La Giudecca - Etymology

Etymology

Judeca and Giudecca are the corrupt or jargonized medieval versions of the Latin female adjective Judaica, meaning Jewish or Judaean. The Jewess or The Jewry are other plausible meanings.

It is not known why the Venetian island of Giudecca acquired that name, as there is no evidence of Jewish settlement there.

The word Giudecca is also used in Dante's Inferno for the lowest circle of Hell, in which Judas resides.

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