Veretum
- Place: Vereto di Castrignano del Capo, province Lecce, region Puglia, Italy
- Name: Veretum (Ptol., Plin., Strab., Peut.)
- Etymology: The name may be compared with Ereta (Thracia) and Eretum (Samnium) and derived from the IE root *(a)uer- 'water, rain, flow'.
Conclusions
A phonetic distinction arises between some toponyms of the coast and of the north, and the bulk of the placenames in the Sallentini and in the interior. In the first ones, there is evidence of a development of sonant n into un, and hence the typical placenames in -untum. Vice versa in the south, the IE participe marker *-ent-ium is clearly represented by an *-ent-ium that became *esium and transcribed often as etium. The northern stratum has a correspondence in Illyria, also for the typical development *a->ia- in initial position. This feature is considered as Daco-Mysian by Georgiev and therefore it is possible that this stratum was extended from Dacia and Moesia also on the shores of the Adriatic sea and then was transported into coastal Apulia by the ones who are recorded as Iapudes, Iapygi.
The language of the south and of the interior is a centum language, has no aspirated stops (*bh>b, etc.) and shows some typical trait like *-ri->-rr- and probably the already mentioned *-nti->-si-. It should be the language recorded and known as Messapian, which is also considered as belonging to the Illyrian branch. It is difficult to assign to these two groups the various ethnical of Calabri, Peuceti (Poediculi), Sallentini, Messapi, etc.
At the border with Lucania there is at least an evidence of an Oscan stratum, due to the Lucani. Some Greek names are found around the city of Tarentum.
Last modified: November 30, 2002
by Antonio Sciarretta
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