Lexicon Leponticum
@lexiconleponticum.bsky.social
Weekly threads about Iron Age Celtic inscriptions in and south of the Alps. Visit the digital edition Lexicon Leponticum (http://lexlep.univie.ac.at) for more info on the Cisalpine Celts.
🏺 The two names ⟨oletu⟩ Ol(l)edū and ⟨amaśilu⟩ Amaśillū are inscribed on the shoulder of a well-preserved flask from the Ornavasso necropolis (Piemonte), dated to 100–50 BC. Both names are etymologically Celtic – Ol(l)edū maybe from ollo- 'great', Amaśillū possibly amb(i)-ađ-illo- (meaning unclear).
August 5, 2025 at 8:18 AM
🏺 The two names ⟨oletu⟩ Ol(l)edū and ⟨amaśilu⟩ Amaśillū are inscribed on the shoulder of a well-preserved flask from the Ornavasso necropolis (Piemonte), dated to 100–50 BC. Both names are etymologically Celtic – Ol(l)edū maybe from ollo- 'great', Amaśillū possibly amb(i)-ađ-illo- (meaning unclear).
🏺 This pretty terra sigillata cup from the Giubiasco necropolis (Ticino), dated to 25–50 AD, is inscribed with the sequence ⟨atiss⟩ in the Latin alphabet. This is likely an abbreviation of a Celtic personal name like CIL XIII 7553 atisso, RIG M-56 atisios, though it is not quite clear ...
July 16, 2025 at 8:04 AM
🏺 This pretty terra sigillata cup from the Giubiasco necropolis (Ticino), dated to 25–50 AD, is inscribed with the sequence ⟨atiss⟩ in the Latin alphabet. This is likely an abbreviation of a Celtic personal name like CIL XIII 7553 atisso, RIG M-56 atisios, though it is not quite clear ...
🏺 The name ⟨rupelos⟩ or ⟨runelos⟩ is inscribed in the Lepontic alphabet on the shoulder of a pot from the Giubiasco necropolis (CH), dated to the late 2nd or 1st c. BC. The third letter features a short vertical scratch which may not be intentional, so that it could be pi or nu. In either case, ...
July 1, 2025 at 12:53 PM
🏺 The name ⟨rupelos⟩ or ⟨runelos⟩ is inscribed in the Lepontic alphabet on the shoulder of a pot from the Giubiasco necropolis (CH), dated to the late 2nd or 1st c. BC. The third letter features a short vertical scratch which may not be intentional, so that it could be pi or nu. In either case, ...
In the Lepontic alphabet, this works orthographically, and linguistically ⟨iatuini⟩ is a plausible Celtic form. The reason why I call it only "potentially" the oldest inscription is that the marks are very faint, so that some leaps of faith are necessary to reach this reading in the first place.
May 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM
In the Lepontic alphabet, this works orthographically, and linguistically ⟨iatuini⟩ is a plausible Celtic form. The reason why I call it only "potentially" the oldest inscription is that the marks are very faint, so that some leaps of faith are necessary to reach this reading in the first place.
🏺 Pictured below is the potentially oldest Celtic inscription we currently know. It is written on a ceramic bowl from 650–625 BC from the Golasecca necropolis near Lago Maggiore. Maras, who published it in 2023, read a personal name in the genitive ⟨iatuini⟩ i̯antu-u̯ind-ī 'of Iantuuindos'.
May 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM
🏺 Pictured below is the potentially oldest Celtic inscription we currently know. It is written on a ceramic bowl from 650–625 BC from the Golasecca necropolis near Lago Maggiore. Maras, who published it in 2023, read a personal name in the genitive ⟨iatuini⟩ i̯antu-u̯ind-ī 'of Iantuuindos'.
🏺 This gravestone from Stresa on Lago Maggiore (1st c. BC) is inscribed with the name of the deceased: ⟨exobna | diuconis | f⟩ 'Exobna, daughter of Diuco'. While the inscription is alphabetically and grammatically Latin, both personal names are Celtic. Exobna is derived from eχs-obno- 'fearless' ...
May 20, 2025 at 11:14 AM
🏺 This gravestone from Stresa on Lago Maggiore (1st c. BC) is inscribed with the name of the deceased: ⟨exobna | diuconis | f⟩ 'Exobna, daughter of Diuco'. While the inscription is alphabetically and grammatically Latin, both personal names are Celtic. Exobna is derived from eχs-obno- 'fearless' ...
🏺 The short sequence ⟨uini⟩ is inscribed in the Lepontic alphabet on the bottom of a black-glazed patera from a necropolis in Arsago Seprio (Varese), dated to the late 2nd/1st c. BC. The writing direction is sinistroverse, but the large angle of N could be due to influence from the Latin alphabet.
May 14, 2025 at 7:33 AM
🏺 The short sequence ⟨uini⟩ is inscribed in the Lepontic alphabet on the bottom of a black-glazed patera from a necropolis in Arsago Seprio (Varese), dated to the late 2nd/1st c. BC. The writing direction is sinistroverse, but the large angle of N could be due to influence from the Latin alphabet.
🏺 This particularly badly legible Celtic funerary inscription on the fragment of a gravestone was found in secondary context in a Roman temple for Jupiter in Bioggio (Ticino), but dates from the 4th or 3rd c. BC. Under raking light, it reads ⟨]ọni : klanalui : p̣ala⟩ 'pala for °u, son of Klanos'.
May 6, 2025 at 10:07 AM
🏺 This particularly badly legible Celtic funerary inscription on the fragment of a gravestone was found in secondary context in a Roman temple for Jupiter in Bioggio (Ticino), but dates from the 4th or 3rd c. BC. Under raking light, it reads ⟨]ọni : klanalui : p̣ala⟩ 'pala for °u, son of Klanos'.
! The Gaulish personal name ⟨eripoχios⟩ is (or was) written on the foot of a ceramic bowl from the area of Pavia, dated to the late 2nd c. BC – now sadly lost. The execution of the letters on the leather-hard clay is imprecise, but practised, almost cursive.
May 2, 2025 at 8:17 AM
! The Gaulish personal name ⟨eripoχios⟩ is (or was) written on the foot of a ceramic bowl from the area of Pavia, dated to the late 2nd c. BC – now sadly lost. The execution of the letters on the leather-hard clay is imprecise, but practised, almost cursive.
🏺 One of twenty known coin legends written in the Lepontic alphabet, the legend ⟨prikou⟩ is attested on only two specimens of a gold stater which was common in the Valais and Aosta regions, and is thought to have been issued by the Celtic Salassi or Uberi in the 2nd or 1st century BC.
April 22, 2025 at 9:16 AM
🏺 One of twenty known coin legends written in the Lepontic alphabet, the legend ⟨prikou⟩ is attested on only two specimens of a gold stater which was common in the Valais and Aosta regions, and is thought to have been issued by the Celtic Salassi or Uberi in the 2nd or 1st century BC.
🏺 The Vergiate stela, dated to the late 6th c. BC, bears the probably earliest Cisalpine Celtic inscription which contains a complete sentence. The text ⟨pelkui : pruiam : teu : karite : iṣ́os : kaṛite : palaṃ⟩ records that 'for Belgos Deu set up the pruia; the same set up the pala [grave(stone)]'.
April 8, 2025 at 3:34 PM
🏺 The Vergiate stela, dated to the late 6th c. BC, bears the probably earliest Cisalpine Celtic inscription which contains a complete sentence. The text ⟨pelkui : pruiam : teu : karite : iṣ́os : kaṛite : palaṃ⟩ records that 'for Belgos Deu set up the pruia; the same set up the pala [grave(stone)]'.
🏺 The name ⟨ilauki⟩ is inscribed on the bottom of a patera, dated to the 1st c. BC, from a necropolis in Arsago Seprio (Lombardia), which has yielded numerous inscriptions in the Lepontic alphabet. ⟨ilauki⟩ is a personal name in the genitive: 'of Il(l)auk(i)os', probably an owner's inscription.
March 25, 2025 at 3:07 PM
🏺 The name ⟨ilauki⟩ is inscribed on the bottom of a patera, dated to the 1st c. BC, from a necropolis in Arsago Seprio (Lombardia), which has yielded numerous inscriptions in the Lepontic alphabet. ⟨ilauki⟩ is a personal name in the genitive: 'of Il(l)auk(i)os', probably an owner's inscription.
🏺 This large fragment of a Celtic gravestone from Cureggio (Piemonte), used as building material for a church, represents the remains of what must have been a stela of considerable size. The preserved text reads ]ṭọ[ ]ịkṇọṣ | ṃatopokios | sola | nimoniknạ, viz. one personal name element per line.
March 18, 2025 at 11:27 AM
🏺 This large fragment of a Celtic gravestone from Cureggio (Piemonte), used as building material for a church, represents the remains of what must have been a stela of considerable size. The preserved text reads ]ṭọ[ ]ịkṇọṣ | ṃatopokios | sola | nimoniknạ, viz. one personal name element per line.
🏺 Two recently found Cisalpine Celtic inscriptions from grave fields in the Ticino: ⟨katu⟩ on a plate, and ⟨tati⟩ on a beautifully preserved vaso a trottola. Both are onomastic; ⟨tati⟩ is less clear, but ⟨katu⟩ is a hypocoristic formed from a dithematic name with first element katu- 'battle, fight'.
March 11, 2025 at 3:00 PM
🏺 Two recently found Cisalpine Celtic inscriptions from grave fields in the Ticino: ⟨katu⟩ on a plate, and ⟨tati⟩ on a beautifully preserved vaso a trottola. Both are onomastic; ⟨tati⟩ is less clear, but ⟨katu⟩ is a hypocoristic formed from a dithematic name with first element katu- 'battle, fight'.
The third Botorrita plaque, which is dated to a similar timeframe and records a list of names, has an entry ⟨snaziueṇtos⟩ or -⟨ueịtos⟩. There are uncertainties about the reading in both the Lepontic and the Celtiberian script, but the attestations may represent the same Celtic name *Snā̆d(ii̯)ou̯entos.
March 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The third Botorrita plaque, which is dated to a similar timeframe and records a list of names, has an entry ⟨snaziueṇtos⟩ or -⟨ueịtos⟩. There are uncertainties about the reading in both the Lepontic and the Celtiberian script, but the attestations may represent the same Celtic name *Snā̆d(ii̯)ou̯entos.
🏺 This damaged inscription on a fragmentary bowl from a grave in Arsago Seprio (Lombardy, 1st c. BC) can be tentatively read ⟨ṣnaśịọụịṭoṣ⟩. The sequence is presumably a name, but doesn't contain any familiar Celtic onomastic elements. It does, however, seem to have a comparandum in Celtiberian. 1/2
March 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
🏺 This damaged inscription on a fragmentary bowl from a grave in Arsago Seprio (Lombardy, 1st c. BC) can be tentatively read ⟨ṣnaśịọụịṭoṣ⟩. The sequence is presumably a name, but doesn't contain any familiar Celtic onomastic elements. It does, however, seem to have a comparandum in Celtiberian. 1/2
The sequence is followed by XXIIII, possibly a numeral. In combination with another word inscribed on the slab, ⟨miliarios⟩, this has given rise to the idea that the stone was a Celtic-Latin milestone: 'milestone, 24 [miles? leagues?] from Milano'. But the relationship between the two sequences, ...
February 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The sequence is followed by XXIIII, possibly a numeral. In combination with another word inscribed on the slab, ⟨miliarios⟩, this has given rise to the idea that the stone was a Celtic-Latin milestone: 'milestone, 24 [miles? leagues?] from Milano'. But the relationship between the two sequences, ...
🏺 The only epichoric attestation of a Celtic place name in northern Italy is written in the Lepontic alphabet on a slab in a preserved bit of Milano's Roman city wall, dated to probably the 1st c. BC: ⟨meśiolano⟩ < *medi̯o-lāno- 'middle of the plain' or 'central place'.
(The photo is of a cast.)
(The photo is of a cast.)
February 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
🏺 The only epichoric attestation of a Celtic place name in northern Italy is written in the Lepontic alphabet on a slab in a preserved bit of Milano's Roman city wall, dated to probably the 1st c. BC: ⟨meśiolano⟩ < *medi̯o-lāno- 'middle of the plain' or 'central place'.
(The photo is of a cast.)
(The photo is of a cast.)
🏺 This patera, dated to the late 2nd c. BC, was found in Oleggio (Piemonte), in a woman's grave richly furnished with numerous weapons and ceramic objects, indicating very high status. The Celtic inscription ⟨rikanas⟩, a genitive of *rīganā, was thus initially interpreted as meaning 'of the queen'.
February 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
🏺 This patera, dated to the late 2nd c. BC, was found in Oleggio (Piemonte), in a woman's grave richly furnished with numerous weapons and ceramic objects, indicating very high status. The Celtic inscription ⟨rikanas⟩, a genitive of *rīganā, was thus initially interpreted as meaning 'of the queen'.
🏺 This fragment of a Celtic gravestone from Bioggio (Ticino), which had been reused as building material in a mediaeval tomb, preserves the top part of the inscription ⟨]ọni : kuim---ui : pạḷạ⟩ 'grave(stone) of X, son of Kuim°' together with the head of the frame, which represents the deceased.
February 11, 2025 at 2:39 PM
🏺 This fragment of a Celtic gravestone from Bioggio (Ticino), which had been reused as building material in a mediaeval tomb, preserves the top part of the inscription ⟨]ọni : kuim---ui : pạḷạ⟩ 'grave(stone) of X, son of Kuim°' together with the head of the frame, which represents the deceased.
Both forms would be personal names, but ⟨ziχu⟩ is Etruscan (lit. 'scribe', as in Latin Scribonius), while ⟨viχu⟩ is Celtic (from the root u̯ik- 'fight'). The letter forms also could belong to the Lepontic alphabet as well as to the Etruscan one, from which it is derived.
February 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Both forms would be personal names, but ⟨ziχu⟩ is Etruscan (lit. 'scribe', as in Latin Scribonius), while ⟨viχu⟩ is Celtic (from the root u̯ik- 'fight'). The letter forms also could belong to the Lepontic alphabet as well as to the Etruscan one, from which it is derived.
🏺 For some of the very earliest inscriptions – around 600 BC – from the Lago Maggiore region, where Cisalpine Celtic epigraphy originated, it is not clear whether they are Celtic or Etruscan. One such case is the shorter of two graffiti on this beaker, which reads either ⟨ziχu⟩ or ⟨viχu⟩.
February 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
🏺 For some of the very earliest inscriptions – around 600 BC – from the Lago Maggiore region, where Cisalpine Celtic epigraphy originated, it is not clear whether they are Celtic or Etruscan. One such case is the shorter of two graffiti on this beaker, which reads either ⟨ziχu⟩ or ⟨viχu⟩.
🏺 This flask from the Ornavasso necropolis near Lago Maggiore (1st c. BC) preserves one of the most important Cisalpine Celtic inscriptions: ⟨latumarui : sapsutai:pe : uinom : naṭom⟩. The popular old interpretation 'wine from Naxos for Latumaros and Sapsuta' unfortunately doesn't quite work out ...
January 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
🏺 This flask from the Ornavasso necropolis near Lago Maggiore (1st c. BC) preserves one of the most important Cisalpine Celtic inscriptions: ⟨latumarui : sapsutai:pe : uinom : naṭom⟩. The popular old interpretation 'wine from Naxos for Latumaros and Sapsuta' unfortunately doesn't quite work out ...
🏺 This sadly fragmentary gravestone was found in 1913 during the repair of the public washhouse of Banco (Ticino), where it was used to cover the drainage canal. The preserved part of the inscription reads ]nialui : pala, viz. a bit of the patronym and the object: 'grave(stone) of X, son of *nios'.
January 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
🏺 This sadly fragmentary gravestone was found in 1913 during the repair of the public washhouse of Banco (Ticino), where it was used to cover the drainage canal. The preserved part of the inscription reads ]nialui : pala, viz. a bit of the patronym and the object: 'grave(stone) of X, son of *nios'.
🏺 The personal name ⟨uisa⟩ is inscribed on the foot of a bowl found in a tomb in Paderno Dugnano (Milano) dated to the 1st c. BC. U̯is(s)ā is a Celtic hypocoristic name, maybe derived from a compound with first element u̯īsu- 'good' (e.g. Uisurix), though it's too short to be sure about its etymology.
January 14, 2025 at 11:42 AM
🏺 The personal name ⟨uisa⟩ is inscribed on the foot of a bowl found in a tomb in Paderno Dugnano (Milano) dated to the 1st c. BC. U̯is(s)ā is a Celtic hypocoristic name, maybe derived from a compound with first element u̯īsu- 'good' (e.g. Uisurix), though it's too short to be sure about its etymology.