Marsic

Marsic refers to a group of languages belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family. These languages were spoken in ancient Italy, specifically in the Apennine region, by the Marsi people. The Marsic language is known primarily through inscriptions found in ancient sites associated with the Marsi, such as the inscription on the "tavola di Santa Maria Capua Vetere". Linguistic analysis of these inscriptions suggests that Marsic was closely related to other Italic languages like Oscan and Umbrian, and ultimately to Latin. Over time, as Roman influence grew, Marsic, like many other ancient Italic languages, gradually declined and was eventually supplanted by Latin. The study of Marsic provides valuable insights into the linguistic diversity of pre-Roman Italy and the evolution of the Italic language family. While no extensive texts in Marsic have survived, the available epigraphic evidence allows linguists to reconstruct aspects of its grammar and lexicon. Its relationship to Latin is a key area of research for understanding the development of the Romance languages.