Umbri
/ˈʌm.braɪ/noun
The ancient Italic people who inhabited Umbria in central Italy.
Did you know?Ancient writers sometimes connected the Umbri with the Latin word for “rain,” claiming they survived a primordial flood, but modern scholars regard that explanation as folk etymology rather than proven history.
Etymological Timeline
1st Millennium BCE
Umbrian
𐌖𐌌𐌁𐌓𐌉
“The people known through their own Umbrian-language inscriptions; the exact original meaning is uncertain.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Ὄμβροι (Ombroi)
“The Umbri, an ancient people of central Italy.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
Umbri
“The Umbri, an Italic population living in Umbria.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
Umbria
“The region inhabited by the Umbri.”
Medieval Period
Latin/Italian
Umbri / Umbriani
“Historical names for the ancient people or inhabitants associated with Umbria.”
Modern English
English
Umbri
“The ancient Umbrian people, usually in historical or archaeological writing.”