Lombardian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A person born or living in Lombardy, the northern Italian region around Milan ; of or relating to the region of Lombardy, its people, or its culture ; of or relating to the Lombards, the Germanic people who founded a medieval kingdom in Italy
2. Someone from Lombardy in northern Italy ; characteristic of Lombardy and its people or traditions ; connected with the early medieval Lombard people and their Italian kingdom
3. A native of the Italian region of Lombardy ; pertaining to Lombardy or its inhabitants ; pertaining to the Germanic Lombards and their historical realm in Italy

Etymology: "Lombardian" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "Lombard" with the suffix "-ian," which English uses to mean "relating to" or "belonging to" a place or group. "Lombard" itself names the Lombards, the Germanic people who invaded Italy in 568 and gave their name to the region of Lombardy, centred on Milan. The noun use ("a Lombardian") is simply the same formation applied to people, so a native of Lombardy is a Lombardian in the same way a native of Sicily is a Sicilian. The Lombards' name is generally linked to their long beards, though that explanation is a popular story rather than a settled one.