Latium

Contents

This page deals with part of the I region of Italy, comprised between the river Tiber and the river Liris, the Tyrrhenian sea and the country of the Sabini, Aequi, Marsi, etc. It includes the cradle of the Roman civilization, i.e., the Latium vetus, inhabited by the Latini. North of the river Anio, some Latin towns were in the land of the Sabini (the so-called Sabina Tiberina). Other small peoples were the Hernici in the mountains, the Rutuli and the Aurunci on the coast. The south part of the region was inhabited, in historical times, by the Volsci and the Samnites. Also included are the islands in the Tyrrhenian sea.

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.

Abola

• Place: not identified
• Name: *Abola from Abolani (Plin.)
• Etymology: One of the populi Albenses, the name may have derived from an old Proto-Latin appellative *abola meaning 'apple', in analogy to the shape of a hill or similar. The IE name of the 'apple' has been reconstructed as *abel- and is related to some other place-names, among which Abella (Hirpinia). An alternative explaination could be 'small stream', from the IE root *ab- 'water, river', to which is related Latin amnis.

Alba Longa, Albanus lac., Albanus m.

• Place: not identified (Alba Longa) and lake Albano (Albanus lac.), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Alba (Plin., Strab.) Alba Longa (Liv., Verg.) Albanus lac. (Liv., Cic., Prop., Val. Max.) Albanus m. (Liv., Strab.)
• Etymology: This name was prototypical for later Roman foundations (colonies), but originally it was likely related to the IE root *albho- 'white', maybe with a meaning of 'clearance' or even 'hole', referred in this case to the crater filled by the Albanus lacus. According to Pallottino, the adjective longa 'long' derived from the succession of villages on the shores of the Albanus lacus. But maybe it was originally a different village, because Pliny mentions also the people of the Longani, after that of the Albani.

Albunea fl.

• Place: disputed, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Albunea fl. (Verg., Hor.)
• Etymology: The name is that of a water-goddess, a nymph, and seems closely related to Latin albus 'white', from the IE root *albho- 'white'.

Algidus m., Algidum

• Place: Algido pass (Algidus m.), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Algidus m. (Liv.) Algidum (Strab.)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Latino algidus 'cold', for which an IE root *algh- 'frost, cold' has been postulated.

Ameriola

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ameriola (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name seems to be a diminutive of Ameria (Umbria), to which is probably related.

Amitinum

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Amitinum (Plin.)
• Etymology: Unclear. This name can be compared with the Amitinenses mentioned by Pliny in Etruria and with the name of Amiternum (Samnium) that probably has a counterpart also in Amiternum (Latium).

Artena

• Place: possibly Civita di Artena (Montefortino), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Artena (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name has a "Liguro-Sicanian" explaination if it is related to Latin arduus 'high, steep', and thus derives from the IE root *er(e)dh- 'high, to grow'. The Rutulian language of the Tyrrhenian coast could be responsible of the shift *dh>t. It is not sure whether the Ortona mentioned by Pliny is the same as Artena.

Bola

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Bola (Plin., Plut.) Bolae (Liv.)
• Etymology: One of the populi Albenses. The name has a correspondence with a Ligurian (i.e., Celto-Ligurian) word *bola 'swamp', derived by Pokorny from the IE root *bhel(e)- 'shining, white'. Late Latin has the feature *bh>f, but maybe this was still not present in the Proto-Latin phase. This linguistic stratum is often referred to also as Western Italic. It is possible that the legendary presence of Siculians (not Sicanians, which are of the Ligurian stock !) in Latium is an echo of this Western Italic stratum.

Bovillae

• Place: Frattocchie (Boville) di Marino, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Bovillae (Plin., Liv., Tac., Ovid.) Boveliae (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name is related to Latin bos, bovis 'cow', which is an Eastern Italic loanword (*gw>b). The name can be compared with Bovianum (Samnium) and ultimately derives from the IE root *gwou- 'cattle' (UTET).

Cabum

• Place: Rocca di Papa, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: *Cabium from Cabienses (Plin.) *Cabum inferred from the survival of the name Monte Cavo
• Etymology: A stem *cab- has been identified by Villar for Hispania, and confused with the IE root *keu- 'to bend', which is phonetically impossible. Tentatively, the name is related to Latin scabo, -ere 'to scrape', from an unclear IE root *(s)keb(h)- 'to work with a sharp instrument'.

Camerium

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Camerium (Plin., Tac., Plut.) Cameria (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name has a counterpart in Camerinum (Umbria), in the same Italic domain, and both may be related to Latin camerus, camurius 'bent, crooked', from the IE root *kam-er- 'to bend, curve'.

Cingulum

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: *Cingulum from Cingulani (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Latin cingulum 'circular fence', and can be compared with Cingulum (Picenum), in the same Italic domain.

Corbio

• Place: close to Rocca Priora, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Corbio (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name may be related to Latin corbis 'basket', for the shape of the site. It can also be related, as a their (Proto-)Latin counterpart, with Eastern Italic names like Corfinium and Cerfennia (Samnium), for which a derivation from the IE root *(s)kerbh- 'to turn, curve' is an alternative explaination to what written in the Samnium page.

Ferentum

• Place: close to Marino, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: *Forentum from Forentani (Plin.)
• Etymology: see under Ferentum (Etruria)

Ficana

• Place: Monte Cugno di Roma (borg. Acilia), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ficana (Plin., Liv., Dion.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Ficulea and with Ficulea (Samnium), for the initial fic-. The etymology is unknown, unless they are related to Latin ficus 'fig'.

Gabii

• Place: Castiglione di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Gabii (Plin., Liv., Front., Ovid., Peut.)
• Etymology: According to the substratists, a stem *gab- would have had the meaning of mountain stream (UTET). More likely, this name and another, Gabellus fl. (Aemilia), can be derived from the IE root *gwabh- 'to sink, submerge, plunge'. The town of Gabii is on the border of a cavity, so the name could have meant simply 'pits'. The phonetics shows that the name Gabii is Latin and not Eastern Italic, because in these languages, *gw>b and *bh>f.

Lavinium

• Place: Pratica di Mare di Pomezia, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Lavinium (Liv., Verg., Val. Max., Peut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. Tentatively, the name may be related to latin lavo 'I wash', and then derived from a (Proto-)Latin appellative meaning 'bath (for the animals)', a pastoral term. The Latin word is from the IE root *lou(e)- 'to wash'.

Medullia

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Medullum (Plin.) Medullia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The name can be compared to Latin medulla 'pulp of the bones' and with Medullum (Raetia).

Ostia

• Place: Ostia Antica di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ostia (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Mel., Liv.) Hostiae (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name is related to Latin ostium 'mouth (of a river)', which derives from an extension *oust- of the IE root *ous- 'mouth'.

Pedum

• Place: possibly Gallicano nel Lazio, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Pedum (Plin., Liv., Plut.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Septempeda (Picenum) and both derived from an appellative meaning 'place', related to Latin pes, pedis, from the same IE root *ped- 'foot'.

Politorium

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Politorium (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: Since it was a place close to the river Tiber, the name could be explained from the IE root *pel- 'wide and flat'. The name ending could be the O-grade form of the Italic *teria- 'land', for which see Fabrateria, Pandateria i..

Suessa Pometia

• Place: not identified, province Roma or Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Pometia (Plin.) Suessa Pometia (Liv., Tac.)
• Etymology: The name Suessa, that is found also in Suessula (Campania) and Suessa (Campania), may be a recent addition to a pre-existing name Pometia. This is related to Latin pomus 'fruit tree', with a collective suffix -et-.

Praeneste

• Place: Palestrina, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Praeneste (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Peut.)
• Etymology: The name has been explained as Praene-ste, where the first part would be a locative formation *praene 'in the old part', related to Latin prae 'before', and the second part is from the IE root *sta- 'to stand' (UTET). But the name could be analyzed also as Praenes-te, where the first part is an S-stem.

Regillus lac.

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Regillus lac. (Liv., Cic.)
• Etymology: The name has been explained by Udolph from the IE root *reg'- 'damp, rain', and can be compared with Regae (Etruria). But there is also trace of a town Regillum in the Sabines.

Tellenae

• Place: possibly Castel di Decima di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Tellenae (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Tellonum (Aquitania) and Tellegate (Transpadana), in the Celtic domain. Likely, these names are related to Latin tellus (*tel-nos) 'earth', which is from the IE root *tel(e)- 'flat, flat ground, board'.

Tiberis fl., Albula fl.

• Place: river Tèvere, Central Italy
• Name: Tiberis fl. (Ptol., Plin., Mel., Liv., etc.) Thybris fl. (Plin., Verg.) Albula fl. (Liv., Plin.)
• Etymology: The classical name Tiberis has counterparts in Tifernus fl. and Tifernum (Umbria), having been explained from the IE root *tibh- 'to melt', which is very productive for hydronyms. Related to the name, outside of Italy, are also Tibesis fl. (Dacia), Tibina fl. (Sarmatia).
  The variant Thybris, found also in Greek sources, could have been the original "Pelasgian" spelling, since in this language there is evidence of a shift from the voiceless stops to voiceless aspirated stops, with the aspiration usually not marked in Latin. The feature *bh>b is also compatible with the "Pelasgian" language. The "Pelasgian" can be responsible of various place-names of the neighboring Southern Etruria.
  The oldest name Albula has to be the original Western Italic name, before the arrival of the "Pelasgians". It derives from the IE root *albho- 'white', also a productive root for river names. An exact counterpart is found in Albula fl. (Picenum)

Tolerus fl., Trerus fl., Toleria

• Place: river Sacco (Tolerus fl., Trerus fl.) and Colli San Pietro di Colleferro (Toleria), provinces Roma-Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Toleria (Plin., Plut., Dion.) Trerus fl. (Strab.)
• Etymology: The name of the town or, better, of the rural district, comes from that of the river, which is rather unclear, due to the two different variants. The stem *tol- may be compared with Tolentinum (Picenum) and maybe, outside of Italy, with Toletum (Tarraconensis) and Tolosa (Narbonensis). For the river, maybe the O-grade of a IE root *tel- 'to be still' can be recalled, rather than the similar root *tel(e)- 'flat, flat ground, board', or even *tel(e)- 'to transport, carry, bear, suffer'. The variant Trerus can be explained from a zero-grade, with subsequent assimilation l-r > r-r.

Vitellia

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Vitellia (Liv., Plin.) Vetelia (Liv.)
• Etymology: Unknown. No strict comparisons found, but with Latin vitulus 'calf'. If the name could be reconstructed as *Vetellia, then Vetulonium (Etruria) could be recalled.

Aefula

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Aefula (Plin., Liv.) Aefulum (Vell. Pat.)
• Etymology: The name is likely related to an Italic appellative derived from the IE root *aidh- 'to burn' and thus meaning 'burned (clearance in the wood)' or similar. The feature *dh>f is Eastern Italic. Another name *Aesula, inferred from Aesulani (Plin.) has been corrected by Pallottino in Aefula. A passage in Livy has been read arx Aesulana and attributed to the town of Cabum, but probably also in this case it is arx Aefulana.

Anio fl.

• Place: river Aniene, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Anio (, -enis) fl. (Plin., Strab., Liv., Front., Val. Max.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The name recalls a stem *an- postulated by Villar for having produced many river names, among which Ana fl. (Baetica), Anava fl. (Britannia), but he didn't mention this Anio. This has to be a N-stem *Anion, with umlaut Anien.

Antemnae

• Place: Forte Antenne di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Antemnae (Plin., Strab., Liv., Verg.)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Latin antemna 'pole, rod' and probably derives from some rocky formation or construction. It cannot be excluded a derivation from the extension *ak't- 'promontory, hill' of the IE root *ak'- 'sharp'. Compare with Antium and Antinum (Samnium) in the same Italic domain.

Caenina

• Place: Rustica di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Caenina (Plin., Liv., Ovid.)
• Etymology: The name is likely related to Latin caenum 'dirt', from which an IE root *k'uei- 'dirt, to pollute' has been postulated. But this root itself cannot be separated from *k'uei- 'shining, white', of which is a contrary, a meaning maybe given by the formant -no-.

Collatia

• Place: Lunghezza di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Collatia (Plin., Strab., Liv., Cic., Ovid.)
• Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart in Collatia (Apulia), in the same Italic domain. Both may be related to Latin collis 'hill', which is derived from the IE root *kel- 'to tower, be high, hill'. But the second part of the names is unclear, so that it is possible to think at a different Eastern Italic (Sabine and Oscan) appellative , built with com 'with'.

Crustumerium

• Place: Marcigliana Vecchia di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Crustumeria (Plin.) Crustumerium (Liv.)
• Etymology: After the comparison with Crustumium (Aemilia), the name seems not to be made of two parts, but to be built from a stem *crustum-. This may be related to Latin crusta, Oscan *krusta- 'crust, cortex', which is from the S-stem *kreus- of the IE root *kreu- 'blood, raw flesh, ice, crust'.

Digentia fl.

• Place: river Licenza, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Digentia fl. (Hor.)
• Etymology: The name of the river has been explained from the IE root *dheig'h- 'to knead clay, to build', because of the name of its banks (UTET). But this explaination does not fit with the phonetic both of Western and of Eastern Italic. An alternative explaination could recall the strange IE root *digh- 'goat'. Since the ending -ent- may be the IE -*ent- 'rich of', the name should have meant 'stream of the goats', and has to be attributed to the (Proto-)Latin stratum.

Ficulea

• Place: Cesarina di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ficulea (Liv.) Ficolea (Plin.)
• Etymology: The etymology of this name, and of the related names of Ficana and Ficulea (Samnium), is unknown.

Fidenae

• Place: Villa Spada di Roma (borg. Fidene), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Fidenae (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Plut.)
• Etymology: The name is likely derived from the IE root *bheid- 'to prick, pierce', and can be explained from an Eastern Italic (Sabine) appellative meaning 'pass, gap' or similar.

Mandela

• Place: Mandela (Cantalupo), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Mandela (Hor.)
• Etymology: The name originally meant 'small stable(s)', being derived from the IE root *mand- 'hurdle, plaited twigs' with a diminutive suffix.

Tibur

• Place: Tivoli, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Tibur (Ptol., Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name has been explained from a Sabine appellative teba (*teiba) 'hill', since the older name of the place would have been *Teibur (UTET). An Italic origin is likely, since the name has the same ending -ur as Anxur. But the origin of the Sabine word, which is mentioned by Varro, is unclear. A relationship with the root *tibh- of Tiberis fl., etc. is usually denied, but not impossible.

Trebula Suffenas

• Place: San Giovanni di Ciciliano, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Trebula Suffenas (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: Clearly related to Oscan triibum (*treb-) 'house, building', Umbrian tremnu (*treb-no-) 'tabernaculo', Latin trabs, all from the IE root *treb- 'building, dwelling' (UTET). The name can be compared in the same Italic domain with Trebula (Samnium), Trebula Balliensis (Campania), Trebula Mutuesca (Samnium), and also with Trebiae (Umbria), Treba.

Varia

• Place: Vicovaro, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Varia (Hor.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The town is close to the confluence of the Anio fl. with the Digentia fl., so it is possible that the placename is of hydronymic origin, from the IE root *(a)uer- 'water, rain, flow'.

Verrugo

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Verrugo (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name has likely the same origin as Latin verruca, i.e. from the IE root *uers- 'highland, high place, top, high' (but probably the meaning of verruca is original, and then translated as a geographical term).

Afilae

• Place: Affile, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Afilae (Front.?)
• Etymology: Unknown for UTET. The name is Eastern Italic for the presence of intervocalic f. An IE root that fits could be the one reconstructed as *abh- 'quick, abrupt', referred to some geographic peculiarity.

Aletrium

• Place: Alatri, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Aletrium (Strab., Liv.)
• Etymology: Another concordance between Italic Latium and Oscan Southern Italy: an Aletrium existed also in Hirpinia. The name seems to be built with an IE suffix *-ter-, which denotes an agent. Thus, the stem could be derived from the IE root *al- 'to grow, nourish', or even from a parallel root with a meaning 'to grind', from which the Armenian word alauri 'mill', originally reconstructed as *alatrio-.

Anagnia

• Place: Anagni, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Anagnia (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Liv., Verg., Polyb.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The name seems to contain the IE preposition *an(a) 'along, on' that exists both in Latin and in Umbrian. The second part could be related to a Latin agna 'spike', that comes from *ak'_ena-, from the zero-grade of *ak'en-, an N-extension of the well known IE root *ak' 'sharp'. Thus, the name could have meant 'on the peak' or something similar, considering that the town is situated on the top of a hill.

Capitulum Hernicum

• Place: possibly Piglio, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Capitulum Hernicum (Plin., Strab.)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Latin caput, -itis 'head, top' and Capitolium 'Capitol'. The Latin word is from the IE root *kaput 'head', which has a well-known extension *kaput-elo-.

Cosa fl.

• Place: river Cosa, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Cosa fl. (Strab.)
• Etymology: The name is formally identical to Cosa (Etruria), but both are of unknown origin.

Treba

• Place: Civita di Trevi nel Lazio, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Treba (Ptol., Plin.) Trebium (Liv.) Treblae (Peut.)
• Etymology: Clearly related to Oscan triibum (*treb-) 'house, building', Umbrian tremnu (*treb-no-) 'tabernaculo', Latin trabs, all from the IE root *treb- 'building, dwelling' (UTET). The name can be compared in the same Italic domain with Trebiae (Umbria) and, with a diminutive, Trebula (Samnium), Trebula Balliensis (Campania), Trebula Mutuesca (Samnium) and Trebula Suffenas.

Verulae

• Place: Veroli, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Verulae (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: A stem *uer- seems to be very productive in the ancient toponymy. In Italy, we can recall Verona (Venetia) and Veretum (Apulia) at least. According to Udolph, this stem coincides with the IE *(a)uer- 'water, rain, flow'. Compare also Eretum (Samnium) in this case. The placename Verulae is a diminutive, probably meaning 'small springs' or similar.

Amiternum

• Place: possibly close to Sant'Elia Fiumerapido, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Amiternum (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart in Amiternum (Samnium). Considering also the names like Amitinum and Amitinenses, the former cannot be exaplained as "ami-Aternum" 'prope Aternum'.

Cominium

• Place: San Fedele di San Donato Val di Comino, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Cominium (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name may be explained from an earlier Oscan *Kos-men-iom, which is built with an appellative *kos-men that could be derived, with the IE formant -men-, from the O-grade of the IE root *kes- 'to scratch, itch'. Like some appellatives derived from the same root, the meaning of *kos-men could have been 'crest', in the geographical sense of 'mountain crest, ridge'. The passage of intervocalic sm into m is typical of the Italic branch of languages.

Interamna Lirenas

• Place: not identified, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Interamna (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: Traditionally, it is explained, like the other Interamna Nahars (Umbria) and Interamnia Praetutiorum (Picenum), from a Latin inter amnes 'between the rivers'. The scholar De Giovanni proposed instead a derivation from an Italic word related to the Umbrian tremnu (*treb-no-) 'tabernaculo'. The specification Lirenas refers to the Liris fl. The other Interamna Sucasina, mentioned by Livy, is not identified.

Ardea

• Place: Ardea, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ardea (Ptol., Plin., Mel., Strab., Liv., Verg.)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Latin ardea 'heron', a name from the zero-grade of the IE root *ared-. Possibly, the name can be derived from the IE root *ered- 'to flow, dampness'. The permanence of *d>d is not in constrast with the Rutulian language that, if of the Liguro-Sicanian stock, changed *dh>t instead.

Numicius fl.

• Place: not identified, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Numicius fl. (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Numistro (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 ethnical name Numinienses recorded by Pliny is possibly related to this river name.

Amyclae

• Place: not identified, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Amynclae, Amyclae (Plin.)
• Etymology: This name clearly recalls that of Amyclae in Laconia, from where came the legendary founders of Amyclae in Latium, already ruined in Roman times.

Antium

• Place: Anzio, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Antium (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Mel., Liv.)
• Etymology: According to UTET, the etymology is unclear, but the name can be compared with Antinum (Samnium), with an Etruscan anth- 'eagle', 'north wind', or with a pre-Latin stem *and-/*ant- with a meaning of 'stony terrain'. I think it is more likely to postulate a derivation from the extension *ak't- 'promontory, hill' of the IE root *ak'- 'sharp'. Actually, Antium lays on a promontory of the Thyrrhenian coast. The feature *kt->nt- seems therefore to be a common Italic trait or, if Antinum is originally Volscan, at least Eastern Italic.

Aquinum

• Place: close to Aquino, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Aquinum (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Cic., Peut.)
• Etymology: According to UTET, the ending -inum in ancient place-names is often associated to personal names. In this case Latin Acuvius and Oscan Akviiai could be recalled. The name Aquinum cannot be derived from an original *kw that shifts to p in the Eastern Italic languages. Unless it is a pre-Volscan name, it may contain a word *aku-, from an U-stem *ak'u- extension of the IE root *ak'- 'sharp'.

Arpinum

• Place: Arpino, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Arpinum (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: According to UTET, the ending -inum in ancient place-names is often associated to personal names. Thus Arpinum derives from Arpius. But the name can be compared with Arpi (Apulia) and both may be explained from an Eastern Italic appellative meaning 'arched, curved', derived from the IE root *arqu- 'something bent' and showing the Oscan (and probably Volscan) shift *kw>p. Also a derivation from the IE root *arekw- 'to guard, lock' is possible.

Astura fl., Astura i.

• Place: river Astura (Astura fl.) and a small island at its mouth (Astura i.), province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Astura fl. (Plin., Liv., Peut.) Astura i. (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name has been related to Latin astur 'a kind of hawk'. But it is possible an alternative explaination more convincing. A well-known IE root that produced river-names is *dheu- 'to run'. In particular, from an extension *dheu-ro- came Durius fl., Duria fl. (Transpadana), etc. A shift *dh>t can be postulated for the Liguro-Sicanian stratum, to which probably the Rutulians of the coast belonged. As for the first part of the name, as-, it is likely an adjective meaning 'dry', from the IE root *as- 'to burn'. In conclusion, the name was given by the Rutulians, and means 'dried river'.

Atina

• Place: Atina, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Atina (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Verg.)
• Etymology: The name has been compared to Atina (Lucania) 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.

Aufentus fl.

• Place: river Ufente, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Aufentus fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Usually derived from a stem *auf- (UTET) or from the IE root *eudh- 'udder, fecund', and explained as 'rich of water'. Given the intervocalic f, the name can be reconstructed from an Oscan-type dialect (Volscan). This name shows an alternance between auf-, from *ouf-, the O-grade of the IE root, and *uf-, from the zero-grade. Compare for the stem with Aufidena, Aufinum (Samnium), Aufugum (Bruttium), Aufidus fl. (Apulia). According to some substratists (Alessio, De Giovanni), all these are from a "mediterranean" root *of-.

Carventum

• Place: possibly Rocca Massima, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Carventum (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name is built with the IE suffix -*uent- 'rich of' or *-ent-, a participe marker. The stem carv- seems to be related to the IE root *k'(e)r(e)u- 'horned', an extension of the root *k'er- 'head, horn'. Thus, the appellative behind the place-name could be something like 'deer', or simply 'horn', in an Italic language, likely the Volscan itself. The oscure name Cusuetani of the Pliny's list has been corrected, very unconvincingly, in Carventani.

Casinum

• Place: Montecassino di Cassino, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Casinum (Plin., Strab., Varr., Peut.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Casilinum (Campania), in the same Italic domain, and possibly also with Casinomagus (Aquitania). The name Casinum is mentioned by Villar as concerning the series *kas-. For Casuentum (Umbria), I proposed a derivation from the IE root *k'as- 'gray', that could be valid also for Casinum, especially if the ending -inum is added to a personal name.

Cora

• Place: Cori, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Cora (Plin., Strab., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name is usually considered as Italic (UTET), even if in Etruria a comparison with Corythus could be assessed. Thus, the name has to be an Eastern Italic appellative, because it is found as a diminutive in Corioli, and in Corinum (Apulia). Maybe, this unknown appellative is one of the many derived from the IE root *(s)ker- 'to cut', in its O-grade.

Corioli

• Place: possibly Monte Giove di Genzano di Roma, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Corioli (Liv, Plin.)
• Etymology: The name is likely a diminutive of a Volscan (Eastern Italic dialect) appellative that can be found in the name of Cora.

Ecetrae

• Place: not identified, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ecetrae (Liv., Dion.)
• Etymology: The name has the same ending -tra- of Velitrae, which could be originally related to latin terra 'land'. But the first part of the name is oscure, unless the name is pre-Volscan, and then it can be derived from an appellative meaning 'horse', from the IE root *ekwo-.

Fabrateria Vetus, Fabrateria Nova

• Place: Ceccano (Fabrateria Vetus) and San Giovanni Incarico (Fabrateria Nova), province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Fabrateria (Plin., Sil., Cic.) Fabrateriae (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name is traditionally linked to Latin fabrus 'smith'. Actually, the first part could be a Latin adaption of a Volscan (Eastern Italic) appellative related to the Latin one, but meaning 'proper', from the IE root *dhabh- 'proper'. The second part, -teria, is found also in Alfateria and Cubulteria (Campania), both Oscan names. It is likely an Eastern Italic word for 'piece of land', derived from the IE root *(s)ter- 'stiff, solid' or, less likely for phonetic reasons, from *ters- 'dry, thirst' like the Latin terra 'earth, land'. A form *ster-ia postulated by Duridanov and meaning 'country, environs' is not phonetically possible for the initial s. Thus, the name would mean 'adapt land'.

Ferentinum

• Place: Ferentino, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Ferentinum (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Liv., Tac., Peut.)
• Etymology: The name has a close counterpart in Ferentum (Etruria) and, like this, has been explained from a pre-Roman stem *frent- 'deer' (UTET). But this stem has an IE origin and cannot be invoked now. Instead, the Italic series *fer- can be likely related to Latin fero, ferre 'to bear', ferax 'fruitful', Eastern Italic fer- 'to bear', all from the IE root *bher- 'to bear, carry'. The ending -ent- is a participe marker, and the meaning of the place-name can be reconstructed as '(the place) bearing (fruits), fertile'.

Fregellae

• Place: volscan fortress and roman town at Rocca d'Arce and Opri di Ceprano, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Fregellae (Plin., Liv., Vell. Pat.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with Fregenae (Etruria), in the same Italic domain. These place-names may be derived from the IE root *bhreg'- 'to break', and explained from some unknown appellative. For the meaning, the relationship between Latin frango 'to break' and Romance fracta 'bush, wood' can be recalled.

Frusino

• Place: Frosinone, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Frusino (Ptol., Plin., Liv., Juv.)
• Etymology: Various IE roots have been postulated of the type *bhreus-, that may have yielded a *frus- in the Volscan (Eastern Italic) language. 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-. That's why the etymology of Frusino is not clear for UTET. The name can be however compared with that of Frusternae (Samnium)

Liris fl., Clanis fl.

• Place: river Liri, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Liris fl. (Ptol., Plin., Mel., Tac.) Clanis (Plin., Strab.)
• Etymology: The later name, Liris, has been explained from a pre-Roman stem *liri- 'muddy water' (UTET). More likely, the name is derived from a zero-grade extension *li-ro- of the widely diffuse IE root *(s)lei- 'to pour, slimy' (they are two different roots in Pokorny, but they are likely identical). This name should have been of Volscan (Eastern Italic) origin.
  The former name of the river, Clanis, has an exact counterpart in Clanis fl. (Etruria). It has also been compared with various place-names of the type glan-, all in the Celtic domain. For the sostratists, a stem clan-/glan- has to be invoked, meaning 'mud, slime' (UTET). But, on the contrary, the Celtic appellatives mean 'clean, shine' and are usually derived from the form *g'hl_e- of the IE root *g'hel- 'to shine green, gold, blue'. This etymology may fit the phonetics of a language of the Liguro-Sicanian stock, characterized by a particular stop shift for which *gh>k.

Longula

• Place: close to Aprilia, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Longula (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name is clearly related to Latin longus 'long', with a diminutive suffix -ula. Compare with Alba Longa.

Melpis fl.

• Place: river Melfa, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Melpis fl. (Strab.) Melfe (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name is identical to Melpes fl. (Lucania) and Melpum (Transpadana), both in Italy. According to De Giovanni they derive from a "mediterranean" stem *melf-/melp- with uncertain meaning (maybe 'mud').

Norba

• Place: Norma, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Norba (Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: This name and its counterpart Norba (Calabria) have been explained as a formation *nor-bha 'the strong' (UTET), from the IE root *ner- 'vital energy, man'. De Giovanni proposed instead a pre-IE stem *nor- meaning 'strength'. The shift *bh>b is not compatible with the Volscan (Eastern Italic) language, then the town should have been originally Proto-Latin, as the classical sources record.

Polusca

• Place: not identified, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Polusca (Liv.)
• Etymology: Likely the name is from an O-grade U-stem *polu-(s) from the IE root *pel- 'wide and flat', or, more likely, *pele- 'swamp'. Both meanings are compatible with the region of the Volsci.

Privernum

• Place: roman town at Mezzagosto di Priverno, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Privernum (Ptol., Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name can be compared with a village called Prifernum (Samnium). The difference in the intervocalic consonant may be explained as a "Latinization" of an earlier *Prifernum in Privernum after the town became Roman. The original IE stop that lead to f in Eastern Italic and v in Western Italic in intervocalic position was the labiovelar *gwh. Then, the IE root *gwher- 'hot, warm' can be easily recalled. 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 hot (spring ?)'.

Scaptia

• Place: not identified, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Scaptia (Plin., Sil., Dion.)
• Etymology: Also the name of a Roman tribe, the place-name can be compared with two Thracian place-names with a first component Scapto-, which have been explained by Duridanov from the IE root *(s)kep- 'to work with a sharp instrument'. The meaning of the name could have referred to a carved wood, a clearance, where the town was built.

Setia

• Place: Sezze, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Setia (Ptol., Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: A stem *set- is widely diffused in toponymy. The name has exact counterparts in Setia (Baetica), Setia (Tarraconensis). With different suffixes we have Setovia (Germania), Seterrae (Tarraconensis), etc. An Illyrian Setovia has been explained by Duridanov from a *seit-oua, thus from an IE root *seit-. This is not included in Pokorny's dictionary (some Baltic cognate appellatives meaning 'a deep place in the river, pool' are under the root *sei-t- 'to let fall'), but probably is an extension of the huge family *sei-/si- somehow related to waters. This probably is the Pokorny's *sei- 'to be damp, to drip'. The feature *ei>e found in Setia is typically Eastern Italic (Volscan).

Sora

• Place: Sora, province Frosinone, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Sora (Ptol., Plin., Liv.)
• Etymology: The name has an unknown origin for UTET, but can be compared with a *Sora fl. (Britannia), and explained from the O-grade of the IE root *ser- 'to flow'. The town lays on the shores of the Liris fl.

Sulmo

• Place: possibly Sermoneta, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Sulmo (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart in Sulmo (Samnium), in the same Italic domain. These are usually derived (UTET) from a zero-grade of the IE root *suel- 'to drink (?)'. The name would be therefore explained from an N-stem *sul-mon.

Velitrae

• Place: Velletri, province Roma, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Velitra (Ptol.) Velitrae (Liv., Plin.)
• Etymology: The name has been frequently explained (UTET) as Etruscan, from the same stem *vel- of Volsinii (Etruria), to which a meaning of 'high' has been arbitrarily given. Another comparison was tried with Velinus lac. (Samnium). But probably the name can be compared with Volaterrae (Etruria), Latin vola 'curvature', from the IE root *uel(e)- 'to turn, wind, round'. The ending of the name Velitrae seems to be a IE formant *ter-, or more likely is related to Latin terra 'land'.

Caieta

• Place: Gaeta, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Caieta (Plin., Strab., Cic., Plut., Ovid.)
• Etymology: According to Strabo, the town was a Samian colony, and the name derives from the Greek (Laconian) kaieta 'cavity'. But consider the similarity of the name of Caiatia (Campania), which is usually not related to Greek.

Circeius m., Circeii

• Place: promontory Circeo (Circeius m.) and San Felice Circeo (Circeii), province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Circaeum pr. (Ptol., Strab.) Cerceii (Plin., Liv.) Circeii (Mel.) Cerceii m. (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name is traditionally derived from the Homerian name of Circe, who lived on the promontory (UTET). If it was the personal name to have derived from the place-name, this one could recall the Greek kirkos 'circle, ring', for the shape of the promontory. The name could have been given by "Mycenean" sailors or could be an Italic appellative, related to the Greek one (and to Latin circus), from the IE root *(s)ker-k-, an extension of *(s)ker- 'to cut', like in Circidius (Corsica). Another theory derived Circeius from a Phoenician 'island of the hawk'.

Formiae

• Place: Formia, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Formiae (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Mel., Liv., Cic., Hor.)
• Etymology: The name is usually related to Latin formus 'warm', which is from the IE root *gwher- 'hot, warm' (UTET). A strict comparison can be made with Formio fl. (Venetia), in the same Italic domain.

Fundi, Fundanus lac.

• Place: Fondi (Fundi) and lake Fondi (Fundanus lac.), province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Fundi (Ptol., Plin., Mel., Liv., Peut.) Fundanus lac. (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name is usually related to Latin fundus 'bottom' (UTET). It can be an Italic appellative deriving from the same IE root *bhudh- 'bottom'.

Lautulae

• Place: not identified, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Lautulae (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name can be explained from a IE *l_eu-t_e-lo-, where the root can be identified with *leu- 'dirt', wich has also the meaning of 'swamp, mud' in the cognate languages.

Minturnae

• Place: close to Minturno, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Minturnae (Plin., Liv., Mel., Cic., Hor.) Minturna (Ptol.) Menturnae (Burd., Peut.)
• Etymology: Unknown. The ending -urnum recalls that of Volturnus fl. (Campania), in the same Tyrrhenian domain.

Tarracina, Anxur

• Place: Terracina, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Tarracinae (Ptol.) Tarracina (Plin.) Anxur (Liv.)
• Etymology: The Volscan name, according to Pliny, is Anxur. This can be related to Anxa and Anxanum (Samnium), and possibly explained in this case as 'gulf, bay', from the IE root *ank- 'to bend, bow'.
  The more ancient name should be Tarracina. It has been related to the Etruscan tarchna, the name of Tarquinia (Etruria), and to Tarraco (Tarraconensis), and explained from a "mediterranean" stem *tarr- with unclear meaning (UTET). The name can reflect an "Auruncan" stratum. A possible explaination could be from a compound *tars-akw-(ena), where the adjective means 'dry' and is from the IE root *ters- 'dry, thirst', in an A-language or from a zero-grade form, and with *rs>rr as assumed for different languages. The second part of the name could be 'water', from the IE root *akwa- 'water'. The ending is just a common IE suffix.

Pandateria i.

• Place: island Ventotene, province Latina, region Lazio, Italy
• Name: Pandataria i. (Ptol.) Pandateria i. (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name seems to be composed by two parts. The first part can be related to Latin pandus 'crooked' (UTET), from which an IE root *pand- 'crooked' has been postulated. The second part compares with that of Fabrateria, etc., and has likely the same Italic origin. The overall meaning is thus 'crooked land'.

Most of the placenames of Latium are related to, or can be explained with Latin appellatives. This stratum is just the Latin or, better, the Proto-Latin one. We use the term of Proto-Latin to call a language of the Western Italic group, which in some cases shows residual voiced stops even in initial position. This can be the case of the language of the Siculi, who are reported to have lived in Latium before to move to Sicily. The shift of the initial voiced stops these into f- has to be a later development, which applied to what became the Latin, but not to the Siculian. For the rest, it is impossible to distinguish between Latin and Siculian, so they have been grouped under the label 'Western Italic'.

In the Sabine, Volscan and Aequan areas, the toponymy is largely attributed to the Eastern Italic (Osco-Umbrian) stock. The Volscan is thought by M. Durante to have been more similar to the Umbrian that to the Oscan. Sabine and Aequan were probably intermediate languages.

Along the Tyrrhenian sea, there is some evidence of a possible "Liguro-Sicanian" stratum, showing a peculiar shift of the voiced aspirated stops into voiceless: *dh>t, *gh>k, *bh>p. This stratum should have been the primitive one in the Western Italy, before the so-called Western Italic tribes moved, possibly from the Truentus fl. basin.

Last modified: November 3, 2002
by Antonio Sciarretta
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