lanius.

Uncertain. De Vaan (2008) proposes Proto-Italic *lanios, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃lomH-io- (with unrounding of *o to /a/ after /l/, and palatalization of -mi- to -ni-), from Proto-Indo-European *lem(H)- (“to break”). On the other hand, Ernout and Meillet (1985) argue based on semantics that this word is more likely to be a derivative of the verb laniō (“rip up, tear to pieces”) than the reverse. Both dictionaries mention a hypothesis that this word could be of Etruscan origin (as lanista, which looks related, is alleged by Isidore to be from Etruscan), but De Vaan is reluctant to accept that as the origin. Lewis 1889 supposes it could be derived from *lacnius, with the same root as Latin lacer (“torn, mangled”), lacinia (“edge, flap”) and Ancient Greek λᾰκίζω (lăkízō, “to tear to pieces”) (from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂(-)k- (“to tear, rend”)), but the expected phonetic outcome of *lacn- according to Latin sound changes would be lagn-.