Origin of the name Italy

Have you ever wondered where the Italy name? Well, it is not known exactly and there are several theories out there. The truth is that this name has been used for centuries. In the beginning it designated certain people who lived in the central area of ​​the peninsula, the Italic peoples Speakers of the Italic language and it is said that the word derived from a town in Calabria whose name the Greeks ended up using to call all the inhabitants of the place.

When the Roman Republic took shape, the name came to designate the entire peninsula when all the other tribes were conquered. Another theory says that the name derives from the Greek island called Italians, an island that was related to the image of a young bull. When the Romans conquered Greece by expanding their territory they wanted to have a symbol that identified them and that is why they chose the image of a bull. With the idea that his name would represent that vital force, they decided to name the entire territory that they considered to be the heart of their empire. Italos became Vitelliu and finally in Italy. Which will be true?

Anyway, when the empire falls, the word Italy came to designate those states that had been part of the empire and therefore shared a certain culture or dialects derived from Latin. With the movements for the re-unification of Italy and the formation of a common state, the name was chosen to underline this nascent nationalism.


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