Baretium

Latin

Alternative forms

Varesium, Varixium

Etymology

Of Celtic (actually Pre-Celtic) origin, from the word *vara (“water”), also found in the name of the nearby Vellone river.

Other suggested possibilities connect it to the Roman noble names Varia or Varius, or from the praetor Publius Quintilius Varus (see Varus). Another theory suggests that it originated from the terms Vallexitum or Vallesium (both presumably name formations related to vallis), which could have evolved into Varisium, with the common shift from l to r. Additionally, Varese’s location at the mouth of valleys and its proximity to numerous forests might connect its name to the Latin word virens (“verdant”) indicating lush greenery.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /baˈreː.ti.um/, [bäˈreːt̪iʊ̃ˑ]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /baˈret.t͡si.um/, [bäˈrɛt̪ː͡s̪ium]

Proper noun

Barētium n sg (genitive Barētiī or Barētī); second declension

Varese (a town in Lombardy, Italy)

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter), with locative, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Barētium
genitive	Barētiī Barētī¹
dative	Barētiō
accusative	Barētium
ablative	Barētiō
vocative	Barētium
locative	Barētiī

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

References