ciprum

Unknown. Perhaps from Proto-Italic *kupros, from Proto-Indo-European *kuprós, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kwep-. Possibly cognate with Umbrian 𐌂𐌖𐌐𐌓𐌀𐌔 (cupras), Umbrian cubrar, South Picene 𐌊𐌖𐌐𐌓𐌝 (kuprí), South Picene 𐌒𐌖𐌐𐌝𐌓𐌝𐌇 (qupíríh).

The Sabellic cognates all utilize the form cu- instead of the form ci- found in this term. One proposal to rectify this holds that the grapheme represented an intermediate vowel before a labial, leading some scholars to correct the form to cyprum. Certain Latin terms, such as lubet and libet, show a shift from /u/ to /i/, although this change was not necessarily present in other languages outside of Latin and, even in Latin, the change is reserved for /u/ when placed between /l/ and a labial.

It is possible that the term is instead Marrucinian, as the Marrucinian language shows this type of variation: Compare Marrucinian cibat to Latin cubat. In contrast, Sabine glosses do not show this variation: see curis or cupencus. Furthermore, the Marrucini lived within close geographic proximity to the Sabines, allowing for Marrucinian terms to be mistaken for Sabine forms. Ultimately, no definitive conclusions can be drawn due to limited evidence for both the Sabine and Marrucinian languages.

ciprum

1. good

Varro claims that the name of the Vicus Ciprius derives from this term, meaning "good road," although it is more likely that ciprius refers to copper or Cyprus.

• Varro, De Lingua Latina 159:

  Vicus Ciprius a cipro, quod ibi Sabini ciues additi consederunt, qui a bono omine id appellarunt: nam ciprum sabine bonum.

  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• Annie Cecilia Burman (24 March 2018) De Lingua Sabina: A Reappraisal of the Sabine Glosses‎^[1], →DOI, pages 58-61
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN