South Picene (also known as Paleo-Sabellic, Mid-Adriatic or Eastern Italic) is an extinct
Italic language
The Italic languages form a branch of the Indo-European language family, whose earliest known members were spoken on the Italian Peninsula in the first millennium BC. The most important of the ancient languages was Latin, the official languag ...
belonging to the
Sabellic
The Osco-Umbrian, Sabellic or Sabellian languages are an extinct group of Italic languages, the Indo-European languages that were spoken in Central and Southern Italy by the Osco-Umbrians before being replaced by Latin, as the power of Ancient Rom ...
subfamily. It is apparently unrelated to the
North Picene language
North Picene, also known as North Picenian or Northern Picene, is a supposed ancient language, which may have been spoken in part of central-eastern Italy. The evidence for the language consists of four inscriptions dating from the 1st millennium ...
, which is not understood and therefore unclassified. South Picene texts were at first relatively inscrutable even though some words were clearly
Indo-European
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch ...
. The discovery in 1983 that two of the apparently redundant punctuation marks were in reality simplified letters led to an incremental improvement in their understanding and a first translation in 1985. Difficulties remain. It may represent a third branch of Sabellic, along with Oscan and Umbrian (and their dialects), or the whole Sabellic linguistic area may be best regarded as a
linguistic continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated variet ...
. The paucity of evidence from most of the 'minor dialects' contributes to these difficulties.
Corpus
The corpus of South Picene
inscriptions consists of 23 inscriptions on stone or bronze dating from as early as the 6th century BC to as late as the 4th century BC. The dating is estimated according to the features of the letters and in some cases the archaeological context. As the known history of the
Picentes
The name Picentes or Picentini refers to the population of Picenum, on the northern Adriatic coastal plain of ancient Italy. Their endonym, if any, is not known for certain. There is linguistic evidence that the Picentini comprised two different ...
does not begin until their subjugation by Rome in the 3rd century, the inscriptions open an earlier window onto their culture as far back as the late
Roman Kingdom
The Roman Kingdom (also referred to as the Roman monarchy, or the regal period of ancient Rome) was the earliest period of Roman history when the city and its territory were ruled by kings. According to oral accounts, the Roman Kingdom began wi ...
. Most are
stelai
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...
or
cippi
A (plural: ''cippi''; "pointed pole") is a low, round or rectangular pedestal set up by the Ancient Romans for purposes such as a milestone or a boundary post. They were also used for somewhat differing purposes by the Etruscans and Carthaginians ...
of sandstone or limestone in whole or fragmentary condition sculpted for funerary contexts, but some are monumental statues.
On a typical gravestone is the representation of the face or figure of the deceased with the inscription in a spiral around it or under it reading in a clockwise direction, or
boustrophedon
Boustrophedon is a style of writing in which alternate lines of writing are reversed, with letters also written in reverse, mirror-style. This is in contrast to modern European languages, where lines always begin on the same side, usually the le ...
, or vertically.
Stones have been found at
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city has more than 93,000.
Geo ...
,
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. ...
,
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso d'Italia) ...
,
Fano
Fano is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort southeast of Pesaro, located where the ''Via Flaminia'' reaches the Adriatic Sea. It is the third city in the region by popula ...
,
Loro Piceno
Loro Piceno is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about south of Macerata on a hill near the Fiastra stream.
It is a medieval centre with a castle (''Castello B ...
,
Cures, the
Abruzzi
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
between the
Tronto
The Tronto ( la, Truentus) is a long Italian river that arises at Monti della Laga and ends in the Adriatic Sea at Porto d'Ascoli, San Benedetto del Tronto. It traverses the Lazio, Marche, and Abruzzo regions of Italy.
The source of the Tronto i ...
and the
Aterno-Pescara
The Aterno-Pescara (ancient ''Aternus'' from the Greek ''Aternos'', ''Άτερνος'') is a river system in Abruzzo, eastern central Italy. The river is known as the Aterno near its source in the mountains, but takes the name Pescara, actually a ...
, and
Castel di Ieri
Castel di Ieri is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
References
Cities and towns in Abruzzo
{{Abruzzo-geo-stub ...
and
Crecchio
Crecchio is a ''comune'' and village in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region in central Italy. The village preserves its medieval aspect and is dominated by its castle.
Its main activities are agriculture and tourism, yet small fami ...
south of the Aterno-Pescara. To them are added inscriptions on a bronze bracelet in central Abruzzi and two 4th-century BC helmets from
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
in the
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain ( it, Pianura Padana , or ''Val Padana'') is a major geographical feature of Northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic ex ...
and
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
on the southeastern coast.
A complete inventory is as follows:
* the Cippus of
Castignano
Castignano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about northeast of Ascoli Piceno.
Castignano borders the following municipalities: Appignano del Tronto, ...
(6th-century BC sandstone pyramid)
* three stelai of
Penna Sant'Andrea
Penna Sant'Andrea ( Abruzzese: ') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Teramo in the Abruzzo region of south-eastern Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Eur ...
at
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso d'Italia) ...
(a whole and two fragmentary limestone
obelisk
An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...
s of the 1st half of the 5th century BC)
* the cover of the
Campovalano
Campovalano is part of the municipality of Campli, in the Province of Teramo in the Abruzzo region of Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located ...
pyxis
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Abbreviated from Pyxis Nautica, its name is Latin for a mariner's compass (contrasting with Circinus, which represents a draftsman's compasses). Pyxis was introduced by Nicolas-Lo ...
(7th to 6th centuries BC)
* spiral bracelet of Chietino in Valle del Pescara (5th century BC)
* the Cippus of
Cures (limestone)
* the Stele of
Loro Piceno
Loro Piceno is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about south of Macerata on a hill near the Fiastra stream.
It is a medieval centre with a castle (''Castello B ...
(sandstone)
* the Stele of
Mogliano
Mogliano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about south of Macerata.
Mogliano rises on a hill at 313 m. on the sea level and halfway between the Sibillini ...
(sandstone)
* the Stele of
Acquaviva
* the Stele of
Belmonte (jointed sandstone)
* the Cippus of
Falerone Falerone is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Fermo, in the Italian region of the Marche, southeast of Urbisaglia.
History
Almost nothing is known of the ancient town (called ''Falerio'') except from inscriptions. From the remains of its bui ...
* the Stele of
Servigliano
Servigliano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Fermo in the Italy, Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about north of Ascoli Piceno. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,349 and an area of .All demo ...
(sandstone)
* a fragment of inscribed sandstone at
Belmonte
* the Cippus of
Sant'Omero (sandstone)
* two stelai of
Bellante (sandstone)
* the Stele of
Crecchio
Crecchio is a ''comune'' and village in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region in central Italy. The village preserves its medieval aspect and is dominated by its castle.
Its main activities are agriculture and tourism, yet small fami ...
(sandstone)
* two cippi of
Castel di Ieri
Castel di Ieri is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
References
Cities and towns in Abruzzo
{{Abruzzo-geo-stub ...
(limestone, whole and fragmentary)
* the Statue of
Capestrano
Capestrano ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and small town with 885 inhabitants (2017), in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
History
Antiquity
In the necropolis the statu ...
(limestone, life-size representation of king ''Nevio Pompuledio'', 2nd half of the 7th, 1st half of the 6th centuries BC)
* the Helmet of
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
(bronze)
* the Helmet of
Apulia
it, Pugliese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographic ...
Alphabet
The south Picene alphabet, known from the 6th century BC, is most like the southern
Etruscan alphabet
The Etruscan alphabet was the alphabet used by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization of central and northern Italy, to write their language, from about 700 BC to sometime around 100 AD.
The Etruscan alphabet derives from the Euboean alphabet ...
in that it uses ''q'' for /k/ and ''k'' for /g/. It is:
:
is a reduced and is a reduced , used for .
Phonetics
For
consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are and pronounced with the lips; and pronounced with the front of the tongue; and pronounced wit ...
s South Picene had:
In cases where there is a choice of
grapheme
In linguistics, a grapheme is the smallest functional unit of a writing system.
The word ''grapheme'' is derived and the suffix ''-eme'' by analogy with ''phoneme'' and other names of emic units. The study of graphemes is called ''graphemics' ...
the context determines which one applies. For the glides, and were used for word-initial /w/ and for intervocalic /w/ or in other special contexts. The list above omits special contexts.
Language sample
Inscription Sp TE 2 on a gravestone from
Bellante was studied by a linguist of
Indo-European studies
Indo-European studies is a field of linguistics and an interdisciplinary field of study dealing with Indo-European languages, both current and extinct. The goal of those engaged in these studies is to amass information about the hypothetical pro ...
,
Calvert Watkins
Calvert Watkins ( /ˈwɒtkɪnz/; March 13, 1933 – March 20, 2013) was an American linguist and philologist, known for his book ''How to Kill a Dragon''. He was a professor of linguistics and the classics at Harvard University and after retireme ...
, as an example of the earliest Italic poetry and as possibly a reflex of a
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...
poetic form.
[ In the inscription given below colons are used to separate words; in the original inscription, three vertical dots are used ("the triple interpunct").
:''postin : viam : videtas : tetis : tokam : alies : esmen : vepses : vepeten''
:"Along the road you see the 'toga' of Titus Alius? buried? in this tomb."
The translation of the questioned items is unclear. For ''toga'' Fortson suggests "covering."
Note the ]alliteration
Alliteration is the conspicuous repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device. A familiar example is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers". Alliteration is used poetically in various ...
: ''viam'' and ''videtas''; ''tetis'' and ''tokam''; ''alies'' and ''esmen''; ''vepses'' and ''vepeten''. The possibility of this and the other inscriptions being stanza
In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian language, Italian ''stanza'' , "room") is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or Indentation (typesetting), indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme scheme, rhyme and ...
s of verse (strophes) was considered from the time of their discovery. Watkins called them "the South Picene strophe," which he defines as three lines of seven syllables each, comparing them to a strophe of the Rig Veda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one Sh ...
containing three lines of eight syllables each. Moreover, each line ends "in a trisyllable." The lines of this inscription are:
:''postin viam videtas''
:''tetis tokam alies''
:''esmen vepses vepeten''
The first line would be syllabified and read:
:''po-stin vi-am vi-de-tas''
References
Bibliography
*
*
Further reading
*Adiego, Ignacio. "Ancora sul sostrato sudpiceno nei dialetti oschi settentrionali". In: ''Percorsi linguistici e interlinguistici: studi in onore di Vincenzo Orioles'' / a cura di Raffaella Bombi, Francesco Costantini. Udine: Forum, 2018, pp. 279–290. 2018.
*de Vaan, Michiel. 2008. ''Etymological dictionary of Latin and the other Italic languages.'' Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.
*Martzloff, Vincent. "Questions d’exégèse picénienne". In: ''Autour de Michel Lejeune. Actes des journées d'études organisées à l'Université Lumière Lyon 2 – Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, 2-3 février 2006''. (Collection de la Maison de l'Orient méditerranéen ancien. Série philologique, 43) Lyon: Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée Jean Pouilloux, 2009. pp. 359–378. ww.persee.fr/doc/mom_0184-1785_2009_act_43_1_2672*Poultney, James. 1951. "Volscians and Umbrians." ''American Journal of Philology'' 72: 113–27.
*Wallace, Rex E. 2007. ''The Sabellic languages of ancient Italy.'' Languages of the World: Materials 371. Munich: LINCOM.
*Watkins, Calvert. 1995. ''How to kill a dragon: Aspects of Indo-European poetics.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press.
*Zamponi, Raoul (2019).
An outline of the South Picene language I: introduction and phonology
. In: ''Italian Journal of Linguistics'' 31(1): 193-222.
*Zamponi, R. (2019) "An outline of the South Picene language II: morphology and syntax". In: ''Italian Journal of Linguistics'' 31(2): 201-239.
{{DEFAULTSORT:South Picene Language
Languages attested from the 6th century BC
Languages extinct in the 4th century BC
Languages of ancient Italy
Picene, South