Contents
- Introduction
- Abbreviations, Definitions and Signs
- Naming a Child
- Women's Given Names
- Men's Given Names
- Locatives
- Adjectival Locative Bynames
- Prepositions, Articles and Other Words
- Bibliography
- End Notes
- Abbreviations, Definitions and Signs
Introduction
These names are found in Domenico Bortolan's Vocabolario del Dialetto Antico Vicentino (Dal Secolo XIV a tutto il Secolo XVI), Vocabulary of the Old Vicentine Dialect (from the 14th Century to the 16th Century). Dates and spellings in this vocabulary were found in period, public documents, rare family chronicles, and literature. Bortolan's Vocabolario is not exhaustive.
The Vicentine dialect and close the Padovano dialect are different than Italian so I have included Bortolan's modern Italian spellings only as a comparison.
Vicenza is approximately 40 miles west of Venice and 24 miles Northwest of Padova.
Abbreviations, definitions and signs
ant. - name found in antiquity, usually Roman.
dim. - diminutive
f. - feminine
fam. - family
Fr. - French
Ger. - German
Gr. - Greek
Hu. - Hungarian
locative - place name
m. - masculine
spell. - spelling
Sw. - Swiss
Venetan - modern term for dialects of the Veneto region that is not Venetian.
Veneto - modern name of the Italian region with Venice as the capital.
[..] - additions by article author
* - locatives within the Vicentine province
Naming a child in Renaissance Vicenza and the Veneto
Names given to children in thirteenth century Vicenza and elsewhere in Italy centered on the child. They could be names of affection or good wishes, also congratulatory, or theophoric.
The popularity of this way of naming changed over the centuries and by the fifteenth century two practices were highly popular. The first method was giving to the child the name of a recently deceased relative. That practice was called remaking the dead so that the relative would be remembered. The second was naming the child after a saint: early church fathers, evangelists, apostles and newer saints. Both practices gave the child an ally in Heaven.
Families from the Veneto usually named their daughters after female saints rather than following the practices of the Tuscans who feminized male saints' names or a given name followed by a saint's name. In Vicenza and the Veneto, not all parents followed the popular way of naming. Daughters were not really part of the patrilineal line so parents were freer to give their daughters names from legends, romances, or myths if they chose to but this was uncommon. Ancient or pagan given names were rare. One Veronese family gave ancient names to their sons. other text 3 2 more text
Women's Given Names
Vicentine | Type | Modern Italian | Date |
Agnola |
|
Angela |
1560 |
Anzola |
|
Angela |
1590 |
Betta |
|
Elisabetta |
1590 |
Domenega |
|
Domenica |
1409, 1447, 1450, 1472, 1493, 1503, 1512, 1522 |
Doviga |
|
Ludovica |
1560 |
Eufomia |
|
Eufemia |
1503 |
Fomia |
|
Euphemia |
1412 |
Franciscina |
dim. |
Franceschina |
1412 |
Gnesetta |
dim. |
Agnesina |
1590 |
Gniese |
|
Agnese |
1590 |
Imperaise 2 |
|
Imperatrice |
1560 |
Isabetta |
dim. |
Elisabetta |
1590 |
Ixabeta |
dim. |
Elisabetta |
1512 |
Loretta |
dim. |
Lauretta |
1560, 1590 |
Lutia |
ant. |
Lucia |
1590 |
Magdalena |
|
Maddalena |
1489 |
Malgareta |
|
Margherita |
1560, 1561 |
Margareta |
|
Margherita |
1561 |
Momina |
dim. |
Giacomina |
1560 |
Piera |
|
Pierina |
1529 |
Presidia 3 |
|
Prassede |
1473 |
Viga |
|
Lodovica |
1560, 1590 |
Men's Given Names
Note: In three names the letter Y occurs. Two of the names were found in family chronicles, the third comes from a public document. I attribute these name spellings to the dialect's connection with its Latin origin. Modern Italian, like literary Florentine from which it comes, does not use the letter Y unless it is a foreign word.
Vicentine | Type | Modern Italian | Date |
Adan |
|
Adamo |
1560 |
Agnolo |
|
Angelo |
1495, 1562, 1563, 1590 |
Agustin |
dim. |
Agostino |
1412 |
Albrigo |
|
Alberico |
1412 |
Alexandro |
ant. |
Alessandro |
1529 |
Ambroso |
|
Ambrogio |
1412 |
Ambroxo |
|
Ambrogio |
1503 |
Antuogno |
ant. |
Antonio |
1560 |
Baptista |
|
Battista |
1450 |
Bartholameo, Brotholamio |
|
Bortolameo [sic] |
1375, 1376 |
Bastian |
|
Sebastiano |
1503, 1560 |
Cecco |
|
Francesco |
1560 |
Cenzon |
|
Vincenzo |
1560 |
Ceseron |
ant. |
Cicerone |
1560 |
Checo |
|
Francesco |
1529, 1535, 1590 |
Chimento |
|
Clemente |
1412, 1499 |
Climento |
|
Clemente |
1415 |
Corà |
|
Corrado |
1412 |
Cristofano |
|
Cristoforo |
1503, 1590 |
Domenego |
|
Domenico |
1450, 1503, 1529, 1560 |
Dominico |
Domenico |
1493 |
|
Fedrigo |
|
Federico |
1489, 1549 |
Felipo |
|
Filippo |
1503 |
Felixe |
|
Felice [m & f] |
1412, 1433, 1450, 1463, 1498, 1503, 1548 |
Ferigo |
|
Federico |
1412 |
Fioriano |
|
Floriano |
1503 |
Fostin |
dim. |
Faustino |
1412 |
Freo |
|
Manfredo |
1519 |
Galiazzo |
|
Galeazzo |
1400-1524 |
Giachemo |
|
Giacomo |
1560 |
Giuorio |
|
Giorgio |
1560 |
Gostin |
dim. |
Agostino |
1560 |
Grigolo |
|
Gregorio |
1450 |
Gugielmo |
|
Guglielmo |
1503 |
Guielmo |
|
Guglielmo |
1366, 1529 |
Guio |
|
Guido |
1376 |
Hetor |
ant. |
Ettore |
1590 |
Hieronymo |
|
Girolamo |
1412, 1590 Spell. found in Cronica Monza (fam.) |
Hyronimo |
|
Girolamo |
1479 Spell. found in Cronica Repeta (fam.) |
Iacobo |
|
Giacomo |
1450 |
Iacometto |
dim. |
Giacometto |
1562 |
Iacomo, Iachomo |
|
Giacomo |
1425, 1450, 1458, 1493, 1495, 1503, 1529 |
Ieronimo |
|
Girolamo |
1463, 1503 |
Ioachino |
dim. |
Gioacchino |
1387 |
Ioanne |
|
Giovanni |
1545 |
Ioanni |
|
Giovanni |
1450 |
Iohanni |
|
Giovanni |
1509 |
Iseppo |
|
Giuseppe |
1511, 1560, 1562, 1590 |
Iuliano |
|
Giuliano |
1535 |
Iulio |
ant. |
Giulio |
1487, 1503, 1509, 1512 |
Ixepo |
|
Giuseppe |
1503 |
Laurentio |
|
Lorenzo |
1415, 1450, 1463 |
Lionzo |
|
Leonzio |
1415, 1463, 1490, 1503 |
Lissandro |
ant. |
Alessandro |
1590 |
Lodovigo |
|
Lodovico |
1509, 1548 |
Ludovigo |
|
Lodovico |
1509 |
Lunardo |
|
Leonardo |
1472, 1509, 1512 |
Manfreo |
|
Manfredo |
1473 |
Marcuro |
ant. |
Mercurio |
1560 |
Marzelo |
|
Marcello |
1529 |
Mathio |
|
Matteo |
1503 |
Maximian |
|
Massimiliano |
1400-1524, 1444-1532 |
Menego |
|
Dominico |
1560 |
Merigo |
|
Almerico |
1590 |
Michaele |
|
Michele |
1463 |
Michiele |
|
Michele |
1450, 1503 |
Michile |
|
Michele |
1415, 1503 |
Ovilio |
ant. |
Ovidio |
1590 |
Paulo |
|
Paolo |
1509 |
Perin |
dim. |
Pierino |
1450 |
Pero |
|
Pietro |
1387, 1412, 1447 |
Piaton |
ant. |
Platone |
1560, 1590 |
Piero |
|
Pietro |
1376, 1433, 1450, 1453, 1463, 1489, 1499, 1503, 1509, 1560, 1562-3 |
Piro |
|
Pietro |
1412, 1450 |
Polinaro |
|
Apollinare |
1412 |
Polo |
|
Paolo |
1362, 1412, 1503, 1564 |
Quilico |
|
Quirico |
1382 |
Restuotele |
ant. |
Aristotile |
1560 |
Reynaldo |
|
Rinaldo |
1381 Spell. found in public documents |
Rigo |
|
Enrico |
1385 |
Ruffiello |
|
Raffaele |
1560 |
Salvestro |
|
Silvestro |
1473, 1512 |
Simion |
Simione |
1415 |
|
Slazaro |
|
Lazzaro |
1560 |
Stevano |
|
Stefano |
1499, 1503 |
Stivano |
|
Stefano |
1412, 1450, 1512 |
Stotile |
ant. |
Aristotile |
1590 |
Svetrulio |
ant. |
Vitruvio |
1560 |
Tadio |
|
Taddeo |
1503 |
Thomaxo |
|
Tommaso |
1560 |
Tomaxo |
|
Tommaso |
1499, 1400-1524 |
Tuogno |
|
Antonio |
1560 |
Verzilio |
ant. |
Virgilio |
1560 |
Vido |
ant. |
Vito |
1400-1524 |
Vizenzo |
|
Vincenzo |
1503, 1529 |
Zamaria |
|
Giammaria |
1529 |
Zambattista |
|
Giambattista |
1590 |
Zampiero |
|
Giampietro |
1412, 1503 |
Zanantonio |
|
Giannantonio |
1503 |
Zanetto |
dim. |
Giovannino |
1560 |
Zanjorio |
|
Giangiorgio |
1412 |
Zazeron |
ant. |
Cicerone |
1560 |
Zilio |
ant. |
Virgilio |
1590 |
Zorzi -o |
|
Giorgio |
1473-74, 1503 |
Zuam |
|
Giovanni |
1450, 1503 |
Zuampiro |
|
Giampietro |
1525 |
Zuane, Zuhano |
|
Giovanni |
1368, 1387, 1454, 1457, 1493, 1535, 1540, 1564, 1590 |
Zuanmaria |
|
Giammaria |
1503 |
Zuhane |
|
Giovanni |
1450, 1563 |
Zuliano |
|
Giuliano |
1375, 1503 |
Locatives
Vicentine | Modern Italian | Date |
Allemania (Germany) |
Alemagna |
1444-1532 |
Axolo (city) |
Asolo |
1444-1532 |
Berega (city) |
Berica |
1412 |
Bressa (city) |
Brescia |
1592 |
Fiorenza, Fiorenze (city) |
Firenze |
1493, 1560; 1400-1524 |
Franza, Infranza (France) |
Francia |
1479, 1509, 1560 |
Gagietta (city) |
Gaeta |
1400-1524 |
Lamagna (Germany) |
Alemagna |
1560 |
Mantoa (city) |
Mantova |
1493 |
Marostega* (city) |
Marostica |
1412 |
Moncelexe (city) |
Monselice |
1400-1524 |
Montegio* (city) |
Montechio |
1450 |
Ongaria (Hungary) |
Ungheria |
1444-1532 |
Orglan* (city) |
Orgiano |
1412 |
Padoa, Pava (city) |
Padova |
1450, 1560, 1561, 1587, 1590 |
Pedimonte* (city) |
Pedemonte |
1548 |
Perosa (city) |
Perugia |
1463 |
Polexene (city) |
Polesine |
1400-1524 |
Potentia (city) |
Potenza |
1560 |
Sena (city) |
Siena |
1412 |
Spania (Spain) |
Spagna |
1400-1524 |
Tresseno* (city) |
Trissino |
1387 |
Trevixo (city) |
Treviso |
1400-1524 |
Vegnesia, Vegniesia (city) |
Venezia |
1560 |
Venesia, Venetia, Venexia (city) |
Venezia |
1458, 1560, 1564, 1572, 1574, 1579, 1512, 1590 |
Veniexia (city) |
Venezia |
1415, 1463 |
Vincencia, Vicentia* (city) |
Vicenza |
1382, 1453 |
Vizenza* (city) |
Vicenza |
1368, 1371, 1414, 1454, 1472, 1521 |
Zonzan* (city) |
Sossano |
1412 |
Adjectival locative bynames
Vicentine | Gender | Modern Italian | Date |
Bressan |
m. |
Bresciano |
1433 |
Brexana |
f. |
Bresciano |
1444-1532 |
Cuman |
m. |
di Como [sic] |
1433 |
Fiorentinesco |
m. |
Fiorentino |
1590 |
Franzesa (Fr.) |
f. |
Francese |
1545 |
Franzoso (Fr.) |
m. |
Francese |
1509, 1560, 1590 |
Franzovo (Fr.) |
m. |
Francese |
1509 |
Franzuoso (Fr.) |
m. |
Francese |
1560 |
Griego (Gr.) |
m. |
Greco |
1590 |
Mediolanense |
m. & f. |
Milanese |
1509 |
Ongaro (Hu.) |
m. |
Ungherese |
1444-1532 |
Padoan |
m. |
Padovano |
1433, 1464, 1495 |
Paduano |
m. |
Padovano |
1516 |
Pavan |
m. |
Padovano |
1560, 1590 |
Poiexe |
m. |
Pugliese |
1415 |
Sguizsaro (Sw.) |
m. |
Svizzero |
1590 |
Sguizsero (Sw.) |
m. |
Svizzero |
1400-1524 |
Spagnaruolo |
m. |
Spagnuolo |
1560 |
Toesco (Ger.) |
m. |
Tedesco |
1590 |
Thoesco (Ger.) |
m. |
Tedesco |
1560 |
Todesco (Ger.) |
m. |
Tedesco |
1409, 1412, 1509, 1548, 1564 |
Todisco (Ger.) |
m. |
Tedesco |
1511 |
Toisco (Ger.) |
m. |
Tedesco |
1560 |
Trivisan |
m. |
Trevigiano |
1464, 1400-1524 |
Trivixan |
m. |
Trevigiano |
1464, 1400-1524 |
Ungaro (Hu.) |
m. |
Ugherese |
1400-1524, 1506 |
Veneciana |
f. |
Veneziana |
1412 |
Veronense |
m. & f. |
Veronese |
1506 |
Veronexe |
m. |
Veronese |
1385, 1412 |
Veronexo |
m. |
Veronese |
1385, 1412 |
Vexentin -o |
m. |
Vicentino |
1362, 1368, 1370, 1384, 1412, 1415, 1463-64 |
Vexentina |
f. |
Vicentino |
1400-1524 |
Vinitiano vinixiano [sic] |
m. |
Veneziano |
1400-1524 |
Zenoixi |
pl. |
Genovesi |
1400-1524 |
Prepositions, articles and other words
Vicentine | English | Modern Italian | Gender | Date |
from |
da |
n/a |
1610 [ann. 1560.] |
|
de |
of |
di |
n/a |
1368 - 1590 |
el |
the |
il |
m. |
1368, 1375, 1376, 1409, 1412, 1414, 1415, 1425, 1433, 1447, 1454, 1463, 1464, 1493, 1499, 1512, 1516, 1529 |
the |
la |
f. |
1610 [ann. 1560.] |
|
dicto |
called |
detto |
m. |
1412, 1415, 1450, 1463, 1464, 1495, 1506, 1509, 1529, 1512 |
dicta |
called |
detta |
f. |
1362, 1375, 1376, 1382, 1387, 1415, 1433, 1447, 1516, 1548 |
dita |
called |
detta |
f. |
1458, 1474, 1503 |
dito |
called |
detto |
m. |
1463-4, 1503, 1517, 1529, 1560-63, 1565 |
ditta |
called |
detta |
f. |
1409, 1454, 1463, 1503, 1561, 1565 |
fia |
daughter |
figlia |
f |
1415, 1464 |
fio |
son |
figlio |
m |
1560 |
fiola |
daughter |
figliuola |
f |
1412,1472, 1503 |
fiolo |
son |
figliuolo |
m |
1376, 1381, 1412, 1415, 1450, 1463, 1473, 1480, 1493, 1503, 1506, 1509, 1522, 1535, 1562, 1563, 1587 |
mugier |
wife |
moglie |
f |
1450, 1400-1524 |
mugliere |
wife |
moglie |
f |
1480, 1482-1567 |
relita |
widow |
vedova |
f |
1569 |
vedoa |
widow |
vedova |
f |
1560 |
Bibliography
Bortolan, D. Domenico. Vocabolario del Dialetto Antico Vicentino (Dal Secolo XIV a tutto il Secolo XVI), 1893. Electronic. URL: http://archive.org/details/vocabolariodeldi00bortuoft
Brunelli, Michele. General Grammar Book of the Venetan Language and its Varieties. English version of the 4th edition of "Manual Gramatical de la Léngua Vèneta e le só Varianti ", Basan / Bassano Del Grappa, publisher, electronic issued in 2007 on the web.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76087705/mgx_veneto_en
Brunelli, Michele. Private correspondence, 2013.
De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario Dei Nomi Italiani, Mondadori, 1997. Print.
Florio, John. Florio's 1611 Italian/English Dictionary: Queen Anna's New World of Words. My PDF copy sent to me by Greg Lindahl. Florio's 1598 and 1611 (searchable) dictionaries may be found online at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/florio/
Grubb, James S., Provincial Families of the Renaissance: Private and Public Life in the Veneto, 1996, Johns Hopkins University Press. Print.
Grubb, James S., Private correspondence, 2013.
Hoare, Alfred, M.A., An Italian Dictionary, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 1925. Print
Lepschy, Giulio. Mother Tongue and Other Reflections on the Italian Language. University of Toronto Press, 2002. Print.
Maganza, Giovanni Battista. La prima quarta parte de le Rime di Magagnò, Menon, e Begotto. In lingua rustica padouana. Con molte additioni di nuouo aggiuntoui; corrette, & ristampate. Et col primo canto di m. Lodouico Ariosto nuouamente tradotto La prima parte de le rime di Magagno, Menon, e Begotto, in lingua rustica padouana... Appresso Giorgio Bizzardo, 1610 [ann.1560]. Electronic. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ONd_k6qNaGgC
This source is period but may not be the same edition that Bortolan used.
---- La prima [-quarta] parte de le Rime di Magagnò, Menon, e Begotto. In lingua rustica padouana. Con molte additioni di nuouo aggiuntoui; corrette, & ristampate. Et col primo canto di m. Lodouico Ariosto nuouamente tradotto La seconda parte de le rime di Magagno, Menon, e Begotto in lingua rustica padouana . Appresso Giorgio Bizzardo, 1610 [ann.1560]. Electronic.
http://books.google.com/books?id=9pn8MMBOhlkC&hl=&source=gbs_api
This source is period but may not be the same edition that Bortolan used.
--- La prima quarta parte de le Rime di Magagnò, Menon, e Begotto. In lingua rustica padouana. Con molte additioni di nuouo aggiuntoui; corrette, & ristampate. Et col primo canto di m. Lodouico Ariosto nuouamente tradotto La terza parte de le rime de Magagno, Menon, e Begotto. Appresso Giorgio Bizzardo, 1610 [ann.1560]. Electronic. https://archive.org/stream/bub_gb_XrHJjxIjJ_sC
This source is period but may not be the same edition that Bortolan used.
(There are other period, editions of the Maganza books by other publishers online.)
Nazari, Giulio. Dizionario Vicentino-Italiano e regole di grammatica..., Metodo premiato dal IX Congresso Pedadogico. Orderzo 1876, Tipografico Bianchi. Electronic.
http://books.google.com/books?id=14UCAAAAQAAJ
Pagliarino, Battista [1415 - 1506], Croniche di Vicenza [Not published until 1663, in Italian.] Historae Urbium Et Regonum Italiae Rariores XLVII. A Forni, Editore. Ristampa fotomeccanica 1981. Electronic. http://books.google.com/books?id=NjwJAQAAIAAJ
Pellegrini, Giovan B., Toponomastica Italiana, U. Hoepli, Ed., 1990. Print.
Queirazza, Giuliano G., et. al., Dizionario di toponomastica. Storia e significato dei nomi geografici italiani. UTET LIbreria, Torino, 2006. Print.
Endnotes
1 Grubb, J. Provincial Families of the Renaissance , etc. The Veronese Pindemonte family gave names of ancient persons to males. Index, s.n. Pindemonte: Demosthenes, Hector, Pliny, Seneca, Tullius.
2 Ibid., 46. "Little Ursula Arnaldi was given the additional name of Imperatrice in 1438 because of a recent imperial passage through the city." In the Vocabolario this was not a name but a word meaning empress.
3 Traditional, 2nd century saint Praxedes.
4 In an email from Prof. Grubb, 9/27/2013, he stated that both <da> and <de> were used with toponyms. "Vicentine orthography was inconsistent in the fifthteenth century, especially in vernacular documents."
5 The preposition <da> throughout Maganza, Giovanni Battista. " La seconda quarta parte de le Rime di Magagnò, Menon, e Begotto. In lingua rustica padouana." With a locative see PDF p.71, "...in lengua da pauan" e.g. in the tongue of Padova. Aslo Terza Parte PDF p. 121, "da Paua", e.g. from Padova.
6 In modern Venetan dialects, feminine proper names always use the article 'ła' before each given name element unless it is in the vocative case (addressing a woman). M. Brunelli, General Grammar Book. The same use of 'la' is found in the Vocabolario sources.
7 The feminine article <la> is not in Bortolan's vocabulary but appears in his source, " La prima quarta parte de le Rime di Magagnò, Menon, e Begotto. In lingua rustica padouana", Parte Prima, Menon section, et passim, PDF p.96: la Franceschina, la Catharina, la Malgaretta, la Betta. Padovano was very close to the Vicentino dialect.
8 G. Lepschy's Mother Tongue and Other Reflections on the Italian Language devotes a chapter to the anonymous, sixteenth century Venetian dialectal play, La Veniexiana. One of two main characters, Valiera, mentions her sister <la Laurina, mia suor> [in modern Italian], the Laurina my sister. A suggested date of the play is 1536. Lepschy notes that Valiera and Anzola, the sick widow, were probably real persons. The Archive in Venice shows a Valiera Valier who married Giacomo Semiecolo in 1535, had a sister Laura. Anzola Valier, the widow of Marco Barbarigo, died in 1535, p. 97.