Down the spine of Italy ran Osco-Umbrian, the most important subgroup of the Italic languages. In Oscan we distinguish some major dialectal groups, i.e. Samnitian, Marrucinian, Paelignan, Vestinian, Sabinian, Volscian and Marsian. There are about 200 inscriptions plus some glosses and personal names. The principal documents of Oscan are the Tabula Bantina and the Cippus Abellanus, while the best known document of Volscian is the Tabula Veliterna . Probably, Oscan did not become extinct until the first centuries AD.
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Left: A Samnitic bronze helmet from Pietrabbondante (IV century B.C.) Napoli, Museo Archeologico Nazionale Below: The Samnitic Herculaneum of Pietrabbondante
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Umbrian is better attested with the Iguvian tablets, religious texts inscribed in bronze which date back to about 200 BC. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the famous Iguvium tablets (Tabulae Iguvinae) with Latin and English translation:
Umbrian text |
Latin translation |
English translation |
este persklum aves anzeriates enetu pernales pusnaes preveres treplanes iuve krapuvi tre buf fetu arvia ustentu vatuva ferine feitu heris vinu heri puni ukriper fishiu tutaper ikuvina feitu sevum kutef pesnimu arepes arves |
Hanc caerimoniam avibus observatis anticis postricis ante portam Trebulanam Iovi Grabovio tres boves facito, grana ostendito, victimas in tabulato facitio, sive vino sive potione, pro arca Fisia, pro urbe iguvina facito formulam clare precator tostis granis | Commence the ceremony by observing the birds those from in front and those from behind. Before the Trebulan Gate sacrifice three oxen to Jupiter Grabovius. Present grain offerings place the ribs on a tray, sacrifice with wine or with mead, for the Fisian Mount, for the state of Iguvium. Pray each (portion) in a murmur with (offerings) of fat and grain. |
One of the Tabulae Iguvinae found in Gubbio in 1456
(Gubbio, Palazzo dei Consoli)
Osco-Umbrian was probably the most archaic and conservative among Italic languages, since it is believed to have preserved all the Indo-European diphthongs, while noun endings are quite close to the assumed Indo-European endings. The Oscan and Umbrian alphabets originated from the Etruscan alphabet, but they were slowly assimilated by Latin until they dwindled away. The letters of the Iguvium tablets are partly Latin.
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