The Ambilici (Gaulish: Ambilicoi, 'those around the Licos') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of Gail river (southern Austria) during the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as Ambílikoi (Ἀμβίλικοι; var. Ἀμβλικοί) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD).[1][2]
The ethnic name Ambilici is a latinized form of the GaulishAmbilicoi, which probably means 'around the Licos', that is 'those living around the Licos river'. The river name itself appears to be derived from lic(c)a ('flat stone').[3][4] Alternatively, it can be translated as 'the people on the rock' or 'the people around the cliff', by deriving the second element directly from Gaulish lica.[3][5]
Geography
The Ambilici lived around the Licos river (modern Gail). Their territory was located south of the Ambidravi, east of the Laianci, Saevates and Catubrini, north of the Carni.[6]
de Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia (2008). "Linguistically Celtic ethnonyms: towards a classification". In García Alonso, Juan Luis (ed.). Celtic and Other Languages in Ancient Europe. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. ISBN978-8478003358.
de Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia (2015). "Zu den keltisch benannten Stämmen im Umfeld des oberen Donauraums". In Lohner-Urban, Ute; Scherrer, Peter (eds.). Der obere Donauraum 50 v. bis 50 n. Chr. Frank & Timme. ISBN978-3-7329-0143-2.
Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN9782877723695.
Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN978-0955718236.
