Camunic language
Encyclopedia
The Camunic language is an extinct language which was spoken in the first millennium BC
in the Valcamonica and Valtellina
valleys of the Central Alps. It has most recently been considered to represent a form of Celtic
(Markey 2008).
. There are at least 170 known inscriptions, the majority of which are only a few words long. The writing system
used is a variant of the north-Etruscan alphabet
, known as the Camunian alphabet or alphabet of Sondrio. Longer inscriptions show that Camunic writing used boustrophedon
.
Its name derives from the people of the Camunni
, who lived during the Iron age
in Val Camonica and were the creators of many of the stone carvings in the area. Abecedarium
s found in Nadro
and Piancogno
have been dated to between 500 BC and 50 AD.
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
in the Valcamonica and Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
valleys of the Central Alps. It has most recently been considered to represent a form of Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
(Markey 2008).
Language
The extant corpus is carved on rock, similar to the rock carvings of ValcamonicaRock Drawings in Valcamonica
The stone carvings of Val Camonica constitute one of the largest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs in the world. The collection was recognized by Unesco in 1979 and was Italy's first recognized World Heritage Site...
. There are at least 170 known inscriptions, the majority of which are only a few words long. The writing system
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
used is a variant of the north-Etruscan alphabet
Etruscan language
The Etruscan language was spoken and written by the Etruscan civilization, in what is present-day Italy, in the ancient region of Etruria and in parts of Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna...
, known as the Camunian alphabet or alphabet of Sondrio. Longer inscriptions show that Camunic writing used boustrophedon
Boustrophedon
Boustrophedon , is a type of bi-directional text, mostly seen in ancient manuscripts and other inscriptions. Every other line of writing is flipped or reversed, with reversed letters. Rather than going left-to-right as in modern English, or right-to-left as in Arabic and Hebrew, alternate lines in...
.
Its name derives from the people of the Camunni
Camunni
The Camuni or Camunni were an ancient population located in Val Camonica during the Iron Age ; the Latin name Camunni was attributed to them by the authors of the 1st century. They are also called ancient Camuni, to distinguish them from the current inhabitants of the valley...
, who lived during the Iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
in Val Camonica and were the creators of many of the stone carvings in the area. Abecedarium
Abecedarium
An abecedarium is an inscription consisting of the letters of an alphabet, almost always listed in order. Typically, abecedaria are practice exercises....
s found in Nadro
Nadro
Nadro is an Italian hamlet of the comune of Ceto , Lombardy. It has 655 inhabitants.It lies 75 km from Brescia, along the strada Statale 42 del Tonale e della Mendola and is situated in Val Camonica....
and Piancogno
Piancogno
Piancogno is a commune in the Italian province of Brescia, in Lombardy....
have been dated to between 500 BC and 50 AD.