Messina
/meˈssiːna/noun
A city and metropolitan area in northeastern Sicily, Italy, on the Strait of Messina.
Did you know?Ancient Greek settlers first called the site Zanklē, meaning “sickle,” while the later name Messana came through association with the Greek region and people of Messenia.
Etymological Timeline
8th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Zanklē (Ζάγκλη)
““Sickle,” referring to the crescent-like shape of the harbor; this was the settlement’s earliest recorded Greek name.”
5th Century BCE
Sicilian Greek
Messēnē (Μεσσήνη)
“A new name adopted after the city was settled or refounded by people associated with Messene in the Peloponnese.”
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Messana
“The Latin form of the city’s Greek name.”
Medieval Period
Byzantine Greek
Messēnē / Messina
“Forms of the name continued in Greek and Romance usage as the city remained a major Sicilian port.”
Modern English
English
Messina
“The established English name of the Sicilian city and the nearby strait.”