Venetic

Venetic ( vin-ET-ik) is an extinct centum Indo-European language that was spoken by the Veneti people in ancient times in northeast Italy (Veneto and Friuli) and part of modern Slovenia, between the Po Delta and the southern fringe of the Alps, associated with the Este culture. Venetic is generally considered a distinct branch of the Indo-European family, although its exact relationship to languages such as Latin, Germanic, Celtic, and other Italic languages is debated.

Its speakers are identified with the ancient people called Veneti by the Romans and Enetoi by the Greeks. It became extinct around the 1st century when the local inhabitants assimilated into the Roman sphere. Its wide distribution area led to the formation of several local varieties, such as Alpine Venetic, Este Venetic, and Padua Venetic.

The language is attested by over 300 short inscriptions dating from the 6th to the 1st century BCE. The inscriptions use a variety of the Northern Italic alphabet, similar to the Etruscan alphabet, introduced between 550 and 450 BC. The Latin alphabet used by the Romans, on the other hand, began to appear alongside the Venetic alphabet around 100 BC. Inscriptions dedicating offerings to Reitia constitute one of the primary sources of knowledge of the Venetic language.

From Wikipedia · Venetic language · CC BY-SA 4.0