Ammonite language

Spoken in

• Semitic West Semitic Northwest Semitic Canaanite Ammonitisch

-

Sem ( other Semitic languages)

The Ammonite language is an extinct Semitic language of the Canaanite language branch, which was north-east of the Dead Sea in the vicinity of Amman spoken in the first half of the 1st millennium BC by the people of Ammon. Textual evidence exist from the 9th to the 5th century, after the language was apparently displaced by Aramaic.

Corpus

Since it can classify an inscription seldom clear as ammonitisch due to the similarities of the other Canaanite languages ​​, the following criteria for the classification of inscriptions are used:

• Origin: If an inscription from the Ammonites generally attributed jurisdiction, it can be regarded as ammonitisch with some probability. However, this criterion does not apply to many seals that come from the art market and their origin thus remains unclear. But even with findings from controlled excavations the Ammonite character remains open, as is seldom clear whether the reference to the Ammonite sphere of influence may be attributed. Security is at best for the inscriptions from Amman.
• Paleography: This criterion is based on the assumption that there was a Ammonite "National" given in writing. While Joseph Naveh argues that the Ammonites had used only a regionally colored variant of the Aramaic script, emphasize Frank Moore Cross and his students that BC find an independent development of the Ammonite writing from the middle of the 8th century, let. This development end until the middle of the 6th century with the release of the Neo-Babylonian Empire by the Persian Achaemenid Empire, and the related spread of Aramaic as the lingua franca of the Middle East. The first and the last regarded as ammonitisch texts are thus written in Aramaic script.
• Iconography: Compared to the previous criterion, it is more complicated to distinguish an independent Ammonite iconography clearly.
• Be regarded as typical ammonitisch names containing the element theophoric Milcom, which was biblically as the main god of the Ammonites, : onomastics. Linguistically leave may be in Onomastikon Arabic influence recognize. Recent research has shown but overall, how uncertain are national associations due to the naming.
• Language: As the peculiarities of the Ammonite language are first to rise from a classified as ammonitisch corpus, even this criterion is of limited use.

The uncertainties mentioned have led some researchers to ammonitisch be seen merely as a Canaanite dialect or variant of the Hebrew language. From the combination of all the criteria, however, some text with certain probabilities can be understood as ammonitisch. After introduced by Walter Aufrecht system, these texts are provided with the symbol CAI and the date of detection by numbered chronologically. Currently, about 300 Ammonite text are, but most of them are short seal inscriptions. Merely the name of the owner, whose patronymic and possibly call its function Some seals contain only alphabet beginnings. There are also some inscriptions on ostraca or metal (Tell Siran inscription ), but few monumental inscriptions on stone (Amman Citadel Inscription Inscription Theater and Amman ).

Linguistic features

Phonology

Phonologically the Ammonite seems largely like the other Canaanite languages ​​to behave. The proto -Semitic interdental (t ', θ and ð ) be in writing image by the corresponding sibilants / s / [( t) s'] ( צ ), / š / [ ʃ ] ( ש ), / z / [ z] ( ז ) is reproduced. There is uncertainty, however, regarding the realization of the / š /. Busy is the assimilation of Nun.

It is more difficult to make statements about vowels, as these are not reflected in the typeface in the rule. It seems that the diphthong * aj already fully ē to * or * was contracted ī while * aw still remains as a diphthong.

Morphology

The previously testified personal pronoun of the second person singular masculine ʾ t whose Suffixform -k as well as the suffix of the 3rd person singular masculine -h distinguish the Ammonite not Canaanite of the other languages ​​, nor the interrogative m and the item h.

The masculine plural ending of nouns is on -m ( Moabite contrast -n). The construct state is not reflected in the orthography. This suggests that the presumable basic shape with auslautendem * aj already ē the monophthongization to * or * ī subject. The feminine singular is also in the status absolutus on -at (Hebrew - ā ), the plural in -ot.

What is noticeable in the resulting verbs in the past tense -n ( jussive ) 3rd person plural masculine. The Kausativpräfix is h ( j- Phoenician, Aramaic later ʾ - ).

Syntax

Since the extant texts are short, can be about the syntax hardly say something. In the main clause the verb is at the beginning. Witnessed are also figurae etymologicae or the repetition of the preposition with noun chains.

Lexicon

In the lexicon the differences from the Aramaic and Phoenician become clear. Those are the Ammonite words for son and daughter bn bt while Aramaic br and brt has. "Give" The roots for is ntn, while the Phoenician used JTN. However, the relative pronoun ʾ š, which only divides the Phoenician, while the Hebrew and use the Moabite ʾ SR is. An Ammonite isogloss could use the root ʿ bd in the meaning " to do, make " affect, where the Phoenician p ʿ l used and the Hebrew ʿ Sh. The names of persons may show a close to Arabic, this position is disputed.