Sa'nnio
a name of the buffoon in the mimes (
Cic. de Orat. 2.61,
ad Fam. 9.16.10), is derived by Diodorus (Excerpta Vat. p. 129, ed. Dindorf) from a Latin who bore this name.
This, however, is inadmissible: it comes from
sanna (
Juv. 6.306; Pers. 1.62, 5.91). The Italian
Zanni (hence our
Zany) probably comes from
Sannio.