Italy

Meaning

  1. A country in Southern Europe. Official names: Italian Republic and Republic of Italy. Capital and largest city: Rome.
  2. Synonym of Apennine Peninsula

Frequency

B2
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈɪtəli/
Etymology

In summary

From Middle English Italy, Italie, from Old English Italia (“Italy”), from Latin Italia (“Italy”), via Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ταλίᾱ (Ītalíā), from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú). Usually explained as a cognate of vitulus (“calf”), thus meaning "land of young bulls" in Oscan. In that case, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wet- (“year”). According to some ancient Greek authors, named after a king Italus or Italos, whose kingdom was on the peninsula.

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