Padua
/ˈpædjuə/noun
A city in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy.
Did you know?Ancient tradition attributed Padua’s foundation to Antenor, a Trojan survivor, although historians regard this as origin legend rather than established history.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient period
Venetic
—
“The city’s original Venetic name is not securely known; its ultimate etymology remains uncertain.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Patavium
“The Roman name for the settlement, appearing in classical literary and epigraphic sources.”
Late Antiquity
Late Latin
Patavium
“The established Latin name of the city within the Roman and post-Roman world.”
Early Middle Ages
Medieval Latin
Padua
“A reduced medieval form that developed from Patavium through regular sound and spelling changes.”
12th–13th Century
Italian
Padova
“The developing Italian form of the city’s name.”
Modern English
English
Padua
“The conventional English name for the Italian city.”
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