Turin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A major northern Italian city known for its rich history, architecture, and cultural significance, especially as an industrial and automotive hub
2. An important urban center in Italy famed for its baroque buildings, museums, and role in the automobile industry
3. A well-known Italian city distinguished by its historical landmarks, contribution to Italian culture, and status as a center of manufacturing and design

Etymology: The name of this city goes back to a people, not a bull, though the bull story is tempting. Turin sits in Piedmont, and its Roman foundation was called Augusta Taurinorum, "Augustan city of the Taurini," after a local Alpine tribe whose name the Romans recorded. The city's Italian name, Torino, descends from the same Latin source, so the two forms are doublets, the English one having come through Piedmontese rather than standard Italian. The connection to Latin "taurus" ("bull") is a folk etymology, a plausible-sounding story that does not hold up. It is easy to see why people reach for it: the Taurini are sometimes linked to the bull-shaped and bull-themed imagery of the region, but the name's root is the tribal designation itself, and the word "taurus" is not its source.