The

suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns and adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can ca ...

-tania or -etania (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

demonym A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...

"-tanian", "-tanians")

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, ;

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, / / / denotes a territory or region in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. Its historical origin is in the

pre-Roman Iberia Prehistory in the Iberian peninsula begins with the arrival of the first ''Homo'' genus representatives from Africa, which may range from 1.5 million years ( Ma) ago to 1.25 Ma ago, depending on the dating technique employed, so it is set at ...

. Its etymological origin is discussed by linguists. Spanish Jesuit philologist Hervás y Panduro proposed their link to the

Celtic languages The Celtic languages ( ) are a branch of the Indo-European language family, descended from the hypothetical Proto-Celtic language. The term "Celtic" was first used to describe this language group by Edward Lhuyd in 1707, following Paul-Yve ...

, in which the root ''*tan'' or ''*taín'' means department or region.Campión, pg. 261 "Doctor Hervás, quoted by Astarloa, adopted the Celtic origin. Celtophiles claim that ''tan'' or ''tain'' means ''department'', ''region'' – In Irish ''tan'', genitive ''tain'', expresses the idea of ''country'', ''territory''." "In Irish, ''tan'' (

genitive In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can ...

, ''tain'') expresses the idea of ''country'', ''territory''." Other philologists such as Pablo Pedro Astarloa suggest a combination of the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

abundance suffix (as in Arteta,

Lusarreta Lusarreta may refer to: People Pilar de Lusarreta, Argentine author and critic Places *, a human settlement in Arce, Spain Arce (Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language ...

, Olleta) with the Latin root ''*nia'' used in place names (such as

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...

Italia Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

). The form of demonym used by some epigraphs in the

Iberian language The Iberian language is the language of an indigenous western European people identified by Ancient Greece, Greek and ancient Rome, Roman sources who lived in the eastern and southeastern regions of the Iberian Peninsula in the pre-Migration Era ...

found in coins is -''ken'' or -''sken'', as in Ikalesken, which is unrelated to the Latin-Hispanic -''tanus''. This suggests that -tania may be a denomination of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

origin. According to the historian and archaeologist Manuel Gómez-Moreno, the Latin suffix -''tani'' corresponds to the Iberian -''scen'', For example, the Ausetanians (''

Ausetani The Ausetani were an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania). They are believed to have spoken the Iberian language. They lived in the eponymous region of Ausona and gave their name to the Roman city of '' ...

'') who called themselves ''Ausesken''. The Romans also applied this suffix to other peoples of the

western Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

(

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

and

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

), and to a lesser extent to those of the Italian Peninsula, where however the suffix -''ates'' prevails. Before Roman contact with the Iberian peoples, there were already

Greek colonies Greek colonisation refers to the expansion of Archaic Greeks, particularly during the 8th–6th centuries BC, across the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The Archaic expansion differed from the Iron Age migrations of the Greek Dark Ages ...

in Iberia. The ancient Greeks used the older suffix -ητες (-''etes''), -εται or -ηται (-''etai''), which would be replaced by -ητανοι or -ετανοι (-''etani''), according to researcher Ulrich Schmoll (1953). Another theory, partially developed by the

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

ese jurist

Joaquín Costa Joaquín Costa (September 14, 1846, Monzón, Huesca Province – February 8, 1911, Graus, Huesca Province) was a Spanish politician, lawyer, economist and historian. The son of an Aragonese farmer and his first wife, Costa was self-educated ...

, relates that suffix to the Berber ''*ait'', which means both "son of" and "the tribe", or with ''*at'', meaning "people." This theory that supports that "aide" (''aita'') is a relative in

.Campión, pg. 261 "Sir Costa believes that ''etania'' expresses the generic concept of ''nation'' or ''tribe''. And it is supported by the following reasoning: in the

berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

countries they use the word ''ait'' (children of ... as an ethnic to express the concept of ''kabila'' or ''tribe''. ''At'', syncopated form of ''ait'', also means ''people''. Especially in

Figuig Figuig or Figig is an oasis town in eastern Morocco near the Atlas Mountains, on the border with Algeria. The town is built around an oasis of date palms, surrounded by rugged, mountainous wilderness. Modernization has somewhat raised the stan ...

and

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

, being a correlative word of the said Berber plural ''ait'' the singular basque ''aide'', "relative".

Examples

* ''Accitania'' * ''Ausetania'', nowadays

Osona Osona () is a comarques of Catalonia, comarca situated in the Central Catalonia, central region of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Vic, Spain, Vic. Its population in 2001 was 129,543. Osona covers roughly the same area as the historic Catalan co ...

. * ''Bergistania'', nowadays

Berga Berga () is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' (county) of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered by the municipalities of Cercs, Olvan, Avià, Capolat and Castellar del Riu. History Berga de ...

. * ''

Bastetania The Bastetani or Bastuli were an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania). They are believed to have spoken the Iberian language. The relationship between the Iberian Bastetani and the Tartessian Mastien ...

'' * ''

Carpetania Carpetania was an ancient region of what is today Spain, located between the Sierra de Guadarrama, the mountains of Toledo, the river Guadiana and the mountain range of Alcaraz, including approximately, the present independent communities of Mad ...

'' * ''Ceretania'' * ''Contestania'', nowadays

Cocentaina Cocentaina (; ) is a locality and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca of Comtat, in the province of Alicante (province), Alicante, Spain. The village is located between the mountainous Serra d ...

. * ''Cosetania'' * ''Ilergitania'', nowadays

Lérida Lleida (, ; ; ''#Name, see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià, Segrià county, the Ponent, Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Cent ...

. * ''Ilorcitania'', nowadays

Lorquí Lorquí is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 6,493 (2006) and an area of 15 km2 . Demographics The population of Lorquí has more than quadrupled since 1900 and continues to grow at a fast ...

. * ''La'' ''Jacetania'' * ''Lacetania'' * ''Layetania'' * ''

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...

'' * '' Oretania'' * '' Ossigitania'' * ''Sedetania'' * ''

Turdetania Baeturia, Beturia, or Turdetania was an extensive ancient territory in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula (in modern Spain) situated between the middle and lower courses of the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir rivers. From the Second Iron Ag ...

Outside the Iberian Peninsula

* ''Aquitania'' (

Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...

) *

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

** Tingitania or Transfretania ** Zeugitania *

Occitania Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...

Arpitania Arpitania (Arpitan and Italian: ''Arpitania'', French: ''Arpitanie'') is a term which denotes the purported ethnic or cultural unity of the Western Alps, represented by speakers of Franco-Provençal (termed ''Arpitan''). "Arpitania" roughly corr ...

, which was created in the 70s of Arpes (

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

) and -tania (imitating Occitania) *

Tripolitania Tripolitania (), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province of Libya. The region had been settled since antiquity, first coming to prominence as part of the Carthaginian empire. Following the defeat ...

Notes

References

Sources

* {{Cite web, url=http://meta.gipuzkoakultura.net/bitstream/10690/71740/1/AM_317410.pdf, title=Celtas, íberos y euskaros - Capítulo XIII: Estudio de la toponimia ibérica á la luz de la lengua euskara, last=Campión, first=Arturo, editor-last=Revista Bascongada, access-date=9 May 2016, archive-date=3 June 2016, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603221932/http://meta.gipuzkoakultura.net/bitstream/10690/71740/1/AM_317410.pdf, url-status=dead

tania Tania is usually a given name. It may refer to: Given name * Tânia Alves, Brazilian actress and singer * Tania Brishty, Bangladesh actress and model * Tania Bambaci (born 1990), Italian actress * Tania Belvederesi (born 1978), Italian cyclist * ...

Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula Iberian Peninsula Iberians Basque language Place name element etymologies Berbers English suffixes

Examples

Outside the Iberian Peninsula

See also

Notes

References

Sources