The Sabellian Languages

Abstract

Abstract The Sabellian languages of central and southern Italy constitute a homogeneous group within the Italic branch of the Indo-European family tree, justifying the unitary name, but they are articulated in several distinct varieties and differentiated by the use of various alphabets. Evidence is provided by epigraphy—approximately one thousand inscriptions, chronologically ranging from the sixth to the first century BCE—and by indirect evidence from Greek and Latin sources. The lexicon is largely incomplete; the onomastic evidence (essentially anthroponyms, theonyms, and toponyms) is considerably more extensive. This chapter traces the history of the Sabellian languages from the sixth century to their final absorption into Latin.