North Picene language
North Picene is an extinct language of eastern Italy that is known from a number of inscriptions dating from the 1st millennium BC, mostly from Picenum. It is written in a form of the Old Italic alphabet. While its texts are easily transliterated, not a single word has been translated so far; for this reason, it is generally assumed not to be an Indo-European language (in contrast to South Picene, which has been identified as an Italic language).
Novilara Stele
The best-known North Picene inscription is on the stele from Novilara (now in the Museo Preistorico Pigorini, Rome), dated to approximately the 6th century BC:
- mimnis erut gaarestades rotnem uvlin parten us polem isairon tet sut trat nesi krus tenag trut ipiem rotnes lutuis thalu isperion vul tes rotem teu aiten tasur soter merpon kalatne nis vilatos paten arn uis balestenag ands et sut i akut treten teletau nem polem tisu sotris eus
It is a very interesting monument both for its own sake, since it is sculptured as well as inscribed (there is one — or more — hunting or pastoral scene on the back), and because the archaeological stratum (late Bronze period) of the cemetery from which it is believed to have come is clearly marked.
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
External links
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