Italy

Meaning

Proper Noun

• country in southern Europe (continent) .
• Synonym of Apennine Peninsula

Origin

• From Middle English Italy, Italie, from Old English Italia, from Latin Italia, via Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ταλίᾱ, from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞. Usually explained as a cognate of vitulus, 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.