Editing Messapic language (section)

== Name ==
The term 'Messapic' or 'Messapian' is traditionally used to refer to a group of languages spoken by the [[Iapygians]], a "relatively homogeneous linguistic community" of non-[[Italic languages|Italic]]-speaking tribes ([[Messapii|Messapians]], [[Peucetians]] and [[Daunians]]) dwelling in the region of [[Apulia]] before the Roman conquest.{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1839}}

However, some scholars have argued that the term '[[Iapygians|Iapygian]] languages' should be preferred for referring to the group of languages spoken in Apulia, with the term 'Messapic' being reserved to the inscriptions found in the [[Salento|Salento peninsula]], where the specific tribe of the Messapians had been living in the pre-Roman era.{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1839}}

The name ''Apulia'' itself derives from ''Iapygia'' after passing from Greek to [[Oscan language|Oscan]] to Latin and undergoing subsequent morphological shifts.{{Sfn|Small|2014|p=18}}