Iguvinas
Umbrian
Indo-European > Italic > Sabellic (Osco-Umbrian) · historical / hidden variety
Umbrian was a Sabellic (Osco-Umbrian) Italic language spoken in ancient Umbria and known almost entirely from the Iguvine Tablets — seven bronze tablets from Iguvium (modern Gubbio) recording the elaborate priestly rituals of the Atiedian Brotherhood. It shows characteristic Sabellic innovations such as rhotacism of intervocalic /s/, loss of final consonants, and the development of -nd- > -nn-, distinguishing it sharply from sister Latin.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Umbrian
Water
utur
/ˈu.tur/
Fire
pir
/pir/
Sun
—
/—/
Moon
—
/—/
Mother
matrer
/ˈma.trer/
Father
patre
/ˈpa.tre/
Eat
—
/—/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
—
/—/
House
—
/—/
Dog
—
/—/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
manuv-e
/ma.ˈnu.we/
Eye
—
/—/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
unu
/ˈu.nu/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Buck, C. D. (1928) A Grammar of Oscan and Umbrian, with a Collection of Inscriptions and a Glossary. Boston: Ginn & Co.
- Poultney, J. W. (1959) The Bronze Tables of Iguvium. American Philological Association Monograph 18.
- Untermann, J. (2000) Wörterbuch des Oskisch-Umbrischen. Heidelberg: Winter.
- Weiss, M. (2010) Language and Ritual in Sabellic Italy: The Ritual Complex of the Third and Fourth Tabulae Iguvinae. Leiden: Brill.
- Glottolog: Umbrian
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European > Italic > Sabellic (Osco-Umbrian) languages
| Meaning | Umbrian | Venetic | Proto-Japonic-Koreanic | Messapic | Damin (Lardil ceremonial register) | Faliscan | Goguryeo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | utur /ˈu.tur/ | ouriom /ˈou.ri.om/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ |
| Fire | pir /pir/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | l!ii /lǃiː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | matrer /ˈma.trer/ | matur /ˈma.tur/ | *əma /əma/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Father | patre /ˈpa.tre/ | — /—/ | *əpa /əpa/ | ana /ˈana/ | — /—/ | pater /ˈpa.ter/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | pipafo /ˈpi.pa.foː/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | manuv-e /ma.ˈnu.we/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | unu /ˈu.nu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | oinos /ˈoi̯.nos/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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