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Venetic is an extinct Indo-European language that was spoken in ancient times in the Veneto region of Italy, between the Po River delta and the southern fringe of the Alps; and probably also in parts of Slovenia.
The language is attested by over 300 short inscriptions dating between the 5th century BC and 1st century. Its speakers are identified with the ancient people called Veneti by the Romans and Enetoi by the Greek. It became extinct around the 1st century when the local inhabitants were assimilated into the Roman sphere.
Venetic should not be confused with Venetian, a Romance language presently spoken in the same general region.
Linguistic classification
Venetic is a centum language. The inscriptions use a variety of the Northern Italic alphabet, similar to the Old Italic alphabet.
The exact relationship of Venetic to other Indo-European languages is still being investigated, but the majority of scholars agree that Venetic, aside from Liburnian, was closest to the Italic languages (a group that includes Latin, Oscan and Umbrian). Venetic may also have been related to the Illyrian languages language once spoken in the westen Balkans, though the theory that Illyrian and Venetic were closely related is debated by current scholarship. Some important parallels with the Germanic languages have also been noted, especially in pronominal forms:
- Venetic: ego = I, accusative mego = me
- Gothic: ik, accusative mik
- German: ich, accusative mich
- (Latin: ego, accusative me)
- Venetic: sselboisselboi = to oneself
- Old High German: selb selbo
- German: sich selber
- (Latin: sibi ipsi)
- (Pokorny 1959: 708-709, 882-884)
Features
Venetic had about six or even seven noun cases and four conjugations (similar to Latin). About 60 words are known, but some were borrowed from Latin or Etruscan. Many of them show a clear Indo-European origin, such as fraterei < PIE *bhraterei = to the brother.
Language sample
A sample inscription in Venetic, found on a bronze nail at Este (Es 45):
- Venetic: mego donasto śainatei reitiiai porai egeotora aimoi ke louderobos
- Latin (literal): me donavit sanatrici Reitiae bonae Egetora pro-Aemo que liberis
- English: Egetora gave me to Good Reitia the Healer on behalf of Aemus and the children
Another inscription, found on a situla (vessel such as an urn or bucket) at Cadore (Ca 4 Valle):
- Venetic: eik goltanos doto louderai kanei
- Latin (literal): hic Goltanus dedit Liberae Cani
- English: Goltanus sacrificed this for the virgin Kanis
See also
References
- Julius Pokorny, Indogermanisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch. Bern (1959).
External links
- Venetic from Voices of Stone site.
- Venetic inscriptions index by Adolfo Zavaroni.
- Indo-European database: The Venetic language by Cyril Babaev.
- Víteliú: The Languages of Ancient Italy.