Tuscans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People originating from the region of central Italy known for its rich cultural history and art heritage; inhabitants or natives of this geographical area; members of the ethnic group associated with ancient and modern Tuscany
2. Residents or natives of Tuscany, a historical area in Italy famous for its influence on art and civilization; people linked by their common cultural and regional identity; those descended from the population inhabiting this part of Italy
3. Members of a population from a specific central Italian region noted for Renaissance art and architecture; individuals belonging to this locale and its cultural traditions; people identified by their origin from this historically significant Italian province

Etymology: The plural "Tuscans" is simply the plural of "Tuscan," so the story belongs to the singular. The root name goes back to the Etruscans, the people of ancient Italy whom the Romans called "Tusci." Their Latin name was probably an older form, "Truscus," later shortened to "Tuscus," which is itself a form of "Etruscus," meaning "Etruscan." So the people of modern Tuscany bear a name that is essentially a clipped version of the Etruscans' own designation in Roman mouths. "Tuscan" came into English from Late Latin "Tuscanus," meaning "belonging to the Tusci," and reached Middle English in that form. Its original sense was a link to the ancient people rather than to the region that later took the name Tuscany.

Synonyms: Tuscans