This page deals with the place-names of a region approximately corresponding to the VI Regio of Italy. This region is bounded by the country of the Picene to the east, the Adriatic sea (north-east), the river Tiber (west). Included here are the towns of the Umbri and the region, formerly Umbrian, which later became the Ager Gallicus.
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.
Etymology: The name can be certainly compared with that of the Arnus fl. (Etruria), for which a pre-IE origin is often invoked (UTET). But the various stems ar-, very common in river-names, can be likely derived from the IE root *er- 'to move', which have a lot of extensions and forms. In this case, the place-name is explained as an adjectival *er-na- and the meaning can vary from 'source (of a moving river)' to 'a risen (town)'.
Etymology: The suffix -idio- seems to be typically Gaulish, because it is found in the names of Clastidium (Gallia Cispadana) and other names in the Continental Celtic domain outside of Italy. This Gaulish presence is not impossible, since the area of Attidium not far from the Ager Gallicus and close to Ricina (Picenum), for whose name a Gaulish origin has been proposed as well. The stem att- may be explained as an earlier *akt-, from the IE root *ak't- 'promontory, hill'.
Etymology: The name is certainly related with Carseoli (Samnium), in the same Italic domain. Some substratists (UTET), 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).
Etymology: The name is related to Helvinus fl. (Picenum) and can be compared with (Old) Latin helvus 'yellowish', that keeps the Italic distinctive development *g'h>h, from the IE root *g'hel-. Thus, the name should have meant 'the yellow (rock, soil)' and can be attributed to the Umbrian language.
Etymology: Unknown. The name has an almost exact counterpart in Mevaniola, in a more northern area. A relationship with the Oscan *mefia 'middle' has been proposed and explained as an Umbrian appellative. But the existence of the same name in a clearly non-Umbrian area (and of course the difficulties in the development f>v) make this hypothesis hard to support. Instead, a derivation from the IE root *meu- 'wet, dirt, to wash' is very likely.
Etymology: According to a theory, the name is explained, together with Nuceria (Campania), as an Osco-Umbrian *noukria 'the new (town)', derived from an extension (or a variant) *nouk- of the IE root *neu- 'new' (UTET). But in Pokorny there is no trace of such an extension, so temptatively a different root *neuk- 'dark, indistinct' could be invoked instead, with the root at zero-grade. A second Nuceria, called Favonensis has to be placed in Umbria, according to Pliny.
Etymology: Unknown. Possibly related to the IE root *sent- 'to take a direction, go', and explained as a Gaulish word *sent- (Anreiter) with the meaning of 'path, route'. The place is close to the Roman via Flaminia, that could have been an important way of communication also during pre-Roman times.
Etymology: Usually derived from the IE root *tibh- 'to melt' (UTET). The name may be explained from a S-stem *tibhes- 'river, marsh', that has a Latin counterpart in Tiber fl., from which name also comes Tifernum Tiberinum. The feature *bh>f is tipically Umbrian, and to the related Oscan language belongs the place-name Tifernum (Samnium). Related to the name, outside of Italy, are also Tibesis fl. (Dacia), Tibina fl. (Sarmatia).
Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart in Acerrae (Campania). Both may be derived from the IE root *akwa- 'water, river' (UTET), with a development *kw>k that is certainly non-Umbrian. Another, more traditional interpretation of the names is from Latin (but possibly an Etruscan appellative) acerra 'casket for incense' (UTET).
Etymology: Like Casuentus fl. (Lucania), in the same Italic domain, the name is built of a stem *kas-, possibly from the IE root *k'as- 'gray' (compare with Paelignan casnar 'senex'), and a second part that may be the IE *-uent- 'rich of', or a participe marker. In this case, the place-names can be explained from some Osco-Umbrian appellative *kas(u)o- indicating something 'gray' or 'pale', or it can be the participe of an adjective meaning 'shining'.
This region is recorded to have been inhabited by the Umbrians, together with some other areas later lost to the Etruscans and Gauls. The language of the Umbrians is that of the Tabulae Iguvinae, and belongs to the Eastern Italic (or Osco-Umbrian) group. The names that show the typical traits of this language group (initial f from the IE aspirated voiced stops, development of the labiovelars into labials, vowelization of the sonants, etc.) are spread across the whole region.
A Gaulish toponymy is also certain and well distributed especially in the Ager Gallicus, as it is obvious, but also south of it at the western borders of Picenum. This Gaulish presence is surprising but appears rather clearly from several place-names perfectly fitted by Gaulish appellatives.
Last modified: July 11, 2002
by Antonio Sciarretta email me