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Glite Dictionary
Samnite

Samnite

1 9.9
A person from an ancient people in southern Italy who fought early Rome
  • noun
  • /ˈsæmnaɪt/
: samnita
  • And we'll fight against the Samnites or the, you know, the Volsky or God forbid, the Carthaginians, because they were pretty tough.

And we'll fight against the Samnites or the, you know, the Volsky or God forbid, the Carthaginians, because they were pretty tough.

Examples

  • In ancient battles, the Romans faced fierce resistance from the Samnites, known for their bravery.

  • The Samnites were a significant force in early Italian history, frequently clashing with Roman armies.

  • During the Roman expansion, the Samnites played a crucial role in the conflicts that shaped the region.

Surface Forms

Samnite singular
Samnites plural

Morphology

Samnite = Samnium (opaque) = Samn + ite

Formed with the demonym suffix '-ite' from a specific historical place-name; knowledge of Samnium is required so learners cannot infer the meaning from parts alone.

Etymology

Samnite comes from the name of an ancient people, the Samnites, who lived in the hills of southern Italy in a region called Samnium and were famous for fighting early Rome. So a Samnite is simply someone from that old tribe, which is why the word means a member of that ancient people.