CO·79

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Inscription
Reading in transliteration:	uitilios
Reading in original script:
Object:	CO·79 Alzate Brianza (cup)
Position:	outside, wall
Orientation:	0°
Direction of writing:	dextroverse
Script:	North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet)
Number of letters:	8
Number of words:	1
Number of lines:	1
Workmanship:	scratched after firing
Condition:	complete
Archaeological culture:	La Tène D 2 [from object]
Date of inscription:	80–1 BC [from object]
Type:	unknown
Language:	Celtic
Meaning:	'Uitilios'
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): 282 Solinas 1995: 52 Morandi 2004: 206
Sources:	Morandi 2004: 652 f.

Images

Inscription CO·79 from Morandi 2004

Commentary

First published in Castelfranco 1879: 11–15. Lost.

Images in Castelfranco 1879: tav. I.9 (drawing = Pauli 1885: Taf. I.19 (via Poggi) = Giussani 1902: 42, fig. 12 = Morandi 2004: 656, fig. 24.206).

Seen and drawn only by Castelfranco. Inscribed after firing on the side of the cup, dextroverse uitilios (Castelfranco 1879: 11–15 with letters from Poggi and Fabretti). See also Poggi 1879: 304–306, no. 38, Pauli 1885: 10, no. 19, Giussani 1902: 42 f., no. 11, Kretschmer 1905: 104, Rhŷs 1913: 39–41 (III.2.1). Whatmough PID: 98 alternatively suggests uślios, for no particular reason (also Pisani 1964: 283 f., no. 120D, Tibiletti Bruno 1978: 150 f.). The sequence uitilios is thoroughly plausible, analysable as a Celtic personal name and comparable with BG·34 uitili (though the underlying name does not necessarily have to be the same); see further on the word page.

Of the inscription uitilio found by Rhŷs 1913: 41 (2.2), no trace was ever found again (PID: 616, 6*).

Corinna Salomon

Bibliography

Castelfranco 1879	Pompeo Castelfranco, "Tombe gallo-italiche trovate al Soldo presso Alzate in Brianza", Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana 5 (1879), 6–28.