THE LOMBARD DUCHY OF CHIUSI: LINGUISTIC EVIDENCE

Abstract

The territory of the ancient Lombard duchy of Chiusi (Southern Tuscany) preserves numerous archaeological and linguistic traces of the Lombard settlement, testified from the late 6th century until the year 776. The military and political importance of the duchy was principally due to its geographical position near the Byzantine territories. The aim of this study is to analyze the linguistic evidence, offered particularly by local place names and dialectal words of Lombard origin. The terms examined are allazzì, ammarrì, dringolà / sdringolà, (i)mbiffà, (i)nguastì, (i)ntufà, nafantà, nazzicà / zazzicà, nòrcola, sbrinco, slacca, sornacà, stóllo, stolzà, struffà, técchio, tòfo, trescà, tròscia, zeppì.