THE ETRUSCAN QUESTION. 97 



the feminine. But is difficult to imagine how the same word can be 

 at one time alphabetic and at another syllabic. This Lars as it occui's 

 as a titular prenomen moans great, no doubt in the sense of famous ; 

 just as we say Charles the Great, or Peter the Great, or Frederick 

 the Great. Unfortunately we can find no such meaning given to larri 

 in our Basque Dictionaiy. Here it is defined as " un peu gros," — 

 somewhat gross, or rather perhaps^ fat. Not as if it were Charles the 

 Great but Charles the Fat, Charles le Gros, — whom the Germans 

 called "Karl der Dicke." It is great in the Falstaffian sense. We 

 doubt whether Prof. Campbell will be willing to accept this render- 

 ing. But in our Dictionary larri stands in a very suspicious connec- 

 tion, and has a very Romance look. It occurs as follows : — Laro-o, 

 elai'gir ; Laranzo, largesse ; Largo, large ; Larri, un peu gros. It is 

 evidently a Romance word accepted by the Basque, and therefore 

 cannot be used in tracing the afiinity of the Etruscan with the Basque. 

 Let us take another example of Prof. Campbell's translations : 



Etr.— F. LEONE, F. OA/tlPNAL. 



Lat. — C. Licinii. C. F. Nigri. 



Translit. — Age Sanesikane age morabautukarasa. 



Basque, — Age Zunt-gikin age Maira Baitu sortze. 



We shall not occupy time with minor criticisms, but " age " does 

 not mean " to behold " ; the proper word for behold is " icust." But 

 Prof. Campbell says, " The Latin Licinii is a derivative from licium 

 a leash, a tag, a thread. It corresponds exactly with the Basque 

 zun/i, a needleful. The final ka?ie represents egin, to do ; Zuntzeo'in 

 may be an old name for tailor or weaver. The other proper name 

 translated Nigri is Maira, a Moor or person of dark complexion. The 

 Etruscan adds Baitu, the spotted, from bai, a spot, as the mother of 

 Maira. In Latin her name vvould probably be read as Yaria." This 

 is a very partial instance of the playfulness of Prof. Campbell's fancy. 

 What ])ossible connection can there be between Licium and Licinii 1 

 Licinius was one of the most common of the Roman Gentile coo-no- 

 mens. It especially occurs in the Gens of the Fabii, who had other 

 connections with Etruria than the disaster at Veii. But the Licinian 

 Gens, though of plebeian origin, was very influential. It is generally 

 regarded as having come from Etruria, and when C. Licinius Calvus 

 was consul in 364, mindful of his Etruscan origin, he secured the 

 admission of Etruscan youths to the Roman games. The name 

 7 



