Etruscan
/ɪˈtrʌsk(ə)n
/adjective
Relating to ancient Etruria, its people, or their language. The Etruscan civilization was at its height circa 500 bc and was an important influence on the Romans, who had subdued the Etruscans by the end of the 3rd century bc.However, at its height Etruscan society was heavily influenced by the culture of the Greek colonies of southern Italy....
- There's something still really mysterious about the Etruscan civilization and language.
- According to Roman legend, the Romans expelled the Etruscan king Tarquin the Proud from Rome around 509 B.C. and founded the Roman Republic.
noun
1A native of ancient Etruria.In particular, the Romans fought against the Etruscans and the Samnites....
- For the Etruscans, armed combat between individuals was connected to religious practice. Men fought to the death beside the tomb of their chief in order to strengthen their spirits as well as the spirits of others.
- In many respects, the culture of the Etruscans was very similar to that of the Mycenae in Greece.
2 [mass noun] The language of ancient Etruria, which was written in an alphabet derived from Greek but is not related to any known language.For a start, the letters generally point in the opposite direction to the Greek ones, because Etruscan was written from right to left, whereas classical Greek was written from left to right.
Origin
From Latin Etruscus + -an.