Sicel language

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Sicel was an ancient language spoken by the Sicels (Greek Sikeloi, Latin Siculi), one of the three indigenous (i.e. pre-Greek and pre-Punic) tribes of Sicily, Elymians and Sicani were the other. According to some authors (Varro, Diodorus Siculus) the speakers of Sicel entered Sicily from the Italian mainland, and the language is quite likely of Indo-European origin.

While it cannot be stated with certainty that the Sicel language belonged to the Italic subfamily of Indo-European, the Sicels were most probably related to a number of tribes of southern Italy — such as the Italiotes of Calabria, the Oenotrians, Chones, and Leuterni (or Leutarni), the Opicans, and the Ausones — all of which were overrun by Oscan-speaking Samnites, Lucanians, and Bruttii.

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