Rome - Etymology

Etymology

About the origin of the name Roma several hypotheses have been advanced. The most important are the following:

  • From Rommylos (Romulus), descendant of Ascanius and founder of the city;
  • From Rumon or Rumen, archaic name of the Tiber, which in turn has the same root as the Greek verb ῥέω (rhèo) and the Latin verb ruo, which both mean "flow";
  • From the Etruscan word ruma, whose root is *rum- "teat", with possible reference either to the totem wolf that adopted and suckled the cognately named twins Romulus and Remus, or to the shape of the Palatine and Aventine Hills;
  • From the Greek word ῤώμη (rhòme), which means strength.

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