Terentilia gens
The gens Terentilia was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Only one member of this gens appears in history; Gaius Terentilius Arsa was tribune of the plebs in 462 BC. A few others are known from inscriptions. Origin. The nomen "Terentilius" belongs to a large class of gentilicia derived from other names, typically cognomina ending in diminutive suffixes such as "-ulus" and "-illus". Here the name may be formed from another nomen, "Terentius", for which the diminutive "Terentillus" is found. The antiquarian Varro, himself a member of the Terentia gens, derived this name from "terenus", a Sabine  word meaning "soft", although Chase proposes the Latin "terens", one who grinds or threshes. One of the Terentilii known from inscriptions has an Oscan praenomen, "Statius". Branches and cognomina. The only surname associated with the early Terentilii is "Arsa", also written "Harsa". The later Terentilii have common cognomina, such as "Firmus", strong, and "Rufus", red.