Dalma

This name derives from the Latin “Dalmătĭa > Dalmatius,” meaning “from Dalmatia, an inhabitant of Dalmatia.” Probably connected with the Illyrian word “delme,” meaning “sheep” (Albanian: dele). Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija) is a historical region of Croatia. The Dalmatae were an ancient people who inhabited the core of what would then become known as Dalmatia after the Roman conquest, now the eastern Adriatic coast in Croatia, between the rivers Krka and Neretva. The Delmatae are mostly classed as an Illyrian tribe, although for most of their history, they were independent of the Illyrian kingdom, which bordered to the southeast of them. Flavius Dalmatius († 337), also known as Dalmatius Caesar, was a Caesar (335–337) of the Roman Empire and a member of the Constantinian dynasty. Dalmatius of Pavia († 254/304 AD) is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.