin., Strab.)
• Etymology: It is a Phocese foundation. The name - Elea(s) in Greek, Velia in Latin - was taken from that of a spring. This was spelled Hyele in Greek but probably the original is *Vel-. This hydronym belongs to a series *vel- that has been thought to be related to waters (see for example Velinus fl. and Velia in Samnium), and reconducted to the IE root *au(e)-. In UTET a relationship with Etruscan veli- is assumed.

Fistelia, Orbitanium

• Place: Roccagloriosa, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Fistelia (on coins) Orbitanium (Liv.)
• Etymology: The two names refer to the same town according to some local scholars. The first is likely Oscan for the initial f, and can be compared with Fisternae (Samnium) and related to the IE root *bheid- 'to prick, pierce', from a mountain pass or similar. The second name could be Latin.

Grumentum

• Place: San Marco di Grumento Nova, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Grumentum (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Liv., It. Ant., Peut.)
• Etymology: It has been explained (UTET) from the extension *greu-mo- of the IE root *greu- from which also Latin grumus 'bunch of earth' and the placename Grumum (Apulia).

Heraclea

• Place: close to Policoro, province Matera, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Heraclea (Plin., Strab., Liv., Mel., Peut.)
• Etymology: A foundation of Tarentum, the name is Greek.

Isacia i.

• Place: disappeared, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Isacia i. (Plin.)
• Etymology: A tentative etimology can be *eis-akw-ia, a compound name from the IE root *eis- 'to move rapidly' and *akwa 'water, river'. The meaning could have been '(the island) by the rapid river'. This river is the Alento, at whose mouth the island was placed.

Leucosia i.

• Place: island Licosa, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Leucosia i. (Plin., Sil. It.)
• Etymology: It is from Greek leukos 'white', also 'clear' in the meaning 'without wood', or from a related appellative in an Italian language prior to the Greek colonists. The name could have been originally related also to the present-day cape Licosa, the promontory facing the island. According to Pliny, it was a Siren Leucosia that gave her name to the island.

Melpes fl., Molpa

• Place: river Lambro or Mingardo (Melpes fl.), Molpa di Centola (Molpa), province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Melpes fl. (Plin.) *Molpa (inferred from the survival of the name and from coins)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Melpis fl. (Latium) and Melpum (Transpadana), both in Italy. According to De Giovanni they derive from a "mediterranean" stem *melf-/melp- with uncertain meaning (maybe 'mud'). Actually, also the series *melf- with *Melfa (Apulia) seems to be related, so that it is possible to postulate an IE *melbh- that gave melf- in the Eastern Italic languages and possibly melp- in the languages belonging to the Liguro-Sicanian stock. For the Lucania, this language should be the one of the Oenotri.

Metapontum

• Place: Metaponto di Bernalda, province Matera, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Metapontum (Plin., Liv., Mel.) Metapontium (Ptol., Strab.)
• Etymology: The name could be Greek ('in the middle of the sea', TI, p. 83), but more likely a Greek adaption of a pre-existing name, which could be compared with Metapinum ostium (Narbonensis). This has been explained by Pokorny as 'in the middle of the water(s)', from the IE *met(a)- 'in the middle of' and *ap- 'water, river'. Thus the name should be related also to the tribe name of Metapi in Aetolia, whose name, grecized as Messapi, is also found close to Metapontum in southern Apulia.

Nerulum

• Place: possibly Rotonda, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Nerulum (Liv., Tac., It. Ant.) Neruli (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name seems a diminutive of some appellative that could be related to the IE root *ner- 'vital energy, man', or more likely *ner- 'to conceal, cover, hiding place, hollow'

Numistro

• Place: Raia San Basile di Muro Lucano, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Numistro (Ptol., Plut.) Numestro (Plin.)
• Etymology: If a hydronym is behind this placename, then it may be compared with Numicius fl. (Lucania), Numana (Picenum), and derived from the variant *sneu- of the IE root *sne- 'to flow, swim, damp'. As for the other place-names, an extended m-form has to be assumed. The second part of Numistro can be a formation *eis(e)-ro-, from the IE root *eis- 'to move rapidly', and the same phonetic development -sr->-str- that can be found in Histrus fl., the Danube.

Opinum

• Place: traditionally identified with Oppido Lucano, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Opinum (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Unknown. It has an exact counterpart in Opinum (Corsica).

Paestum, Posidonia

• Place: Pesto di Capaccio, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Paestum (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Mel.) Pestum (Peut.) Posidonia (Liv.) Poseidonia (Strab.)
• Etymology: Posidonia was a colony of the Achaians of and took its name from the Greek deity. Later, it was occupied by the Lucani who adapted the name in their Oscan language as *Paisto-, later again latinized as Paestum (De Juliis, p. 145).

Palinurum pr.

• Place: Cape Palinuro, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Palinurum pr. (Plin., Strab., Mel.)
• Etymology: From Palinurus, a comrade of Aeneas according to Virgil.

Pandosia

• Place: Anglona di Tursi, province Matera, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Pandosia (Plin.)
• Etymology: It may be explained with an unknown Oscan word related to Latin pandus 'crooked', from which an IE root *pand- 'crooked' has been postulated. Compare with Pandateria i. (Latium).

Potentia

• Place: Potenza, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Potentia (Ptol., Plin., It. Ant., Peut.)
• Etymology: A Roman colony, the name is the Latin potentia 'the powerful', like the other Potentia (Picenum).

Semnum, *Semnus fl.

• Place: not identified (Semnum), river Sinni (Semnus fl.), region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Semnum (Peut.) *Semnus fl. inferred from the survival of the name
• Etymology: It is mentioned by Pokorny as Semnus fl. and derived from an Illyrian name related to the IE root *sem- 'to pour'. Compare with Semirus fl. (Bruttium) in the same Italic domain. According to some local scholars, the name of the river Sinni derives from *Sirinus and then from Siris.

Siris, Siris fl.

• Place: not identified, province Matera, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Siris (Strab., Plin.) Siris fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: A Ionian foundation, it was early destroyed and Heraclea took its place. The name has been attributed also to the river Sinni, which for others is Semnus fl. If the placename was an earlier hydronym, adopted by the Greek colonists, then it can be explained as an extension of the IE root *sei- 'to be damp, drip'.

*Sontia

• Place: maxbe Sanza, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: *Sontia from Sontini (Plin.)
• Etymology: If not an earlier *Ae-sontia or similar, it could derive from the IE participe *sont- of the verb 'to be', with the meaning of 'real, good'.

Tanager fl.

• Place: river Tanagro or river Negro, province Salerno, region Campania, Name: Tanager fl. (Verg.)
• Etymology: Unknown.

Tegianum

• Place: Teggiano, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Tegianum (?)
• Etymology: Unknown. It is not clear whether the name derives from an earlier *Tegia (UTET).

*Tergila

• Place: not identified
• Name: *Tergila from Tergilani (Plin.)
• Etymology: Maybe it is a different spelling for Tegianum. Otherwise, it may have the same origin as Tergeste (Venetia), i.e., an IE root that could be reconstructed as *tergh- (which is not in Pokorny's dictionary). Or it can compare with a "Pelasgian" Tarquinia (Etruria) and derive from the IE root *(s)terg- 'strong'.

Turiostum

• Place: not identified, province Potenza, region Basilicata, Italy
• Name: Turiostum (Peut.)
• Etymology: It is explained by Alessio-De Giovanni with a "Mediterranean" stem *tur- 'spring', which would be related to Thurii (Bruttium). But the name has a good etymology if it is attributed to the Oenotri of the Liguro-Sicanian stock, which occupied the Western part of Italy before the "Italic" branch. In fact, in these languages the aspirated voiced of the IE turned to voiceless, e.g., *dh > t. Thus the name can be explained from the root *dheu- 'to run' and interpreted as an original river name. Actually, the ending -sto could be an ablaut form of *sta- 'to stand'. An alternative explaination, if the name cannot be reconducted to a hydronym, is from the IE *teur-, an extension of *teu- 'to swell, crowd, folk'.

Volcei

• Place: Buccino, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Volcei (Plin., Liv.) Ulci (Ptol.)
• Etymology: The name is Velecha on coins. It has been related (UTET) to Volci (Etruria) and like this can be derived from the IE root *uelk- 'damp place'. If the ethnical name is original, and the place name derived, also a derivation from *ul_ekwos 'wolf' is possible.

Ursentum

• Place: traditionally identified with Caggiano, province Salerno, region Campania, Italy
• Name: Ursentum (Plin.)
• Etymology: Likely the name is from an Oscan word related to Latin ursus 'bear', which is from the IE root *rek'sos 'bear'. The name ending is a collective marker, likely from IE *uent 'rich of'. Some substratist were thinking of a pre-IE stem *urs- (UTET).

Conclusions

The region was ethnically homogeneous at the times of Augustus, but in the past it was inhabited by several different peoples. There is trace in the toponymy of the Liguro-Sicanian stratum (postulated by Devoto) to which probably belonged the Oenotri and Choni, the first peoples recorded. This stratum is characterized by a typical consonant shift.

Few names, mostly in the north, can be surely attributed to the Oscan language, i.e., to the Lucani who descended from the Samnium. On the coasts, there were various Greek colonies, many of which held Greek names.

Last modified: October 3, 2010
by Antonio Sciarretta
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