Sicania
/sɪˈkeɪniə/noun
An ancient name for Sicily, especially in references to the island before or during Greek colonization.
Did you know?Greek and Roman authors associated Sicania with the Sicani, an ancient population of Sicily, but disagreed about whether they were indigenous or migrants from elsewhere.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Classical Antiquity
Unknown / Indigenous
Sikān-
“Probable ancestral ethnonym connected with the Sicani; its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Σικανία (Sikanía)
“An ancient name for Sicily, associated with the Sicani people.”
4th–1st Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Σικανοί (Sikanoí)
“The Sicani, an ancient people described as inhabitants of Sicily.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Sicania
“Sicily, particularly in historical or poetic usage.”
Medieval–Modern English
English
Sicania
“A learned historical name for ancient Sicily.”