Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy Ancient Toponymy

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Pannonia

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The Roman province of Pannonia was bounded north and east by the Danube river, it was coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy (Venetia et Histria), and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located mostly over the territory of the present-day western-half of Hungary with small parts in: Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Its original inhabitants were the Pannonii, of unknown stock, although likely related to other Central European and Balcanic peoples. Under the emperor Trajan, the province was divided into Pannonia Superior (the western part) and Pannonia Inferior (the eastern part).

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.

Upper Pannonia

Andautonia

• Place: Šc^itarjevo of Zagreb, county Zagrebac^ka, Croatia
• Name: Andautonium (Ptol.) Andautonia (inscr.) Dautonia (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) interpreted as compounded from a preposition an 'by' and a placename *Dautonia. The ending -toni-o may be compared with the inscription of Vercelli -xtoni-o and with other Celtic placenames. But the most likely explanation (Anreiter) is from the IE root *dheu- 'to run', from whence the name could have meant 'place by the stream'. Thus the vocalization in a of the O-grade *dhou- makes the placename likely Pannonian.

Aquae Balisae

• Place: Daruvar, county Bjelovarsko-bilogorska, Croatia
• Name: Aquae Balisae (It. Ant.) Aquae Balizae (inscr.)
• Etymology: Usually (Krahe) the name is intepreted as an Alteuropaeische hydronym related to appellatives like Lithuanian balas 'swamp' and Albanian balte 'mud', all of them derived from the IE root *bhel(e)- 'shining, white'. Other authors (Jokl) saw a direct relationship between the name and the Albanian language. In this case, the placename is constructed with the common suffix -is-ia. Another explanation of the name, based on the spelling -issae, is as a superlative. In this case, the name is interpreted as 'very hot (waters)', since the place was probably a thermal spa. A third explanation is from an unattested personal name, 'Ballos' place'.

Arrabo fl., Arrabona

• Place: river Raab/Rŕba, states Steiermark and Burgenland, Austria, counties Vas and Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hungary (Arrabo fl.), Gyor, county Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hungary (Arrabona)
• Name: Arabona fl. (Ptol.) Arrabo fl. (Peut.) Arrabona (Peut., Not. Dign., It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Usually considered a Celtic hydronym, compound with the Celtic appellative *abon 'river', which in turn is related to the IE root *ab- 'water', and an adjective, likely derived from the IE root *er- 'to move'. Thus the meaning of the hydronym could have been 'furious river'. The name of the town reflects that of the river, along which it is placed. For Anreiter, the prefix is the Celtic *ar(e)- 'eastern'.

Bolentium

• Place: not identified
• Name: Bolentium (Ptol., Peut.) Bolentia (It. Burd.)
• Etymology: The name has an almost exact counterpart, except for the grade, in Balesium (Apulia), which likely derived from the same form *bhol-ent-io, thus from the IE root *bhel(e)- 'shining, white'. However, many IE roots would fit this placename, making its etymology rather difficult. The presence of (short) o in the stem makes the name probably Celtic.

Botivo, Iovia

• Place: Ludbreg, county Varaždinska, Croatia
• Name: Botivo (Peut., Rav.) Iovia (It. Ant., Burd.)
• Etymology: The original name is unclear. Anreiter relates it tentatively to Old Irish both 'hut'. The later name Iovia likely is related to the Latin name Iovius found, e.g., as the surname of Diocletianus, although Anreiter thinks that it is a genuine Pannonian placename. Other two places named Iovia are mentioned in Pannonia, and a Iovista pagus.

Brigetio

• Place: Szony of Komarom, county Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Brigaetium, Bregaetium (Ptol.) Bregetio (Amm., It. Ant.) Brigetio, Bregetio (Not. Dign.) Brigantio (Peut.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) considered a Celtic name, related to Gaulish briga 'hill'.

Cannabiaca

• Place: Zeiselmauer of Zeiselmauer-Wolfpassing, state Lower Austria, Austria
• Name: Cannabiaca (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Similarly to a Gaulish *Canaviacum (Belgica), the meaning is disputed. Likely it is a Celtic placename with the typical suffix -acum/-a. It may derive from a personal name *Canavus that seems to exhibit a suffix -ouio. Otherwise, if the town was located on the banks of the Danube, it might have been a small landing place for ferries. The name could indeed be derived from a Celtic or, even better for the phonetics, Germanic cognate of the IE root *gandh- 'vessel'. Still another hypothesis is that it is the Celtic equivalent of Latin cannabis.

Cardellaca

• Place: Tokod, county Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Gardellaca (Peut.) Cardabiaca (Not. Dign.) Cardelaca (Rav.)
• Etymology: Unclear.

Carnuntum

• Place: Petronell-Carnuntum (Roman colony) and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, state Niederoesterreich, Austria
• Name: Carnu(tu)m (Ptol.) Carnuntum (Plin., Vell. Pat., Amm., Not. Dign., Peut., It. Ant.)
• Etymology: The name recalls those of the Gaulish tribes of the Carnuti and of the Carni. The underlying IE root could have been *ker(e)n- 'horn', with an O-grade U-stem *kornu-nt-, or (Anreiter) *kar- 'hard'.

Carrodunum

• Place: possibly Gradina, county Virovitic^ko-podravska, Croatia
• Name: Carrodunum (Ptol.) Cardonum (Burd.)
• Etymology: The name has at least one exact counterpart in the Celtic domain, i.e., Carrodunum (Germania), plus other dubitative cognates in Northern Italy. These are typical Celtic compounded names, formed from dunon 'castle' (see Novidunum) and a first term that may have been the Gaulish appellative carros 'cart', from the IE root *k'ers- 'to run', or an appellative meaning 'stone', from the IE root *kar- 'hard'. In the former case, the meaning could have been 'the castle of the chariot-men', or 'the castle on the chariot-road', or similar ones.

Celemantia

• Place: Leanyvar of Iz^a, region Nitra, Slovakia
• Name: Celamantia (Ptol.) Celemantia (inscr. ?)
• Etymology: The ending -ant-ia is found in other Pannonian placenames of the area. As for the root, it recalls the Latin word calamo 'adversity' and thus the IE root *kel- 'to hit, cut down', from whence also Slavic names meaning 'pole' that could explain a toponymic formation.

Cetius m., Cetium

• Place: mount Wienerwald (Cetius m.), Leopoldsberg of Wien (Cetium), state Wien, Austria
• Name: Cetius m. (Ptol.) Citium (Peut.) Cetium (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Clearly (Anreiter) explained as a Celtic appellative *kaito- 'wood', which is the IE root *kaito- 'forest'.

Chertobalus

• Place: not identified, county Gyor-Mosor-Sopron or Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Chertobalus (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Likely a compound name, the first part may recall the Centuripae (Sicilia) and thus the IE root *kert- 'to turn, roll, wind'. The name could have referred to a curve of the Danube. The stop consonant shift *k>ch is typically Germanic.

Cocconis

• Place: Possibly Sopje, county Virovitic^ko-podravska, Croatia
• Name: Cocconis (Burd.) Cucconis (Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) related to a Celtic element *coc(c)o- to which the meaning 'bright red' is given. The latter has been reconstructed from words such as Middle Welsh coch 'red', Latin coccineus 'scarlet', Greek kokkos 'a type of scarlet fruit', although no IE root has been reconstructed yet.

Colapis fl.

• Place: river Kupa/Kolpa, Slovenia and Croatia
• Name: Colapis fl. (Plin., Strab.)
• Etymology: Likely a compound hydronym, with the second element that reflects the IE root *ap- 'water, river' and compares, e.g., with Salapia (Apulia). The first element could be related to several IE roots, but it rather compares with Baltic hydronyms of the type Kalupis that are explained (Anreiter) as 'stony stream', from the IE root *(s)kel- 'to cut'. Note that the same root preserving the mobile s is linked to the other placename Silicenae. Likely the two names belonged to two different languages.

Corcoras fl.

• Place: river Krka, Slovenia
• Name: Corcoras fl. (Strab.) Corcac (Rav.)
• Etymology: No less than four rivers named Krka in local Slavic languages exist in the region. These hydronyms might tentatively reflect an appellative *korka meaning 'thin (river)' derived from the IE root *kerk'- 'to wrinkle, become thin'. This appellative must belong to a centum language.

Curta

• Place: not identified
• Name: Curta (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Likely (Anreiter) explained with a Pannonian adjective related to Latin curtus 'short' and thus to the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut'. Compare with Crumerum.

Dravus fl.

• Place: river Drava/Drau, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary
• Name: Dravus fl. (Strab.) Draus fl. (Plin.) Darus fl. (Ptol.) Dravis fl. (Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually (Pokorny, Anreiter) derived from an O-grade form of the IE root *d(e)reu- 'to run', a common root for hydronyms. According to the orientation of the scholars, the name is variously interpreted as being of Celtic or Illyrian origin.

Emona

• Place: Ljubljana, region Zasavska, Slovenia
• Name: Emona (Ptol., Peut., Burd.) Aemona, Aemonia (Plin.) Hennoma (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: It is not clear whether the variant with Ae- is due to the influence of towns called Aemonia, Haemonia in Greek sources (e.g., Herod.). However, the ending -ona is widely diffused in the Balkans, compare e.g. with Salona, Flanona (Illyria). Tentatively, if Ae- is the original form, the name could be explained as meaning 'winter camp' (e.g., a place in the plains, as opposed to a 'summer camp' higher in the Alps), from the IE word *g'hei-mon 'winter', derived from the IE root *g'hei- 'winter, snow'. The name is unclear for Anreiter as well.

Gerulatae

• Place: Rusovce of Bratislava, region Bratislavský, Slovakia
• Name: Gerulatae (Peut.) Gerolate (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart in Gerulatae (Moesia), which is usually interpreted as a Daco-Mysian placename. Indeed, the ending -atae is believed to be a plural mark, similarly to present-day Albanian language. However, the real form of the placenames is not completely clear.

Lentulum

• Place: disputed, possibly Legrad, county Koprivnic^ko-križevac^ka, Croatia
• Name: Lentulum (Ptol.) Lentolae (Burd.) Luntulae (Peut.) Lentulae (It. Ant., Rav.)
• Etymology: The name may have been derived as a diminutive from the IE root *lento- 'ductile, soft', similarly to Welsh llethr 'slope'. Compare for the stem with Lentia (Noricum). Other etymologies include those of 'lentil(field)', 'domain of Lentius', both based on the Latin language, and that of 'slow (place)', i.e., 'curve of a river', with another interpretation of the same root *lento- discussed above. Anreiter adds the explanation 'small linden'.

Lepavista

• Place: not identified, county Komárom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Lepavist (Peut.)
• Etymology: Reconstructed by Anreiter as a Pannonian appellative meaning 'by the stony region', from the IE root *lep- 'stone'.

Limusa

• Place: Szigetvar, county Baranya, Hungary
• Name: Limusa (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Possibly (Anreiter) related to an extension of the comprehensive IE root *(s)lei- 'to pour, slimy' as a hydronym or a placename meaning 'grass'. Alternatively, the placename could be related to the other IE root *el-m, with the ultimate meaning of 'elm tree'.

Matrica

• Place: Szazhalombatta, county Pest, Hungary
• Name: Matrica (It. Ant., Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: If not directly Latin, the name could be a Celtic cognate (Anreiter) of Latin materia 'timber'.

Mogentianae

• Place: Tüskevar, county Veszprém, Hungary
• Name: Mogentianae (It. Ant.), Mogetiana (inscr.)
• Etymology: The name derives from a personal name Mogetius of Celtic origins.

Muroela

• Place: not identified, possibly close to Mureck, state Steiermark, Austria
• Name: Muroela (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Likely from the hydronym Murus fl.

Mursella

• Place: Morichida, county Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hungary
• Name: Mursella (Ptol., It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Somehow related (diminutive) to the name of Mursa.

Murus fl.

• Place: river Mura/Mur, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary
• Name: Murus fl. (Ptol.) Noarus fl. (Strab.)
• Etymology: Likely related to the IE root *meu- 'wet, dirt, to wash', a source for various hydronyms.

Mutenum

• Place: possibly Leithaprodersdorf, state Burgenland, Austria
• Name: Mutenum (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Likely related to the IE root *meut- 'mud'. A different possibility proposed by Anreiter compares the name with Latin mutilus 'truncated' and similar Gaulish appellatives.

Nedao fl.

• Place: river Leitha/Lajta, Austria, Hungary
• Name: Nedao fl. (Iord.)
• Etymology: Usually (Schuster, Steinhauser) a form *Ledao is inferred from the present hydronym and explained from the O-grade form of the IE root *(s)leidh- meaning 'slimy, slippery', an extension of *(s)lei- 'to pour, slimy'. The actual original form could have been a compound form *loidh-auia meaning 'slimy water'. But Anreiter chooses the form with N- as the original one, and proposes a relationship with the IE root *ned- 'to sound, roar'.

Noarus fl.

• Place: not identified
• Name: Noarus fl. (Strab.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) related to the IE root *sne- 'to flow, swim, damp', but the formation of the hydronym is unclear.

Noviodunum

• Place: Drnovo of Krško, region Spodnje Posavska, Slovenia
• Name: Novi(o)dunum (Ptol.) Noviod(un)um (Peut., It. Ant.) Nomidunum (Rav.) Neviodunum (inscr ?) Novietum (Iord.)
• Etymology: A compounded Celtic name, made of the adjective novio- 'new' and the appellative dunon 'castle' and thus meaning 'new castle'. The former term is derived from the IE root *neuos- 'new', while the latter from the IE root *dheu- 'to reel, dissipate, blow'. The local form was probably Nevio-.

*Odiavum

• Place: Almasfuzito, county Komárom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Azaum (It. Ant.) Odiabum (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Unclear (Anreiter).

Olimacum

• Place: Lendava, region Pomurska, Slovenia
• Name: Olimacum (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Unknown.

Pelso lacus

• Place: lake Balaton, Hungary
• Name: Pelso lacus (Plin.) Pelsois (Rav., Iord.)
• Etymology: Variously interpreted as Illyrian, Thracian, etc., and explained as 'deep', to be compared with a Czech pleso 'deep place in a river, lake', and thus to an IE root *pels-. However, there is no trace of such root in Pokorny. A more likely interpretation (Gasiorowski) is from a form *pels-on- derived from the IE root *pele- 'swamp'. Alternatively, one could posit a formation *pelt-s-os from the IE root *pel- 'wide and flat'. This explanation casually matches the later German name of the lake, 'Plattensee', which means 'flat lake', but which is actually an adaptation from a Slavic Blatno (Ozero) 'marshy (lake)'.

Piretae

• Place: not identified, Croatia
• Name: Piretae (Peut.) Peritur (Burd.)
• Etymology: Unclear. Maybe a Latin collective form.

Poetovio

• Place: Ptuj, region Podravska, Slovenia
• Name: Potobio (Ptol.) Poetovio (Tacit.) Petavio (Peut., Rav.) Poetovio (Burd., It. Ant.) Petobio (Amm.)
• Etymology: Possibly derived from the O-grade form of the IE root *peit- 'fat' (i.e., 'rich', of water, etc.). The ending -ouio- may be Celtic. Maybe related is the nearby placename Pultovia (Burd.). Positing that the spelling Pet- is the original, Anreiter compares the placename with Patavium (Venetia).

Ramista

• Place: possibly Zavrc, region Podravska, Slovenia
• Name: Ramista (Burd.) Remista (Peut., Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) derived from the IE root *rem- 'to rest, to support', which have cognates suggesting a meaning such as 'rest place' or simply 'settlement'. The ending -ista could reflect an S-stem or more likely reflect the IE root *sta- 'to stand', as in Tergeste (Venetia), Segesta (Venetia) etc.

Savaria fl., Savaria

• Place: river Gyongyospatak (Savaria fl.), Szombathely (Savaria), county Vas, Hungary
• Name: Savaria fl. (Ptol.) Savaria (Ptol., Plin.) Sabaria (Amm., Peut., Greg. Tur.)
• Etymology: The hydronym has an exact counterpart in Sabaria (Tarraconensis), in the same Celtic domain. It is related to Savus fl., and thus is eventually derived from the IE root *seu- 'juice, liquid'. The placename depends on the hydronym.

Sala fl., Sala

• Place: river Zala (Sala fl.), Zalalövo (Sala), county Zala, Hungary
• Name: Sala (Ptol.) Salla (It. Ant., Rav.)
• Etymology: Formally it can be derived from the hydronymic IE root *sal- 'salt, salty water'. Compare with Salapia (Apulia) or Salona (Illyria). The placename likely depends on the river name. Alternatively (Anreiter), it may reflect the other IE root *sel- 'dwelling' with the ultimate meaning of 'village, settlement'.

Savus fl.

• Place: river Sava, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
• Name: Saus fl. (Plin., Strab., Iord.) Savus fl. (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Usually (Pokorny) reconstructed as an Illyrian hydronym *Souos from the IE root *seu- 'juice, liquid', which is the source for many river names, e.g., Savo fl. (Campania).

Scarbantia

• Place: Sopron, county Gyor-Mosor-Sopron, Hungary
• Name: Scarbantia (Ptol., It. Ant.) Scarabantia (Plin., Not. Dign.) Scarabantio (Peut.)
• Etymology: Possibly derived from an A-language (Pannonian) cognate of the IE root *(s)kerbh- 'to turn, curve', or maybe from an extension *skerbh- of the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut'. The name was constructed as *scarb-ant-, the ending having a participle function.

Serenae

• Place: Sveti Djurdj, county Varaždinska, Croatia
• Name: Serena (Burd.) Seronae (Peut.) Sorenae (Rav.)
• Etymology: If it not a late Roman name, it could have meant 'settlement by the stream' (Anreiter), from a Pannonian appellative derived from the IE root *ser- 'to flow'.

Serota

• Place: Virovitica, county Virovitic^ko-Podravska, Croatia
• Name: Sorroga, Sigora, Siropa (Ptol.) Serota (Burd.) Sirotae (Peut.) Sirota (It. Ant., Rav.)
• Etymology: Likely (Anreiter) related to the hydronymyc IE root *ser- 'to flow', since the place was close to a large river, the Dravus fl.

Silicenae

• Place: not identified, county Somogy, Hungary
• Name: Silicenae (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: The suffix -ena(e) found also in Burgenae, Celena(e), Serenae is considered by Anreiter as meaning '(place) by'. This name could have meant '(place) by the rock', since the first part recalls the Latin appellative scilex 'silicic' and thus the IE root *skel- 'to cut' (< *'silicic cutter').

Siscia, Segesta

• Place: Sisak, county Sisac^ko-Moslavac^ka, Croatia
• Name: Siscia (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Vell. Pat., Peut., It. Ant., Not. Dign.) Sicca (Rav.) Segestica (Strab., Plin.) Segesta (App.)
• Etymology: It is not completely clear the relationship between the two names. The name Siscia is explained as a Celtic reduplicative form *si-sk-iya of the IE root *sek-. Two possible meanings of this root are found in Pokorny. The first is 'to flow out', as in Welsh hesb (*si-sk-uo-) 'dry, unfruitful'. The second is 'to cut', as in Welsh hesg (*seski-) 'rush'. For Anreiter, the two roots are eventually the same.
  The name Segest(ic)a can be compared with several other Segesta's like Segesta (Venetia), all ultimately from the IE root *seg'h- 'to hold, possess, overcome, victory'.

Sunista

• Place: not identifed, Croatia
• Name: Sinista (It. Ant.) Sunista (Burd.) Sonista (Peut., Rav.)
• Etymology: The ending is the same as in the nearby Ramista. As for the stem, if the spelling with u is the original, it might recall the hydronymyc IE root *seu- 'juice, liquid', or to a similar root *seu- 'to bend, turn', which has some Celtic cognates with an N-extension.

Urpanus fl.

• Place: river Vrbas, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Name: Urpanus fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Uclear. Possibly related to the IE root *uerb(h)- 'to turn, bend', alluding to the shape of the river, but the original form inferred from the survived name could have been *Urbasus fl. (Anreiter). The other place name *Urbatis (Peut., It. Ant.) is likely related to this hydronym.

Valcum

• Place: Keszthely, county Zala, Hungary
• Name: Valcum (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) interpreted as an A-language, thus Pannonian, cognate of the IE root *uelk- 'wet, damp'.

Valdasus fl.

• Place: not identified
• Name: Valdasus fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Unknonwn. Tentatively related to the IE root *uel(e)- 'to turn, wind, round' and in particular to its extension *uel-d- found in Gothic waltjan 'to wallow'. Compare with Volturnus fl. (Campania) and also for the meaning with the closeby Urpanus fl.

Vindobona

• Place: Wien, state Wien, Austria
• Name: Vindobona (Peut., It. Ant., Aur. Vict.) Iuliobona (Ptol.) Vindomara (Not. Dign.) Vindomana (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: A Celtic name meaning 'white settlement', compounded with Celtic vindos 'white', which is derived from the nasal-infixed IE root *ueid- 'to see, know', and bona 'fort'. The late antiquity sources have -mana that is probably only a deformation of -bona. But for Anreiter the component Vindo- reflects a Celtic personal name, thus the meaning of the placename is 'Vindo's settlement'.

Vinundria

• Place: not provably Slovenj Gradec, region Koros^ka, Slovenia
• Name: Vinundria (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Unclear. Maybe related to the IE root *uei- 'to turn, bend, wind' from which the name of the 'wine' comes also. Anreiter points to the other IE root *uen(e)- 'to strive, wish for, love', with the meaning of 'pasture ground' reconstructed from some Germanic cognates.

Visontium

• Place: not identified
• Name: Visontium (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Likely derived from the IE root *ueis- 'to flow, poison' with a participe marker. Thus it was originally an hydronym. Compare with Visentium (Etruria) for the structure and with Vesontio (Lugdunensis) in the same Celtic domain.

Lower Pannonia

Acumincum

• Place: Stari Slankamen of Indjija, district Srem (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Acumincum (Ptol., Amm.) Acimincum (It. Ant., Not. Dign.) Acunum (Peut.) Cuminion (Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually related (Pokorny, Anreiter) to the IE root *ak'u- 'sharp', through an ''Illyrian'' form like *ak'u-m_en-ko-. However, the name can be Celtic, due to the typical suffix -incum. Curiously, the present Slavic name means 'salt stone', thus a meaning that is possibly corresponding to the Celtic one.

Adnamantia

• Place: Dunaföldvŕr, county Tolna, Hungary
• Name: Adnamantia (Not. Dign.) Annamatia (Peut., It. Ant.) Annama (Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) interpreted as reflecting the Celtic appellative *namant-s 'enemy' with a preposition ad, meaning 'the enemy's (land)'. That interpretation can be justified if one considers that the place could have been at the frontier between a Celtic-speaking tribe and the Pannonian proper domain.

Alisca

• Place: close to Ocseny, county Tolna, Hungary
• Name: Alisca (It. Ant., Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Possibly related to the IE root *al-is- 'alder', with a common -ko- suffix, giving the typical ending -isko-s. The A-language feature fits with what is known about Pannonian language.

Alma m.

• Place: Frus^ka Gora, autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia
• Name: Alma m. (Dio, Eutr., Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) interpreted as 'the fruitful (mountain)', from the IE root *al- 'to grow, nourish'.

Altina

• Place: not identified, autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia
• Name: Altina (Burd.) Altinum (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Possibly related to Altinum (Venetia) and thus to the IE root *alt-, particularly (Anreiter) to the Latin adjective altus 'high'.

Altinum

• Place: Kolked, county Baranya, Hungary
• Name: Altinum (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: See under Altina.

Aquincum

• Place: Obuda of Budapest, county Pest, Hungary
• Name: Aquincum (Ptol., Peut., It. Ant.) Acincum (Not. Dign., Amm.)
• Etymology: Pokorny derives the name from the IE root *akwa- 'water, river', with a typical Celtic suffix -incum, possibly also found in Acumincum. For Anreiter, the placename reflects Pannonian aqua 'water'.

*Basantius fl., Basantis

• Place: river Bosut, Croatia-Serbia (Basantius fl.), Virovi of Vinkovci, county Vukovarsko-Srijemska, Croatia (Ad Basante)
• Name: Bacuntius fl. (Plin.) Ad Basante (Peut.) Bassantis (Rav.)
• Etymology: According to Mayer, Bacuntius is related to New High German bach 'stream' and thus to the IE root *bhog- 'running water'. However the original version of the river name is likely *Basuntius or *Basantius with s. That can be explained invoking a different root with palatal g (possibly related to *bhog-). The consonant shift g'>s would have appeared in a satem language like Moesian or (Anreiter) as a palatalization of *bhog'-io- into Pannonian *basa- 'flow'.

Budalia

• Place: Marinci of Nus^tar, county Vukovarsko-Srijemska, Croatia
• Name: Budalia (It. Ant., Eutr., Iord.) Bubalia (Paul. Diac.) Bedulia (Burd.)
• Etymology: Formally, the name can be derived from the IE root *bhedh- 'to pierce, dig', with reference to a ditch or a pit. In alternative, Anreiter explains the name from a form *Butalia that could have meant 'the fruitful (place)'.

Bolia fl.

• Place: not identified
• Name: Bolia fl. (Iord.)
• Etymology: Likely from the IE root *bhel(e)- 'shining, white', in an O-language.

Bononia Malata

• Place: probably Banos^tor of Beoc^in, district Juz^na Bac^ka (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Bononia (Ptol., It. Ant.) Bonnonia Malata (Not. Dign.) Milatis (Peut.) Malatis (Rav.) Bononea (Amm.)
• Etymology: Bononia is a Celtic name, likely given by the Celtic Boii and derived from bona 'foundation', which in turn reflects the IE root *bheu- 'to be'. The name has at least an exact counterpart in Bononia (Cispadana).
  The previous name Malata is tentatively related to Maluntum (Illryia) and thus to the IE root *mel- 'to appear, come up', as a participe denoting a 'foundation'. In that case, Bononia could be nothing but a rough Celtic translation of a pre-existing Pannonian toponym. Otherwise, Anreiter suggests an ultimate meaning of 'hilly', to be compared with similar meaning of cognate appellatives.

Burgenae

• Place: Novi Banovci of Stara Pazova, district Sremski (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Burgenae (Not. Dign., Peut., Rav.)
• Etymology: The name recalls the second part of that of Teutoburgium and thus it could have the same origin. For Anreiter the appellative burgas was Pannonian, not Germanic.

Bustricius fl.

• Place: not identified
• Name: Bustricius fl. (Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) related to an appellative *bustra 'wild stream' reconstructed from the form *bhus-ro- of the IE root *b(h)eu- 'to swell, puff'. Compare with the Russian appellative bystrica 'fast river'.

Campona

• Place: Nagytétény of Budapest, county Pest, Hungary
• Name: Campona (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Usually (Pokorny) explained as a cognate of the IE root *kam-p 'to bend'. Since cognates of the same root are found in many languages, it is not possible to attribute the toponym to a definite stratum. However, the Celtic stratum could be excluded, since the cognate word in Celtic seems to have been *camb(i)os.

Celena

• Place: not identified, Croatia or Serbia
• Name: Celena (Burd.) Cansilena (Peut.) Ansilena (Rav.)
• Etymology: Possibly somehow related to Celemna (Campania) and thus to the IE root *kel- 'to tower, be high, hill'.

Certissa

• Place: S^trbinci of Djakovo, county Osjec^ko-baranjska, Croatia
• Name: Certissa (Ptol.) Certisia (Rav.) Certis (Peut.) Cirtisa (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Likely related to the IE root *kert- 'to turn, roll, wind', which appears to be very productive in toponymy. The ending -issa < *-isja has a high occurrence in the Balkans but it could have a Celtic origin as well.

Cibalae

• Place: Vinkovci, county Vukovarsko-srijemska, Croatia
• Name: Cibalis (Ptol.) Cibalae (Burd., Amm., Paul. Diac., Rav.)
• Etymology: Tentatively related to the IE root *(s)keib- 'vessel, ship', through a Pannonian word meaning the same, for the presence of a small river port. The explanation proposed by Anreiter from the IE root *ghebh- 'head' requires a problematic shift *gh > k.

Carpis

• Place: Totfalu of Dunabogdány, county Pest, Hungary
• Name: Carpis (Ptol.) Cirpis (It. Ant., Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: If the original form is that with a, the name may be related to the extension *(s)ker-p- of the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut', referring to a cutted wood or a broken stone. Thus compare with the oronym Carpates m. in a related domain.

Cornacum

• Place: Sotin of Vukovar, county Vukovarsko-srijemska, Croatia
• Name: Cornacum (Ptol., Peut., It. Ant., Not. Dign., Rav.)
• Etymology: The suffix -acum is considered typically Celtic. The stem could be the same of Carnuntum, meaning 'horn', since the town was placed on a hill towering the Danube of 50 m. The name is certainly Celtic for the presence of o that would be impossible in the Pannonian A-language.

Crumerum

• Place: Nyergesújfalu, county Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Crumerum (It. Ant., Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Anreiter has explained this name from a Pannonian appellative *crumera- meaning 'border', from the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut'. The town was actually by the border between Upper and Lower Pannonia.

Cuccium

• Place: Ilok, county Vukovarsko-srijemska, Croatia
• Name: Cuccium (Peut., Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Usually (Anreiter) derived from the IE root *keuk-, an extension of *keu- 'to bend', with some oronymic meaning like 'hill' or 'bump'. The place was a fort on the limes.

Cusum

• Place: Petrovaradin, district Juz^na Bac^ka (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Cusum (Peut., Not. Dign., It. Ant.) Usum (Rav.)
• Etymology: Since the town was a guardpost on the limes, its name could tentatively reflect the IE root *keu-s 'to notice, observe, feel, hear'. Other possible etymologies are listed by Anreiter.

Gorsium

• Place: close to Tŕc, county Fejér, Hungary
• Name: Gorsium (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Later known as Herculia, the town had an older name Gorsium, which might be interpreted as a cognate of the IE root *ger- 'to gather, put together'. Several possibilities are listed by Anreiter.

Idiminium

• Place: Simanovci of Pecinci, district Sremski (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Idiminum (Peut.) Idominium (Rav.)
• Etymology: Anreiter explains the name from a Pannonian appellative *idima 'path, way', reconstructed from the *eidh- extension of the IE root *ei- 'to go'.

Iovallio

• Place: Valpovo, county Osjec^ko-baranjska, Croatia
• Name: Iullum, Iubulum (Ptol.) Iovallio (Peut.) Iovalia (Burd.)
• Etymology: Likely from the presence of a temple of Juppiter.

Ira fl.

• Place: not identified
• Name: Ira (Rav.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Tentatively (Anreiter) related to the IE root *ei- 'to go'.

Leuconum

• Place: possibly Vrpolje, county Brodsko-posavska, Croatia
• Name: Leuconum (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Likely (Anreiter) derived from the IE root *leuk- 'bright, to shine, to see', with the original meaning of 'clearance'.

Leutuanum

• Place: not identified, Croatia
• Name: Leutuanum (Burd.)
• Etymology: Likely derived from the IE root *leu- 'dirt', and thus to be compared with Celtic placenames like Luteva and Lutetia (Lugdunensis). Alternatively, one could recall the IE root *leudh- 'to grow up, people, free', but in that case one should assume a Germanic-like sound shift from *dh to t.

Lugio

• Place: Dunaszekcso, county Baranya, Hungary
• Name: Lugionum (Ptol.) Lugio (Peut., It. Ant., Rav.)
• Etymology: Tentatively, it could be related to an Illyrian word lugas 'swamp' mentioned by Strabo, and thus to the IE root *leug- 'black, swamp'. A swamp named Lugaeo is also mentioned by Ptolemy. The name is likely Pannonian but Anreiter mentions the possibility of a Celtic etymology as well.

Lusomana

• Place: not identified, county Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Lusomana (Peut.) Lumanum (Rav.)
• Etymology: Likely (Anreiter) related to the IE root *leu- 'stone'. Compare with Leusinum (Illyria) in a related domain. However the ending -mana is unclear, unless it reflects an IE suffix -men at the O grade.

Lussonium

• Place: Dunakömlod of Paks, county Tolna, Hungary
• Name: Lussonium (Ptol., Not. Dign., It. Ant.) Lusione (Peut.) Alusione (Rav.)
• Etymology: Tentatively derived from a word meaning 'clearage', from the IE root *leuk- 'bright, to shine, to see', through a form *leuk-s-on-io. Other etymologies include that of Anreiter, from the extended IE root *leu- 'stone' (although the form Luss- would be hard to explain in this case), and that of Isaac, from a Celtic *lussu- 'herb' from the IE root *eleudh- 'to drive, move, go' through a nomen actionis *ludh-tu-.

Marsonia

• Place: Slavonski Brod, county Brodsko-posavska, Croatia
• Name: Marsonia (Ptol., Peut., Not. Dign., Rav.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The similarity with the ethnic name of the Sabellic Marsi could be only a coincidence. Possibly from the same root as Mursa, but at a different O-grade, with o>a in an A-language like Pannonian.

Metubarbis i.

• Place: not identified, district Sremski (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Metubarbis i. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Usually (Pokorny, Anreiter) interpreted as a compound name meaning 'between the swamps', with the first part analysed as metu- 'between' from the IE root *met(a)-, and the second part reconstructed as an appellative *barb- 'swamp' from an unclear IE root.

Mursa

• Place: Osijek, county Osjec^ko-baranjska, Croatia
• Name: Mursia (Ptol.) Mursa (Maior) (Peut., Burd., Not. Dign., It. Ant., Rav.)
• Etymology: Tentatively related to the IE *mer-s- 'powder', whiwc is an extension of the root *mer- 'to rub, wipe, to pack, rob'. The origin of the naming could have been the particular type of terrain. Otherwise, other extensions of the same root could apply, for instance, *m_erk-s-a. According to another point of view (Cimochowski), the s of the name should reflect an original *g' and thus the placename could have been related to Albanian mardhe 'big freeze' but also to various other cognates meaning 'marsh, swamp'. This is the same meaning proposed by Anreiter, who posits a stem *mers- 'swamp'.

Mursa Minor

• Place: not identified, county Osjec^ko-baranjska, Croatia
• Name: Mursa Minor (Peut., Rav.) Mersella (Burd.)
• Etymology: See under Mursa.

Rittium

• Place: Surduk of Stara Pazova, district Sremski (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Rittium (Ptol.) Bittio (Peut.) Ricti (Not. Dign.) Ritti (It. Ant.)
• Etymology: The town was on the Danube Limes and indeed the name could have meant 'line', from the extension *reik-(ti-o-) of the IE root *rei- 'to tear, cut'. Other IE roots are posited by Anreiter.

Saldae

• Place: Brcko, district Brcko, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Name: Saldae (Ptol., Peut., Rav.)
• Etymology: Usually (Pokorny) interpreted as a cognate of the IE root *sal- 'salt, salty water', with an extension *sal-d. According to Anreiter the place took its name from a salt-mine. Alternatively, being at the border of Illyria and Moesia, the name could present a satem feature and thus it could also reflect an IE root *k'el- 'cold, warm'.

Serbinum

• Place: Gradis^ka, entity Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Name: Serbinum (Ptol.) Servitium (It. Ant., Peut., Not. Dign.) Serbitium (Rav.)
• Etymology: It has been speculated that the name could refer to an earlier presence of the Serbi in the area. Explanations for this presence may include Sarmatian Serbians penetrated in the Pannonian plains and around together with the Iazyges, as well as a pre-historic presence of Slavs in the Central Balkan peninsula, as some toponyms from Illyria would also suggest (for example, Pasinum). However, the similarity between the toponym and the ethnic name could be just a coincidence, and the place name be derived from the IE root *serbh- 'to sip, swallow', as a term meaning 'abyss, gorge'.

Singidunum

• Place: Beograd, district Beograd, Serbia
• Name: Singidunum (Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: Usually (Pokorny) considered as a compound of a Celtic postponed word dunon 'castle, fortress' and a first component, probably a cognate of the IE root *sueng- 'to bend'. Thus the overall meaning could have been something like 'round fort'. This Celtic stratum is attributed to the people of the Scordisci.

Sirmium

• Place: Sremska Mitrovica, district Sremski (autonomous province of Vojvodina), Serbia
• Name: Sirmium (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Peut., Burd., It. Ant., Not. Dign., Rav., Amm., Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: According to Pokorny, the place name belongs to an important series of hydronyms derived from the stem *serm- and ultimately from the IE root *ser- 'to flow'. Compare with Sirmio (Venetia).

Solva

• Place: Esztergom, county Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
• Name: Solva, Salva (Ptol.) Solva (It. Ant., Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: Similarly to Solentia (Illyria), the name could be derived from the IE root *suel- 'foot, sole, ground', with metathesis of -u-. For Anreiter it is rather related to a Celtic word *selwa- 'property', derived from the IE root *sel- 'to take, grab'.

Sopianae

• Place: Pécs, county Baranya, Hungary
• Name: Sopianae (It. Ant., Amm.)
• Etymology: Ususally (Anreiter) related to a Celtic personal name *Sopios, for the Latin praedial suffix -anus/-a (here in plural form). However, if the name is pre-Roman, it might recall the IE root *suomb(h)-o-s 'porous, spongy', through an appellative related to the characteristics of the earth.

Spaneta

• Place: not identified, Croatia or Serbia
• Name: Spaneta (Burd., Rav., Peut., It. Ant.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Tentatively related to an old IE word meaning 'breast', as an allusion to a mound over the plain. Another etymology (Anreiter) is from a reconstructed Pannonian appellative meaning 'yoke', in the sense of 'pice of land that can be worked by a pair of yoked animals'.

Tarsium

• Place: not identified
• Name: Tarsium (Ptol.) Tarsum (Aur. Vict.)
• Etymology: It may derive from an older hydronym, to be compared with Tarsatica (Illyria), Tarracina (Latium), and thus with the IE root *ters- 'dry, thirst'. The ultimate meaning (Anreiter) could have been 'dry land (between the rivers Drina and Sava)'.

Taurunum

• Place: Zemun, district Beograd, Serbia
• Name: Turunum (Ptol.) Taurunum (Plin., It. Ant., Peut., Not. Dign.) Taurinum (Rav.)
• Etymology: The name has many counterparts, particularly in the Celtic domain, characterized by the stem teur-, all attribuable to the IE root *teur- from whence also the names of the 'bull'. The ending -unum is considered typically Celtic, possibly a contraction of an earlier -dunon 'fortress', or an ending in -no of a U-stem.

Teutoburgium

• Place: Dalj of Erdut, county Osjec^ko-baranjska, Croatia
• Name: Teutoburgium (Ptol.) Tittoburgum (Peut.) Teutiburgium (It. Ant.) Teutiborgium (Not. Dign.) Clautiburgum (Rav.)
• Etymology: Apparently it is a German-like compound name, meaning 'town of the people', from two words like Old High German diota 'people' and burg 'town', ultimately from the IE roots *teuta- 'people, land' and *bher(e)g'h- 'high, mountain'. However, the phonetics of Teuto- is more likely that of a Celtic or Pannonian cognate. Also the second appellative fits the reconstructed phonetics of Pannonian language, with sonant r vocalized as ur.

Ulca fl., *Ulcaea pal.

• Place: river Vuka (Ulca fl.) and a swamp nearby (*Ulcaea pal.), Croatia
• Name: Ulca fl. (Peut., Ennod.) Hiulca pal. (Aur. Vict.) Volcea pal. (Dio Cass.)
• Etymology: A name of a marshy area that resembles that of the 'wolf', see under Ulcisia, but that is likely related instead to the IE root *uelk- 'wet, damp'.

Ulcisia

• Place: Szentendre, county Pest, Hungary
• Name: Ulcisia (It. Ant.) Constantia (Not. Dign.)
• Etymology: The older name is usually (Pokorny, Anreiter) explained as 'wolf (castle)', from a Pannonian word meaning 'wolf', cognate of the IE root *ul_ekw-os 'wolf'. Also the ending -is-ja is common in Celtic and Balkan domains. Compare to Ulcinium (Illyria).

Vacontium

• Place: traditionally identified with Nagyvázsony, county Veszprém, Hungary
• Name: Vacontium (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Like the Celtic ethnic name Vacomagi, the name can be derived from the a Celtic word reflecting the IE root *uak- 'to be bent'. The meaning of the designation would then be 'a bent place, a valley'.

Conclusions

Two main linguistic strata appear in Pannonian toponymy. A genuine "Pannonian" stratum has been identified by scholars like Peter Anreiter (University of Innsbruck) as being an A-language, i.e., a language where IE *o>a (at least long o), with a development of sonants to un, ur, etc., de-aspiration of aspirated voiced stops. This Pannonian language seems closesly related to the Central Illyrian identified by Katicic and found also in Southern Italy. They are all centum languages.

The second stratum is Celtic, brought in Pannonia by tribes like the Boii, the Scordisci, the Taurisci, etc. This stratum is recognizable for typical appellatives and suffixes. Traces of other linguistic strata also appear in Pannonia, possibly including a Germanic one at the northern Danube border, and a satem one (early Slavic? Moesian?) toward Illyria and Moesia.

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by Antonio Sciarretta
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