Salians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of ancient Germanic tribes known for their role in early European history ; members of a legal code compiled by these tribes influencing medieval law ; descendants or followers associated with the original tribe or their customs
2. Referring to a confederation of early Germanic peoples influential in the Roman and post-Roman eras ; connected to a codified body of laws attributed to this confederation ; indicating persons linked to this ethnic group or its cultural heritage
3. Denoting the early Germanic collective famous for settling in parts of modern France and Germany ; pertaining to the traditional laws established by this tribe and used in the early medieval period ; identifying individuals related to or derived from this originating tribe and its legal traditions

Etymology: The plural "salians" is simply the form of "Salian," which names the Salii, a Roman priestly college of young patricians whose name comes from Latin "salīre," "to jump, to leap." Their ritual dances, performed in armour through the streets of Rome each March, gave the name its link to leaping. Scholars have also proposed a second origin, from the Sala, the river now called the IJssel, which would tie the name to the Germanic peoples of the Low Countries rather than to Rome's dancing priests. The English adjective "Salian" was built in Latin from "Salii" with the suffix "-anus," meaning "relating to," and it is the source of the sense that refers to the Germanic confederation. The same root lies behind "Salic," which is a close relative of the word. Both forms come from the same Latin stem and share a common origin. The codified body of laws associated with these people is known as the Salic law, and the plural "salians" is used for persons connected to the group or its heritage.