Umbria, one of the ancient divisions of Italy, lying west of Etruria, and north of the country of the Sabines. It is usually described as extending from the Tiber eastward to the Adriatic; but when the Umbrians first come into history we find them restricted to the ridges of the Apennines, the low-land region bordering on the Adriatic from the Æsis (Esino) to the Rubicon, being held by a race of Gallic invaders, known as the Senones. The most important memorial of the Umbrian language is the so-called Eugubine Tables (q.v.); here it is enough to say that it belongs to the Latino-Italian stock. The Umbrians were subjugated along with the Etruscans, but joined the Samnites in their last gallant struggle against Rome, and were crushed at Sentinnm (295 B.C.).
On the language there are works by Grotefend (Hannov. 1835-39), Aufrecht and Kirchhoff (Berlin, 1851); see also Saveloberg's Umbrische Studien (1873), and Bücheler's Umbrica (Bonn, 1883).