This book provides a grammatical description of the Sabellic languages of ancient Italy, focusing on Oscan, Umbrian, and South Picene. These languages are attested through written documents (inscriptions incised on stone, metal, and ceramic) that date from the 7th century BCE to the 1st century AD. As a whole they form the most important group of languages spoken on the Italian peninsula in the period before Roman expansion.

A general overview places these languages within their historical context and describes their relationship to each other, to Latin, and to other members of the Indo-European language family. The principal chapters of the book treat phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexis. Also included is a detailed description of the features of the alphabets in which the Sabellic languages were written. A chapter on nomenclature describes the structure of the onomastic system. The concluding chapter provides a detailed word-by-word analysis of important inscriptions in each language.