Editing Lepontic language (section)

===Funerary inscriptions===
These are the most common inscriptions in Lepontic, often including merely the name of the deceased, with or without the word ''pala'' "(tomb) stone." Two of the slightly longer ones are included below.

====[[Carcegna]] vase====

::''metelui maeśelalui uenia metelikna aśmina krasanikna''

Probably: "Uenia Metel-ikna [and] Aśmina Krasan-ikna [dedicate this vase] to Metelos Maeśelalos"<ref>Whatmough, J. (1933). ''The Prae-Italic Dialects of Italy'', vol. 2, "The Raetic, Lepontic, Gallic, East-Italic, Messapic and Sicel Inscriptions", Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press. p. 321</ref><ref>Lejeune, M. "Documents gaulois et para-gaulois de Cisalpine" ''Études Celtiques'' 1970–71, volume 12, issue 2, pp. 73-74</ref><ref>Eds. Ball, M. J. and J. Ball (2002) ''The Celtic Language'' Routledge, p. 44</ref>

====[[Vergiate]] funeral stone====

::''pelkui pruiam teu karite iśos kalite palam''

Probably: "Iśos dedicated (? or sealed?) [this] sacred (? if ''teu'' is from *''deywo-'') ''pruiam'' (tomb?) [and] erected (?) [this] stone to/for ''Pelkos''."<ref>Whatmough, J. (1933). ''The Prae-Italic Dialects of Italy'', vol. 2, "The Raetic, Lepontic, Gallic, East-Italic, Messapic and Sicel Inscriptions", Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press. p. 300</ref><ref>Lejeune, M. "Documents gaulois et para-gaulois de Cisalpine" ''Études Celtiques'' 1970–71, volume 12, issue 2, pp. 444-452</ref><ref>Eds. Ball, M. J. and J. Ball (2002) ''The Celtic Language'' Routledge, p. 44</ref>

The apparent verbal forms ''karite'' and ''kalite'' seem to show a -t- preterite, a development also seen in Gaulish. The forms may be two distinct verbs both meaning 'call (for); command, order' (Proto-Celtic *''kalyo-'' and *''galwo-'') in which case the meaning is more like, "Isos called for the sacred pruiam [to be dedicated] and ordered the stone [be erected]." On the other hand, ''karite'' may well be cognate with Gaulish ''karnite'' "erected, constructed" (further cognates in Celtic include Old Irish ''carn'' "tomb, heap of stones" whence through Scottish Gaelic the English word ''cairn'', and the Gaulish place name ''Carnuntum'').<ref>Ranko Matasovic (2006) ''Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic'' Brill: Leiden, p. 191</ref>