Faliscan Language

As a specimen of the language may be quoted the words written round the edge of a picture on a , ''Italic Dialects'', p. 312, b). This shows some of the phonetic characteristics of the Faliscan language, such as the following:

#The retention of medial ''f'' which in Latin became ''b'';
#The representation of an initial Proto-Indo-European ''gh'' by ''f'' (''foied'', contrast Latin ''hodie'');
#The Palatalization of ''d+'' consonant ''i'' into some sound denoted merely by ''i-'' the central sound of ''foied'', from ''fo-dsid'';
#The loss of final ''s'', at all events before certain following sounds (''cra'' beside Latin ''cras'');

Other characteristics, appearing elsewhere, are:
#The retention of the Velar s (Fal. ''cuando'' = Latin ''quando''; contrast Umbrian pan(n~u);)
#The assimilation of some final consonants to the initial sound of the next word: "''pretod de zenatuo sententiad''" (Conway, ''lit. cit.'' 321), "''praetor de senatus sententia''" (''zenatuo'' for ''senafuos'', an archaic genitive).

For further details see Conway, ib. pp. 370 if., especially pp. 384-385, where the relation of the names ''Falisci'', ''Falerli'' to the local hero Halaesus (e.g. Ovid , ''Fasti'', iv. 73) is discussed, and where reason is given for thinking that the change of initial ''f'' (from an original ''bh'' or ''dh'') into an initial ''h'' was a genuine mark of Faliscan dialect.

It seems probable that the dialect lasted on, though being gradually permeated with Latin, till at least 150 BC .

In addition to the remains found in the graves, which belong mainly to the period of Etruscan domination and give ample evidence of material prosperity and refinement, the earlier strata have yielded more primitive remains from the Italic epoch. A large number of inscriptions consisting mainly of proper names may be regarded as Etruscan rather than Faliscan, and they have been disregarded in the account of the dialect just given. It should perhaps be mentioned that there was a town Feronia in Sardinia , named probably after their native goddess by Faliscan settlers, from some of whom we have a votive inscription found at S Maria di Falleri.

The National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia , Rome, holds Faliscan artifacts.

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Faliscan Language