umbrian

Umbrian refers to things connected with Umbria, a region in central Italy, as well as to the ancient people who inhabited that area and their language. In linguistic terms, Umbrian designates an extinct Italic language that forms part of the Osco-Umbrian branch, closely related to Oscan and to Latin.

The Umbrian language is known from a substantial corpus of inscriptions and texts, the most famous of which are the Iguvian Tablets. These inscriptions, written in the Umbrian alphabet derived from the Etruscan script, provide important information about Umbrian phonology, morphology, and vocabulary and reveal dialectal variation within Umbrian. Umbrian gradually fell out of use as Latin spread during Roman expansion, and it became extinct by the early centuries of the Roman era. It is studied today as a key source for Italic linguistics and the pre-Roman history of central Italy.

The Umbrians were the ancient inhabitants of Umbria and adjoining valleys in central Italy. Their territory lay to the north of Latium and east of Etruria, and it included several tribal communities and settlements with distinct religious and civic practices. Interaction with neighboring cultures, including the Etruscans and later the Romans, shaped their history. Over time, Roman conquest and cultural assimilation led to Romanization and the gradual disappearance of the Umbrian language as a living speech.

In modern usage, Umbrian is a broad descriptor for anything related to Umbria—its geography, history, and culture. The current spoken language in the region is Italian, with local dialects, while Umbrian remains primarily of historical and linguistic interest.