Venice
/ˈvɛnɪs/noun
A major city in northeastern Italy built on a lagoon of islands and canals.
Did you know?The city’s name comes from the Veneti, an ancient people of the Adriatic, so the word is a survival of pre-Roman history rather than a Latin invention.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wen-
“to desire, love”
Ancient Italic
Italic
Veneti
“the Veneti, an ancient people of the Adriatic region”
Latin
Latin
Venetia
“the territory of the Veneti”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Venecia
“Venice; the city and its surrounding lagoon settlement”
Old French
OF
Venise
“Venice”
Middle English
English
Venis
“Venice”
Modern English
English
Venice
“the Italian city of Venice”