Antonio Sciarretta's Toponymy Ancient Toponymy

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Gallia Cispadana

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This page is devoted to the VIII Regio Augustea Gallia Cispadana, i.e., the part of Gallia Cisaplina south of the Padus fl.. The Crustumius fl. was the boundary between Cispadana and Ager Gallicus belonging to Umbria. Purely conventional were the borders with the regio Liguria.

Common remarks: the place-names are given in the nominative case

Anemo fl.

• Place: river Lamone, province Forlė, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Anemo fl. (Plin.) Animo fl. (Peut.)
• Etymology: The stem *an- discussed by Villar compares with Anio fl. in the same Italic domain. The ending could have been the IE *-mon-.

Aprusa fl.

• Place: river Ausa, province Rimini, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Aprusa fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Likely related to the IE root *ap- 'water, current', with a double ending.

Ariminus fl., Ariminum

• Place: Rimini (Ariminum), river Marecchia (Ariminus fl.), province Rimini, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Ariminum (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Svet., Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: The name of the Roman colony descends from that of the river, which in turn has no clear counterpart. Usually (UTET) it is derived from an Etruscan word *arim- meaning 'monkey' and used as a personal name. Alternatively, it could be related to the other hydronym Arnus fl. and thus to the IE root *er- 'to move'.

Bedesis fl.

• Place: river Ronco, province Ravenna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Bedesis fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Likely related to the hydronym Bodincus fl. and thus to the IE root *bhedh- 'to pierce, dig'.

Bononia, Felsina

• Place: Bologna, province Bologna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Bononia (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Liv., Cic., Paul. Diac., Peut., Burd.) Felsina (Plin., Liv., Sil. It.)
• Etymology: Bononia is a Gaulish name, given by the Galli 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 (Pannonia).
  Felsina is the older, probably Etruscan name (*felzna). According to Pittau, Bononia is the Gaulish translation of Felsina, which thus meant also 'oppidum' and should be compared with the name of Volsinii (Etruria). According to Facchetti, the name *Fel(u)sna is from an Etruscan stem *fel- 'to sell' and thus it meant 'marketplace'.

Brixellum

• Place: Brescello, province Reggio nell'Emilia, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Brixellum (Ptol., Tacit.) Brixillum (Plin., Plut.)
• Etymology: Usually (UTET) interpreted as 'Brixia (Venetia) the lesser'. The name could have also an independente origin, from the same Gaulish appellative briga 'hill', which reflects the IE root *bher(e)g'h- 'high, mountain'.

Butrium

• Place: Via Cerba di Ravenna, province Ravenna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Butrium (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Peut.)
• Etymology: The Latin appellative butrium 'small stream' is probably related to this place name (UTET), together with Greek bothros 'id.' (from the IE root *gwadh- 'to sink, submerge' ?). Probably another *Butrium was placed by the boundaries of Liguria and possibly the one mentioned by Ptolemy was in Venetia.

Caesena

• Place: Cesena, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Caesena (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Cic.) Cesena (Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: Usually (UTET) attributed to the Etruscan language due to the ending -ena and compared with a personal name *Keisna. Tentatively, the name could be also derived from the IE root *(s)kai- 'shining', bright'.

*Celeia

• Place: not identified
• Name: *Celeia from Celeiates (Plin.)
• Etymology: The name has an exact counterpart in Celeia (Noricum), in the same Celtic domain. Probably, both are derived from the IE root *kel- 'to tower, be high, hill', presumably because the towns were fortified settlements on the top of hills.

Clastidium

• Place: Casteggio, province Pavia, region Lombardia, Italy
• Name: Clastidium (Strab., Liv., Corn. Nep.)
• Etymology: The name likely includes a second part *st_edh-io-, which is a nominal extension from the IE root *sta- 'to stand', thus meaning 'place, settlement' or similarly. The first part is difficult to interprete.

*Claterna fl., Claternum

• Place: Quaderna di Ozzano Emilia, province Bologna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Claterna (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Cic., Peut.) Claternum (Burd.)
• Etymology: Possibly the name was originally attributed to a stream, upon which later a town was founded. Tentative etymologies could be from a participe *kla-to- of the IE root *kla- 'to heap up, to put', or from a nominal stem *kla-ter- from the same root.

Crustumius fl.

• Place: river Conca, province Rimini, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Crustumius fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: It has an exact counterpart in Crustumerium (Latium) and thus it is possibly of Umbrian origin.

*Druentia fl.

• Place: not identified, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: inferred from Forum Druentinorum (Plin.)
• Etymology: The hydronym has exact counterparts in the Celtic domain, like Druentia fl. (Narbonensis). Likely, these are from the IE root *d(e)reu- 'to run' from which also, with a different consonant shift, Truentus fl. (Picenum).

Faventia

• Place: Faenza, province Ravenna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Faventia (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Liv., Vell., Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: An augural name from Latin faveo,-ere 'to favor'.

Fidentia

• Place: Fidenza, province Parma, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Fidentia (Ptol., Plin., Vell., Burd., Peut.)
• Etymology: An augural name from Latin fidere 'to trust'.

Forum Cornelii

• Place: Imola, province Bologna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Forum Cornelii (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: From the name of its founder, Lucius Cornelius Silla, while forum is Latin for 'marketplace'.

Forum Gallorum

• Place: not identified, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Forum Gallorum (Cic., Peut.)
• Etymology: From the name of the Galli who were the inhabitants of the territory in the late 1st millennium b.C.

Forum Licini

• Place: not identified, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Forum Licini (Plin.)
• Etymology: From Latin forum 'marketplace' and a name Licinius.

Forum Livii

• Place: Forlė, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Forum Livii (Plin., Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: From the name of its founder, possibly the consul M. Livius Salinator.

Forum Popilii

• Place: Forlimpopoli, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Forum Pompilii (Ptol.) Forum Popilii (Plin.) Forum Popili (Burd., Peut.)
• Etymology: From the name of the gens Popilia.

Gabellus fl.

• Place: river Secchia, province Reggio nell'Emilia, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Gabellus fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Explained by the substratists (UTET) as deriving from a pre-IE stem *gaba 'mountain stream'. Much more likely, the hydronym can be compared with the IE root *gwebh- 'slimy, toad'. The ending could be a Ligurian -elum, later Celtized as -ellum and it could relate the zoonym to a placename thus meaning '(stream) of the toads'. The hydronym should have been an appellative during the Celtic period, because there are other similar placenames in the Po valley which are not mentioned in the ancient sources.

Incia fl.

• Place: river Enza, province Reggio nell'Emilia, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Incia fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: Unknown.

Litubium

• Place: Retorbido, province Pavia, region Lombardia, Italy
• Name: Litubium (Liv.)
• Etymology: The name may be compared with Litana silva and Litanomagus (Britannia) that both contain a Celtic word *pl_et_eno- 'wide', from the IE root *plat- 'wide, flat'.

Mutina

• Place: Modena, province Modena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Mutina (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Cic., Nep., Peut.) Mutena (Burd.)
• Etymology: Usually explained (UTET, Pittau) as an Etruscan appellative mutana, mutna 'tomb' or 'sarcophagus'. Pittau changes this meaning into that of 'tumulus, heap of earth, mound' and in particular 'terramara' (a type of settlement on heaps of earth). He also compares the name with dialectal Italian motta 'mound'. It is not sure that the Etruscan word is related to the latter, which may also be derived from a Celtic stem *mutt- 'mound' (Anreiter). Consider also that *meut- is a productive extension of the IE root *meu- 'wet, dirt, to wash'.

Otesia

• Place: not identified, province Bologna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: *Otesia from Otesini (Plin.)
• Etymology: Very tentatively, from an *udes-ia, thus a town name derived from that of a stream, which in turn could be derived from the IE root *(a)ued- 'water'. The shift *d>t is explained only in the framework of the language of the "Pelasgians" (Tessali), which may have occupied the seaboard area.

Padinum

• Place: not identified, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: *Padinum from Padinates (Plin.)
• Etymology: Clearly related to the Ligurian name of Po river, Padus fl..

Parma

• Place: Parma, province Parma, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Parma (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Cic., Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: Usually (UTET) related to Latin parma 'a type of buckler', probably a word of Gaulish origin. Alternatively it could be a Ligurian name derived from the IE root *bher- 'to boil, swell, get high' that yielded especially hydronyms in the Celtic domain, or - since it is not a hydronym - even from *bherem- 'to stick out, edge, hem'.

Placentia

• Place: Piacenza, province Piacenza, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Placentia (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Cic., Peut., Burd.)
• Etymology: An augural name, from Latin placere 'to please'.

Ravenna

• Place: Ravenna, province Ravenna, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Ravenna (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Vitr., Peut.)
• Etymology: A Pelasgian foundation according to Strabo, it was later occupied by the Umbri. Usually (UTET) the name is considered as Etruscan for the typical (?) ending -enna. A possible etymology is from the IE root *reu(e)- 'open, wide', from whence, e.g., also Latin rus 'country'.

Regium Lepidum

• Place: Reggio nell'Emilia, province Reggio nell'Emilia, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Regium Lepidum (Ptol., Plin., Tac.) Regium (Burd.)
• Etymology: Probably founded by Aemilius Lepidus at the time of the construction of the Via Aemilia.

Rhenus fl.

• Place: river Reno, provinces Bologna and Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Rhenus fl. (Ptol., Strab., Plin.)
• Etymology: It is likely a Gaulish hydronym that compares with the more famous Rhenus fl. (Belgica). These names are usually interpreted as a Gaulish appellative *reno-s 'water, water pathway', from a previous *rei-no-, from the IE root *rei- 'to flow'.

Rubico fl.

• Place: river Rubicone, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Rubico fl. (Ptol., Strab., Plin., Cic., Caes., Svet.) Rubicus fl. (Peut.)
• Etymology: Probably linked with the IE root *reudh- 'red', for the color of its waters. The ending could be nothing else than a zero-grade form of the IE name *akwa- 'water, river'. The shift *dh>b in this IE root is typical of the Latin (Western Italic) branch.

Sapis fl.

• Place: river Savio, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Sapis fl. (Plin., Strab., Liv.) Sabis fl. (Peut.)
• Etymology: Likely a Gaulish name, compared with Sabis fl. (Belgica), and derived from the IE root *sab/sap- 'to taste, perceive' (Pokorny), which also explains the alternation between the forms sab-/sap-. Actually the form Sapis could be a remnaint of a "Pelasgian" presence on the Northern Adriatic shores (compare also with Otesia), unless the shift *b>p was a trait of the Umbrian language.

Scultenna fl.

• Place: river Panaro, province Modena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Scultenna fl. (Plin., Liv., Front.)
• Etymology: Probably this hydronym took its name from that of the silicic cutter *skl-tro-, which is from the IE root *skel- 'to cut', through an ending *-na. Notice that the ending -enna is popularly attributed to the Etruscan language.

Silarus fl.

• Place: river Sillaro, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Silarus fl. (Peut.)
• Etymology: The name has counterparts in Silarus fl. (Campania) and Silis fl. (Venetia). These are explained by Pokorny from the extension *seil- of the IE root *sei- 'to be damp, drip', and intepreted as "Illyrian".

Tannetum

• Place: Taneto di Gattatico, province Reggio nell'Emilia, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Tanetum (Ptol.) Tannetum (Plin., Liv., Polib., Peut., Paul. Diac.)
• Etymology: Seemingly, the place-name has an exact counterpart in Britain and it may also compared with Tanarus fl..

Tarus fl.

• Place: river Taro, province Parma, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Tarus fl. (Plin., Burd.)
• Etymology: Usually (UTET) related to the IE root *ter- 'to cross, transgress, stay', with an hydronymic meaning. Villar considers all the hydronyms from the stem *tar- as Alteuropaeisch.

Utis fl.

• Place: river Montone, province Forlė-Cesena, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Utis fl. (Plin.)
• Etymology: The hydronym can be compared with Utus fl. (Moesia), which has been interpreted as a Thracian name *utos 'water', derived from the IE root *(a)ued- 'water'. The shift *d>t is not isolated in Cispadana and may be explained with the presence of Umbri (if this shift was typical of an earlier stage of this language) or with that of "Pelasgian" on its shores, as recorded in some source.

Veleia

• Place: Rustigazzo di Lugagnano Val d'Arda, province Piacenza, region Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Name: Veleia
• Etymology: Possibly related to Velitrae, Velia (Latium) and thus from the IE root *uel(e)- 'to turn, wind, round'

Conclusions

The toponymy of Cispadana shows at least three possible linguistic strata. The larger should be interpreted as Celtic, and Gaulish in particular, for some typical phonetic feature (e.g., disappearance of initial *p), or for the existence of related appellatives in the Gaulish language or exact toponymic counterparts in the Celtic domain.

A more speculative stratum is that of the "Pelasgians". According to my personal reconstruction, these pre-Greek language characterized by a typical consonant shift (e.g., *d>t) is responsible of some placenames. The Pelasgians should be identified with the "Tessali" mentioned by some classical source (e.g. Strabo) and they may be arrived at the seabords of Northern Adriatic, as well as in other parts of Italy, particularly Southern Etruria.

A minor number of placenames could have been related to Etruscan (non-IE) language. At least one place name is likely Umbrian. Many others could have been originated from a Pre-Celtic language, also differing from Ligurian (at least in the sense here given to the name "Ligurian")

Last modified: January 26, 2015
by Antonio Sciarretta
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