There is also a contracted Latin form Parisi and in French the forms “Parisiens” and Parises are also used.
The Parisii were a Gallic people living in the current Paris region. Their name may come from the Gaulish kwarisi (perhaps in connection with the quarries of Montmartre?).
According to Caesar (53 BC), their main city (oppidum) would have been Lutetia (today Paris), but the basement of intramural Paris has not yet delivered any protohistoric furniture from this period.
A recent explanation to this enigma has however perhaps finally been found:thanks to excavations linked to the A86, traces of a very important proto-urban city (more than 15 ha, i.e. double the island de la Cité in Paris), tombs of warriors, important urban equipment, etc., have been found in Nanterre.
Monnaie des Parisii, Medals Cabinet of the National Library of France class='autobr' />Monnaie des Parisii, Cabinet of Medals of the National Library of France
The geography of the site, which allows a better defense than the exposed Île de la Cité, argues all the more so that this location is that of the oppidum to which the various localities were attached (including that of the Île de la Cité ).
During the Roman conquest of Gaul, the Parisii participated with the Suessiones in the resistance movement against Caesar organized by Vercingetorix in 52 BC.
The Parisii gave their name to Paris, Villeparisis, Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Fontenay-en-Parisis and the entire Parisis region.
This people issued some of the finest gold coins in Gallic coinage, the Parisii stater.
Another Parisii tribe was settled in Great Britain, in East Yorkshire.