Ligurer

Ligurer refers to a historical term for the Ligures, an ancient people who inhabited the northwestern part of the Italian Peninsula and southeastern part of modern France. Their territory, known as Liguria, was situated between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. The exact origins and linguistic affiliation of the Ligures are a subject of scholarly debate, with some theories suggesting connections to Indo-European or even non-Indo-European language groups.

The Ligures were known to be skilled seafarers and traders, engaging in commerce with various Mediterranean cultures, including the Greeks and Phoenicians. Archaeological evidence suggests they had a settled agricultural society with fortified settlements. Their interactions with expanding Roman power led to their gradual assimilation into the Roman Republic. Roman expansion into Ligurian territory began in the 3rd century BCE, and by the 2nd century BCE, most of the region had come under Roman control. The term "Ligurer" therefore denotes an inhabitant of this region and a participant in its distinct cultural and historical trajectory during antiquity.