Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy Ancient Toponymy

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Samnium

Contents

This page deals with the place-names of a region approximately corresponding to the IV Regio of Italy. This region is bounded by the Adriatic sea (to the east), the river Biferno (south), the external Appennine range (west) and the river Saline (north). Included here are the towns of the Samnites Pentri, of the Carracini, of the Frentani, of the Marrucini, of the Paeligni, of the Marsi, of the Aequiculi of the Vestini, of the Sabini. For the Frentani south of the river Biferno, see Apulia, for the Samnites west of the Appennine see Latium, for the region between rivers Saline and Tronto, see Picenum.

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.

Samnites Pentri

Aesernia

• Place: Isernia, province Isernia, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Aesernia (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Strab.) Hisernia (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from the IE root *eis- 'to move rapidly', sometimes referred to as *ais- [DNGI, p. 250; Villar]. Also compared with Etruscan aiser 'Gods' [Pittau] and explained as 'sacred'. The name can be analyzed as *aiser-n-ia, from a stream-name *Aiser. If the root is at O-grade, the name may be Oscan, since in this language there is evidence that *oi>ai, otherwise it should be attributed to an A-language. If the root is at an A-grade, nothing can be said about the origin of the name. Compare in Italy with Aesis fl. (Umbria), Aesisium (Umbria), Aesontius fl. (Venetia), Aesula (Latium). Outside of Italy, see Aeso (Tarraconensis), Aesica (Britannia), Aesaronis (Sardinia).

Aquilonia

• Place: not identified, not proveably in region Molise, Italy
• Name: Aquilonia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Like Aquilonia (Hirpinia), it may be explained from a stream-name *Aquilo. This latter has been derived (Pokorny) from the IE root *akwa- 'water, river'. In this case, the origin of the place-name cannot be Oscan, since in this language, *kw>p and thus it should be attributed to some pre-Italic stratum, possibly the Daunian. According to some scholars [DNGI, p. 257], the name is Oscan and compares with Latin aquilus 'dark (water)'.

Aufidena

• Place: close to Alfedena, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Aufidena (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Peut., Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from a stem *auf- [DNGI, p. 11] or from the IE root *eudh- 'udder, fecund', with an hydronymic meaning of 'rich of water'. The place-name may thus be explained from a stream-name *Aufidus that has an exact counterpart in Aufidus fl. (Apulia). The river to which this name referred is possibly the one that was called Sagrus fl. at the mouth. Due to the intervocalic f the name can be reconstructed as Oscan. Also the feature *ou>au (from the O-grade of the IE root) can be attributed to this Italic language. Compare for the stem with Aufentus fl. (Latium), Aufinum, Aufugum (Bruttium). According to some substratists [Alessio-De Giovanni], all these are from a "mediterranean" root *of-.

Bovianum

• Place: possibly two towns (B. Vetus, B. Undecumanorum according to Pliny), at least one at Civita di Boiano, province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy.
• Name: Bovianum (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Liv., Paul. Diac.) Oscan Bovaianom (inscr.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from the IE root *gwou- 'cattle' [DNGI, p. 55; TI, p. 64; Pokorny]. Compare with Bovillae (Latium). Certainly Oscan for the development *gw>b.

Duronia

• Place: possibly Duronia (Civitavecchia), province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Duronia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Likely to be derived from the IE root *dhuer- 'door', if this is the origin of the Gaulish duron 'fortress'. In this case, the name may be reconstructed as pre-Oscan, from a language in which *dh>d instead of Oscan *dh>f. This language could be the one of the Dauni.

Fagifulae

• Place: Faifoli di Montagano, province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Fagifulae (Plin.)
• Etymology: Certainly Oscan for the presence of the intervocalic f. The ending -ula should represent a diminutive. Possibly derived from the IE root *bhago- 'beech', with an extension *-dha- (Oscan *dh>f). The name should thus have meant 'small wood of beeches'. No strict comparisons found.

Ficulea

• Place: not identified
• Name: *Ficolea from Ficolenses (Plin.)
• Etymology: See under Ficulea (Latium).

Herculaneum

• Place: possibly Civitella di Campochiaro, province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Herculaneum (Liv.) Hercul(is) Rani (Peut.)
• Etymology: A sanctuary of Hercules.

Palumbinum

• Place: not identified
• Name: Palumbinum (Liv.)
• Etymology: Rather obscure. It may be a Latin translation of an Samnite name.

Saepinum

• Place: samnite fortress and roman town at Terravecchia and Altilia di Sepino, province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Saepinum (Ptol., Plin., Liv.) Oscan Saipins Sepinum (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from the IE root *saip- 'stall, fence' [DNGI, p. 495]. Compare with Saepone (Baetica) and Saeprus fl. (Sardinia).

Terventum

• Place: Trivento, province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Tereventum (Plin.) Treventum (Frontin.)
• Etymology: According to some form Triventum, the name has been explained [DNGI, p. 542] from the Oscan triibum 'house, building'. The name may be instead derived from the IE root *deru- 'tree' or from *d(e)reu- 'to run'. The extension *-ent- would be the IE *-uent- 'rich of' in the first case, a participe marker in the second case. In this latter circumstance, the name can be attributed to a language in which *d>t (as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc.). Possibly, this language is the Oscan itself, otherwise a different stratum has to be assumed. For the first hypothesis, compare with Derventio fl. (Britannia), for the second hypothesis compare with Truentus fl. (Picenum).

Tifernus fl., Tifernus m., Tifernum

• Place: river Biferno (Tifernus fl.), mount Matese (Tifernus m.), possibly Limosano (Tifernum), province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Tifernus fl. (Ptol., Plin., Mel.) Tifernum (Liv.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from the IE root *tibh- 'to melt' [DNGI, p. 52; TI, p. 55, 61]. The name may be explained from a S-stem *tibhes-no- 'river, marsh'. The feature *bh>f is tipically Oscan, and to the related Umbrian language belongs the place-name Tifernum (Umbria), that has a Latin counterpart in Tiberis fl. (Latium). Related to the name, outside of Italy, are also Tibesis fl. (Dacia), Tibina fl. (Sarmatia). An alternative explaination of the name was [DNGI, p. 52] from an Oscan *tifa 'hill(s)', reconstructed from Latin teba. By some scholar [Palmer], this word was considered as pre-IE.

Velia

• Place: unknown
• Name: Velia (Liv.)
• Etymology: The series *vel- may have to do with the waters, but no satisfactory IE root has been found for it. Compare strictly with Velia, one of the hills of Rome, and Velia (Tarraconensis).

Samnites Carracini

*Aventinus fl.

• Place: river Aventino, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from survival of the name
• Etymology: Like Avens fl., the name has been derived (Pokorny) from the IE root *au(e)- 'to flow', and explained from *au-ent-, with the participe marker *-ent- (or maybe IE *-uent- 'rich of'). Compare also with Aventicum (Belgica), Aventio fl. (Britannia).

Iuvanum

• Place: Palazzo di Montenerodomo, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Iuanum (Plin.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Possibly, related to the IE root *ieu- 'young'. Compare with Iuvaum (Noricum).

Cluviae

• Place: Laroma di Casoli, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Cluviae (Liv., Tac.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Possibly, related to the IE root *kleu- 'hook', for the shape of the site. In this case, the root should be at zero-grade, since otherwise the Oscan phonetics would have given *eu>ou. Compare also with Cluana (Picenum) and probably Clusium (Etruria).

Trebula

• Place: Spineto di Quadri, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Trebula (inscr.)
• Etymology: Clearly related to Oscan triibum (*treb-) 'house, building', Umbrian tremnu (*treb-no-) 'tabernaculo', Latin trabs, all from the IE root *treb- 'building, dwelling'. The place-name can be explained from a diminutive form *treb-ula. Compare directly and in the same Italic domain with Trebula Balliensis (Campania), Trebula Mutuesca and Trebula Suffenas (Latium).

Frentani

Anxanum

• Place: Lanciano, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Anxanum (Ptol., Plin.)
• Etymology: Possibly, it may be explained as 'hillock', from the IE root *ank- 'to bend, bow'. Together with Anxa, the name was intepreted by the substratists [De Giovanni, p. 47-48] as a "mediterranean" formation, from a stem *anc-sa-. Compare also with Anxur (Latium).

*Atessa

• Place: Atessa, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from survival of the name
• Etymology: It seems to belong to a serie *at- diffused especially in Italy and Spain, sometimes considered as non-IE [Villar]. But the name may be explained from *ad(u)-es-ia, from the IE root *ad(u)- 'water current', in a language in which *d>t (as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc.). Possibly, this language is the Oscan itself, otherwise a different stratum has to be assumed. Compare with Atina (Latium) and Atina (Lucania) in the same Italic domain.

*Ausentus fl.

• Place: river Osento, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from survival of the name
• Etymology: Possibly, derived from the IE root *aus- 'to draw water' with the participe marker *-ent-. The place-name should thus have meant 'the shining (river)'. Compare with Auser fl. (Etruria), Uzentum (Apulia) and, outside of Italy, Ausoba fl. (Hibernia).

Buca

• Place: not identified, but possibly Penna di Vasto, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Buca (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Mel.)
• Etymology: The name can be reconstructed as pre-Oscan for the presence of initial *b. It has to be attributed to a language in which *bh>b instead of Oscan *bh>f. If this stratum is the same that has a consonant shift as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc. (and thus *g>k), the name may be related to the IE root *bheug- 'to clear away', possibly with the meaning of clearance'. No strict comparisons found.

Histonium

• Place: Vasto, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Istonium (Ptol., Peut.) Histonium (Plin., Mel.)
• Etymology: Unknown. It has to belong to some O-language (central Illyrian, Oscan). The name has an exact counterpart in Istonium (Tarraconensis).

Ortona

• Place: Ortona, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Ortona (Ptol., Peut.) Hortona (Plin.) Ortonium (Strab.)
• Etymology: Usually [DNGI, p. 356], attributed to some Illyrian language or pre-IE language. Actually, it must have originated from from an O-language, likely Oscan for the fact that the name has an exact counterpart in Ortona (Latium). However, the name also compares with Ortopla (Illyria), Ortinae. A tentative explaination is from the IE root *er- 'to move', as 'the risen, the elevated'.

Pallanum

• Place: Pallano di Tornareccio, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Pallanum (Peut.)
• Etymology: The consonant cluster -ll- seems typically Italic and may derive from an earlier *pal-s-. In this case, the unclear IE root *pel(i)-s- 'rock' could fit very well. The name could then have meant 'rocky (hill)'.

Sagrus fl.

• Place: river Sangro, provinces Chieti and L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Sarus fl. (Ptol.) Sagrus fl. (Strab.) Sangrus fl. (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Unknown. If the original name is Sarus, it may be derived from the IE root *ser- 'to flow', but the formation is still unclear. It would be one of the cases in which an A-language has to be invoked (Alteuropäisch, southern Illyrian, etc.) to explain the A-grade of the root, or some obscure development of the r from a zero-grade. The variant Sagrus can be compared with Sagra fl. (Bruttium) and possibly also Sagis (Cispadana), one of the mouths of the Padus river. Also a comparison with Latin sacer 'sacred' has been proposed [DNGI, p. 464]. Note that the old name for the upper trait of the river was probably *Aufidus fl. (see Aufidena).

*Treste fl.

• Place: river Treste, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from survival of the name
• Etymology: It may be derived from the IE root *ters- 'dry, thirst' or from *der- at the zero-grade *dr- 'to run'. In the former case, compare with Trestona fl. (Britannia). In the latter case, the name can be explained from an S-stem *dres-te- in a language in which *d>t (as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc.). Possibly, this language is the Oscan itself, otherwise a different stratum has to be assumed.

Trinius fl.

• Place: river Trigno, provinces Chieti, region Abruzzo, and Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Trinius fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: It may be derived from the IE root *der- at the zero-grade *dr- 'to run' in a language in which *d>t (as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc.). Possibly, this language is the Oscan itself, otherwise a different stratum has to be assumed. This hypothesis is confirmed by the existence of river-names on the other side of the Adriatic showing the original *d-, Drilo fl. and Drinus fl. (Illyria). Compare also with Tirinus fl.. By the substratists [DNGI, p. 135; De Giovanni], the name was explained from a stem *tir-/dir- with a hydronymic meaning.

Uscosium

• Place: possibly close to Guglionesi, province Campobasso, region Molise, Italy
• Name: Uscosium (Ant.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Vescia (Campania), Vescellium (Hirpinia), in the same Italic domain, and also Vescis (Baetica). Possibly, Uscosium is from an earlier *uds-sko-, and then is related to the zero-grade of the IE root *(a)ued- 'water'.

Marrucini

*Alentus fl.

• Place: river Alento, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from the survival of the name
• Etymology: The hydronym has an exact counterpart in Alentus fl. (Lucania). Both reflect a participe form *al-ent- 'the nourisher' from the IE root *al- 'to grow, nourish'.

*Aufentus fl.

• Place: river Orfento, province Pescara, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred nfrom the survival of the name
• Etymology: From a participe form *Auf-ent-. See Aufidena for the meaning of the stem. The hydromym would have had an exact counterpart in Aufentus fl. (Latium), in the same Italic domain.

Interpromium

• Place: close to Tocco da Casauria, province Pescara, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Interpromium (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name could have meant 'between the mountains'. In this case and find an exact counterpart in the Romance name Tramonti given to the gorge between Tocco and Popoli.

Marruca

• Place: Colle di Rapino, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Marouca (inscr.)
• Etymology: It is the place that gave the name to the Marrucini tribe. The name has an exact counterpart in Marruca (Baetica), that has been derived [Villar] from an IE *mar- 'marsh', probably related to the IE root *mori- 'sea'. However, this explanation seems unlikely for Marruca in Marrucinis. Compare then with Marruvium.

Teate

• Place: Chieti, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Teatea (Ptol.) Teate (Plin., Peut.) Theate (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Usually [DNGI, p. 146] compared with Teanum (Campania) and Teanum Apulum (Apulia). Given the well-known Oscan feature *ei>e, the name can be explained from an earlier form *teia-te-, which may be derived from the IE root *(s)tei- 'sharp'. The original name could thus have referred to the top of the hill on which the city is placed (called today Civitella).

Paeligni

Corfinium

• Place: Corfinio (formerly Pentima), province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Corfinium (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Caes.)
• Etymology: Certainly from an Oscan-type dialect for the intervocalic f and the presence of o, deriving from an O-grade of the same IE root from which derives Cerfennia. Possibly, it is an extersion *ker-dh- of the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut', to which is related Scardus m. (Illyria). Or maybe it is from the IE root *(s)kerbh- 'to turn, curve'.

*Palena

• Place: Forca di Palena, province Chieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Iovis Larene (Peut.), inferred from the survival of the name
• Etymology: The name likely designated one of twe mountain passes linking the Paeligni to the Pentri through an ancient road. Thus one tentative etymology could be from a local version of the IE root *pel- 'wide and flat', as opposed to the slope of the valleys that the road traversed.

Sulmo

• Place: Sulmona, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Sulmo (Ptol., Plin.)
• Etymology: Usually derived [DNGI, p. 514] from a zero-grade of the IE root *suel- 'to drink (?)'. The name would be therefore explained from an N-stem *sul-mon. An exact counterpart is found in Sulmo (Latium). The traditional erudite explaination of the place-name is from Solimus, a Trojan.

Statulae

• Place: likely Goriano Sicoli, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Statulae (Peut.)
• Etymology: A road mansio, its name meant 'small stations', from an Oscan word cognate to Latin statio and thus derived from the IE root *sta- 'to stand'.

Superaequum

• Place: possibly Castelvecchio Subequo, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Superaequum (Plin.)
• Etymology: It could reflect [DNGI, p. 127] the Latin syntagm 'above the plain', be a translation of a Paelignian name, or an original name with the same meaning. In this latter case, it is not clear why the *kw of *aikwo- 'plain' did not shift to p as one would expect in an Italic language. The name compares with Aecae (Apulia), Aeculanum (Hirpinia) in the same Italic domain and, outside of Italy, Aequum (Illyria).

Marsi

Alba Fucens

• Place: Albe di Massa d'Albe, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Alba Fucinis (Ptol.), Alba (Plin., Strab., Liv.)
• Etymology: It is the Latin name alba, given to colonies.

Antinum

• Place: Civita d'Antino, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Antinum (Plin.)
• Etymology: It seems deeply related to Latin ante (< *anti), from the IE root *ant- 'forward, before'. But it cannot be excluded a derivation from the extension *ak't- 'promontory, hill' of the IE root *ak'- 'sharp'. Compare with Antemnae (Latium) in the same Italic domain.

Anxa

• Place: possibly Luco dei Marsi, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Anxa (Plin.) Aex ? (Ptol.)
• Etymology: Possibly, it may be explained as 'hillock', from the IE root *ank- 'to bend, bow'. Together with Anxanum, the name was intepreted by the substratists as a "mediterranean" formation, from a stem *anc-sa-.

Archippe

• Place: not identified, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Archippe (Plin., Verg.)
• Etymology: This was the first settlement of the Marsi according to Pliny. Indeed the name could be interpreted as an archaic Greek form, in which we recognize the adjective for 'old'. The second element *ippon was probably an apellative for 'settlement' and is found across the Mediterranean likely linked to the "Mycenean" trade.

Cerfennia

• Place: Santa Felicita di Collarmele, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Cerfennia (Liv., Peut.)
• Etymology: Certainly from an Oscan-type dialect for the intervocalic f. It derives from a full-grade of the same IE root as Corfinium. Possibly, it is an extension *ker-dh- of the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut', to which is related Scardus m. (Illyria). Or maybe it is from the IE root *(s)kerbh- 'to turn, curve'.

Cuculum

• Place: not identified but maybe Cucullo, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Cuculum (Strab.)
• Etymology: It is likely related to Latin cucullus 'hood' (of Gaulish origin ?), and maybe preserves the meaning of the IE root *(s)keu- 'to cover, wrap' as 'hut, cottage'.

Fresilia

• Place: not identified, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Fresilia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Certainly Italic for the initial f. Tentatively, from the IE root *bhres- 'to break', with a formation parallel to that of Romance fracta 'clearance, (broken) wood' from Latin frango 'to break'.

Fucinus lac.

• Place: former lake Fucino, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Fucinus lac. (Plin., Verg., Tac., Paul. Diac.) Marsic Fougnos (inscr.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Certainly Italic for the initial f. The Oscan variant is likely from a *bheug-, since in Oscan-type dialects it was *eu>ou, besides *bh>f. This recalls the IE root *bheug- 'to clear away' postulated for Buca, but the meaning is obscure, in this case.

Imeus m.

• Place: pass of Forca Caruso, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Mons Imeus (Peut.)
• Etymology: It may have the same origin of Himella fl., from the IE root *g'heim- 'snow, cold', an extension (from *g'hei-mn- ?) of *g'hei- 'winter, snow'. Then, the name meant 'the cold (pass)'.

Marruvium

• Place: San Benedetto dei Marsi, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Marruvium (Plin., Verg.)
• Etymology: It may be an original *marso-uvio-, derived from the ethnic name of the Marsi. Otherwise, it may be derived from an IE *mar- 'marsh' (Villar), probably related to the IE root *mori- 'sea'. In this case, the name would be related to the near lake Fucinus.

Milionia

• Place: possibly close to Ortona dei Marsi, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Milionia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Unknown.

Plestina

• Place: not identified, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Plestina (Liv.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Compare with Plestia (Umbria).

Aequiculi

Carseoli

• Place: Civita di Carsoli, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Carsioli (Ptol., Liv.) Carseoli (Plin., Strab.) Carsiolis (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: The name is certainly related with Carsulae (Umbria), in the same Italic domain. Some substratists [DNGI, p. 105], have derived these names from a "mediterranean" stem *cars- 'stony terrain'. But possibly the origin of this serie is the IE root *kars- 'to scratch, rub'. Compare, outside of Italy, with Carsium (Dacia).

Cliternum

• Place: possibly Capradosso di Petrella Salto, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Cliternum (Ptol., Plin.)
• Etymology: The name is certainly related with Cliternia (Apulia), in the same Italic domain. Likely, they may be derived from the IE root *k'lei- 'to tip, incline, lean'. In particular, the names can be explained from a participe *k'li-to- 'inclined', referring to a hill or to the position of the town.

Nersae

• Place: San Silvestro di Pescorocchiano, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Nersae (Plin., Verg.)
• Etymology: The name could be related to the IE root *ner- 'vital energy, man' and, like Norba (Latium), could have meant 'fortress'.

Telonius fl.

• Place: river Salto, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Telonius fl. (Ovid.)
• Etymology: Maybe it is related to the IE root *tel- 'to be still', through an O-grade extended form *tel-ona-, and then it meant 'the still (river)'.

Vestini

Angulum

• Place: Città Sant'Angelo, province Pescara, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Angulus (Ptol., Plin.)
• Etymology: It cannot be separated from Latin angulus 'corner', which is from the variant *ang- of the IE root *ank- 'to bend, bow'. According to [DNGI, p. 153], the name can be reconstructed as the Oscan *Angelom, subsequently latinized as Angulum.

Aternus fl., Aternum

• Place: river Aterno-Pescara, provinces L'Aquila, Pescara (Aternus fl.), Pescara, province Pescara (Aternum), region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Aternus fl. (Ptol., Plin.) Aternum (Strab.)
• Etymology: Usually related to Latin ater, Umbrian atru, adro 'dark, black', from the same IE root *at(e)r- 'fire' (UTET, De Giovanni). Tentatively, it could be analyzed instead as *adues-no-, from the IE root *ad(u)- 'water current', in a language in which *d>t (as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc.). Possibly, this language is one of the Oscan-type dialects, otherwise a different stratum has to be assumed.

Aufeginum

• Place: Fagnano Alto, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: *Aufeginum from Aufeginates (inscr.)
• Etymology: See under Aufinum.

Aufinum

• Place: between Capestrano and Ofena, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Aufinum (Plin.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from a stem *auf- [DNGI, p. 348] or from the IE root *eudh- 'udder, fecund', and explained as an earlier stream-name meaning 'rich of water'. The place-name should then originally indicate the sources of the river *Tirinus. Given the intervocalic f, the name can be reconstructed from an Oscan-type dialect. Also the feature *ou>au (from the O-grade of the IE root) can be attributed to this Italic language. Compare for the stem with Aufidena, Aufentus fl. (Latium), Aufugum (Bruttium), Aufidus fl. (Apulia). According to some substratists [Alessio, De Giovanni], all these are from a "mediterranean" root *of-.

Aveia

• Place: close to Fossa, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Avia (Ptol.) Aveia (Peut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Tentatively, the name could be related to the IE root *au(e)- 'to flow', and explained from an earlier *ave-ia, later (Oscan *ei>e) *avea (transcribed Avia).

Cingilia

• Place: not identified
• Name: Cingilia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Compare with Cingulum (Picenum) and Cingulum (Latium), in the same Italic domain. Likely, related with Latin cingo and Umbrian cihcersa (*kinkeda-) 'gates', from the IE root *kenk- 'to bind, girdle'.

Cutina

• Place: not identified
• Name: Cutina (Liv.)
• Etymology: Compare with Cutiliae and Abruzzese Romance cutino 'pit, pool'.

Frusternae

• Place: not identified, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Frusternae (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name seems to be composed by a first part frus- and an agent suffix -ter- which is very diffused in the Italic domain. Various IE roots have been postulated of the type *bhreus-, that may have yielded a *frus- in the Eastern Italic language of the Vestini. At least three of them can have a toponymical meaning: *bhreu-s- 'to swell', *bhreus- 'to break', related likely to *bhres-, and *bhreus- 'to boil', related to *bher-. The name can be however compared with that of Frusino (Latium)

Furfo

• Place: Farfona di Barisciano, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from survival of the name (?)
• Etymology: Certainly from an Oscan-type dialect for the intervocalic f. It has been compared [Alessio, De Giovanni] with Furfane (Apulia), in the same Italic domain, and derived from a "thyrrenian mediterranian" *forf-, as opposed to "balkanian mediterranian" *borb-, both 'slime, mud'. Behind this assumption, there is a confusion with the Greek cognates of the IE root *gwor- 'mud', while Furfo can be derived from *bheredh- 'board' and explained from the O-grade or the zero-grade of the root.

Peltuinum

• Place: Ansidonia di Prata d'Ansidonia, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Peltuinum (Plin.)
• Etymology: Possibly, it is related to the extension *pelt- of the IE root *pel- 'wide and flat'. In this case, the name may be explained from an U-stem *peltu- (Udolph, Pokorny) and should have meant 'small field'.

Pinna

• Place: Penne, province Pescara, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Pinna (Ptol., Peut.) Pennae (Plin.) Pinnae (Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from some pre-Latin word pinna 'rocky top' (UTET). However, it is not related to the Celtic names of the serie *penn- who have an origin not proveable for the Italic domain. Possibly, it derives from the IE root *bend-no-s 'spike, needle' that designate rocky mountain tops, with the "Picene" shift of *b to p.

Pitinum

• Place: Pettino dell'Aquila, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Pitinum (Peut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Temptatively, the name may be derived from an extension *peit- of the IE root *pei- 'fat, milk', with the possible meaning of 'wet field, grass', from which also Latin pituita. The name has two exact counterparts in Pitinum Mergens and Pitinum Pisaurense (Umbria).

Prifernum

• Place: close to Assergi di Camarda, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Prifernum (Peut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Certainly from an Oscan-type dialect for the intervocalic f. The name can be compared with Privernum (Latium) and derived from the IE root *gwher- 'hot, warm'. The first part is likely related to the Latin preposition pri-, prae 'before, on', Oscan prai, which derives from the IE *prai (and umlaut variants) 'before, at, on'. Both names can therefore be explained as 'at the warm (spring ?)'.

*Tirinus fl.

• Place: river Tirino, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: inferred from survival of the name
• Etymology: It may be derived from the IE root *der- at the zero-grade *dr- 'to run' in a language in which *d>t (as in Germanic, Thracian, Hittite etc.). Possibly, this language is one of the Oscan-type dialects, otherwise a different stratum has to be assumed. In the medieval sources, the river was referred to as Trite, (Valle) Tritana. Compare with Trinius fl.

Sabini

Amiternum

• Place: San Vittorino di Arischia, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Amiternum (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Verg., Paul. Diac.)
• Etimology: Traditionally, explained from the IE root *ambhi- 'around', and the name of the river Aternus, that flows close to it. But consider that probably there was an other Amiternum in Latium, without any reference to a river of the same name.

Avens fl.

• Place: river Velino, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Avens fl. (Plin.)
• Etimology: Like *Aventinus fl., the name has been derived (Pokorny) from the IE root *au(e)- 'to flow', and explained from *au-ent-, with the participe marker *-ent- (or maybe IE *-uent- 'rich of'). Compare also with Aventicum (Belgica), Aventio fl. (Britannia).

Batia

• Place: possibly Vazia di Rieti, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Batia (Dion.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The name recalls that of Batulum (Campania), probably in the same Western Italic domain. Batia is described by Dionysius as being an old town of the Aborigines.

Casperia

• Place: not identified, not necessarily Casperia (Aspra), province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Casperia (Verg.) Casperula (Sil. It.)
• Etymology: Unknown. It has been related to a personal name Casperius by Pellegrini, but more likely it is this one that derives from the town and not vice versa.

Cures

• Place: Arci di Fara in Sabina, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Cures (Plin., Strab., Liv., Plut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Since the Antiquity, it has been associated to Latin Quirites, that has been explained as 'inhabitants of Cures'.

Cutiliae lac.

• Place: a town and the lake of Paterno, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Cutiliae (Plin., Sen.) Cotiliae (Strab.) Cutilia (Dion.)
• Etymology: Compare with Cutina and Abruzzese Romance cutino 'pit, pool'.

Eretum

• Place: Casacotta di Montelibretti, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Eretum (Liv., Verg.)
• Etymology: The name may be compared with Ereta (Thracia) and Veretum (Apulia) and be, like them, explained from an earlier form *Veretum and derived from the IE root *(a)uer- 'water, rain, flow'. Nothing can be said about the linguistic stratum to which the place-name can be attributed.

Fabaris fl.

• Place: not identified, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Fabaris fl. (Verg.)
• Etymology: The phonetic features - f in initial position but b in middle position - shown in the name make it certainly Western Italic (Latin). Temptatively, it may be explained from the IE root *bha- 'to speak' and compared with Latin fabula 'speech'. In this case, the meaning of the name may have been 'the speaking (river)'.

Falacrinae

• Place: not identified, close to Cittareale, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Falacrinae (Svet.)
• Etymology: The name may be separated in two parts. The second, crina- may be related to a Gaulish *crina (Anreiter) 'mountain crack', from the IE root *(s)k(e)rei- 'to cut, separate'. The f- in the first part of the name ensures that its origin is Italic.

Fiscellus m.

• Place: not identified, a mountain where the river Avens has its sources
• Name: Fiscellus (Plin., Varr.)
• Etimology: Unknown. It may be derived from the IE root *bheid- 'to prick, pierce' and explained as a formation *bhid-sko- with a meaning of 'gap, crack'. Thus, the name should have referred to a mountain pass, that is in agreement with the fact that in the ancient times, the passes more than the tops received a name. Moreover, this proposal is consistent with the attestation of the place as a river source. From the phonetic features of the name, it is probably Italic.

Fisternae

• Place: possibly Vigliano di Scoppito, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Fisternae (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name seems to be Eastern Italic for the initial f. Likely, it is related to the IE root *bheid- 'to prick, pierce' because close to present-day Vigliano there is the important Sella di Corno, a mountain pass that put in communication the Sabini of the Velinus basin with those of the Aternus.

Foruli

• Place: Civitatomassa di Scoppito, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Foruli (Verg., Sil.)
• Etymology: It cannot be separated from Latin forum 'market, market-place'. Possibly it is an equivalent Sabine word.

Forum Novum

• Place: Vescovío di Torri in Sabina, province Rieti, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Forum Novum (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name is Latin and means 'new market-place'.

Gurgures m.

• Place: possibly mount Terminillo, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Gurgures m. (Varr.)
• Etymology: The name seems to be a reduplication form, probably from the IE root *ger- 'to gather, put together' from which also the Latin grex, gregis. The name should have meant 'mass(es)' and thus is equivalent to Romance place-names like Morra, Morrone and very appropriate for a 'massif' as the Terminillo is. The phonetic development is such that the sonant r was vowelized into ur. This feature is very common and can be attributed to an Italic language, in this case the Sabine.

Himella fl.

• Place: river Imele-Salto, province province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Himella fl. (Verg.)
• Etymology: The name may be derived from the IE root *g'heim- 'snow, cold', an extension (from *g'hei-mn- ?) of *g'hei- 'winter, snow'. Then, the name meant 'the cold (frozen) river', or 'the river from the snow'. The name compares with Himera fl. (Sicilia) and thus it may belong to a Western Italic stratum (Aborigines).

Interocrium

• Place: Antrodoco, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Interocrium (Peut.)
• Etymology: Usually [DNGI, p. 19] explained as 'between the mountains', from an Italic (Sabine) word related to Old Latin ocris 'mount', Umbrian ocar 'mount'. These are from the variant *ok'ri- of the IE root *ak'- 'sharp'. Compare with Ocriculum (Umbria).

Issa i.

• Place: not identified, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Issa i. (Dion.)
• Etymology: To be compared with Isacia i. (Lucania) and thus with the IE root *eis- 'to move rapidly', said of waters.

Lista

• Place: not identified, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Lista (Dion.)
• Etymology: Tentatively, it may be explained with the IE root *leis- 'furrow, to furrow to pursue, learn', with a participial suffix and a probable meaning of 'ploughed land'.

Maruvium

• Place: not identified, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Maruvium (Dion.)
• Etymology: See under Marruvium.

Mefula

• Place: not identified, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Mefula (Dion.)
• Etymology: It is likely Eastern Italic for the intervocalic f. Then, it is probably related to Oscan mefiai 'in the middle', Latin medius, etc., all from the IE root *medh- 'middle', after a formation *medhu-la.

Nursia

• Place: Norcia, province Perugia, region Umbria, Italy
• Name: Nursia (Ptol., Plin., Plut., Verg., Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Unknown. It is often explained by local scholars from the Etruscan nurziu 'happiness'.

Ortinae

• Place: not identified, province Perugia, region Umbria, Italy
• Name: Ortinae (Verg.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Likely, it has the same origin as Ortona, and maybe they are related to the series hort- for which see under Horta (Etruria).

Orvinium

• Place: not necessarily Orvinio (Canemorto), province Perugia, region Umbria, Italy
• Name: Orvinium (Varr., Dion.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with an Orvium fl. (Tarraconensis). Then, Orvinium could be explained as derived from the name of a stream, which in turn, reflects the IE root *ereu- 'swift, speedy', an extension of *er- 'to move'.

Reate

• Place: Rieti, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Reate (Plin., Plut., Verg., Peut., Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Unknown in [DNGI, p. 429]. It may be derived from the IE root *rei- 'to flow', and explained from an earlier form *reia-te- with a suffix -te that could have meant 'place by'.

Testruna

• Place: not identified, province L'Aquila, region Abruzzo, Italy
• Name: Testruna (Cat.)
• Etymology: Maybe the name of the mytical homeland of the Sabini can be compared with that of Testrona fl. (Britannia), after a dissimilation *trest- > testr-.

Tetrica m., Severus m.

• Place: some mountains in the group of mount Terminillo, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Tetrica m. (Verg., Varr.) Severus m. (Verg.)
• Etymology: Probably the same name, since tetricus and severus have in Latin the same meaning of 'wild, severe'.

Tiora

• Place: not identified, not proveably in the province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Tiora Matiene (Dion.)
• Etymology: The name can be explained from an earlier form *teio-ra-, which may be derived from the IE root *(s)tei- 'sharp'. The original name could thus have referred to a hill, like for Teate.

Trebula Mutuesca

• Place: Santa Vittoria di Monteleone Sabino, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Trebula (Plin.) Mutusca (Verg.)
• Etymology: Clearly related to Oscan triibum (*treb-) 'house, building', Umbrian tremnu (*treb-no-) 'tabernaculo', Latin trabs, all from the IE root *treb- 'building, dwelling'. The place-name can be explained from a diminutive form *treb-ula. Compare directly and in the same Italic domain with Trebula, Trebula Balliensis (Campania) and Trebula Suffenas (Latium).

Velinus lac.

• Place: disappeared but Lago Lungo and Lago di Ripasottile, province Rieti, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Velinus lac. (Plin., Verg., Tac.)
• Etymology: The name shows a stem *vel- that has been thought to be related to waters, and reconducted to the same IE root *au(e)- of Avens fl. Otherwise, this stem has been explained from the Etruscan, and a meaning of 'high place' has been attributed to it (UTET). But Duridanov in explaining some *vel- river name, recalled some Baltic appellatives like velekles 'a place, used for washing'. It is unclear if these appellatives have to be derived from a diminutive *(a)ue-lo-, or from the independent root *uelk- 'wet, damp'

Conclusions

From the analysis of the place-names of this region, it is evident the presence of at least three linguistic strata. One, probably the most recent, is the Eastern Italic (or Osco-Umbrian) group, including Oscan and the dialects of the small peoples between Samnites and Umbrians. The evidence for it is in the names with f (and especially intervocalic f) derived from the IE aspirated voiced stops (bh, dh, gh), but also other features concerning the labiovelars (*kw>p, *gw>b) and the dyphthongs (*eu>ou, *ei>e and possibly *ou>au).

Certainly non-Oscan are some place-names, distributed on the western part, at the borders with Latium and Campania, that preserve *kw or show an intervocalic *bh>b. These are likely related to Sicule and Latin in the so-called Weatern Italic branch.

From other place-names, distributed along the Adriatic coast, it is possible to assume a different, probably previous, linguistic stratum. This consists in one language characterized by a consonant shift. There is evidence of the voiced stops shifting to voiceless (*d>t, *g>k and presumably *b>p), and of the aspirated voiced stops shifting to voiced (*bh>b etc.). The voiceless stops were preserved or maybe, to complete the shift, they were aspirated, but this aspiration is not shown in the Latin sources, since Latin language had not aspirated voiceless stops in its alphabet. This unknown language is only a speculation. Conventionally, it will be referred to in the languages' page, as Picene (the so-called Picene alphabets seem to have had aspirated voiceless stops).

Even a stratum due to an A-language (that is to say, a language in which *o>a) seems to be possible, in order to explain some place-names with an unclear IE ablaut.

Last modified: October 3, 2010
by Antonio Sciarretta
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