Luwian language

Spoken in

Indo-European

• Luwian

XLU

Luwian was probably the most widespread Anatolian language. It was spoken in the 2nd and 1st millennium BC in Anatolia. Luwian is divided into two dialects Cuneiform Luwian and Hieroglyphic Luwian, which use different writing systems.

The term Luwian languages ​​we group besides the two Luwian dialects within the Anatolian languages ​​closely related to the Luwian languages ​​Lycian, Carian, Pisidisch and Side table together. Of these languages, the Luwian is the best proven and researched.

• 6.1 Nominal Morphology 6.1.1 Adjectives
• 6.1.2 pronouns

Classification

The Luwian languages ​​, together with the Hittite, the Palaischen and the Lydian, the Anatolian languages ​​, one in the 1st millennium BC extinct branch of the Indo-European language family. The most closely related Luwian is the Lycian; some linguists consider it possible that Lycian even a direct descendant or dialect of Luwian is, others reject this hypothesis chose from. The delineation of the Luwian for Psidia and side tables, two little-known languages ​​is difficult, and it can not be ruled out that these are later forms of Luwian. In contrast, the Kara may be defined as the only Luwian language more clearly from the actual Luwian.

Luwian has typical characteristics of an older Indo-European language is an inflectional Akkusativsprache with some agglutinative elements. In the morphology show strong similarities with the Hittite.

History and distribution

In the 2nd millennium Luwian was spoken in many parts of the Hittite empire, mainly in southern and southwestern Anatolia; Testimonies of the language are also utilized in other areas of Anatolia and northern Syria. A precise geographical delimitation of the language area is difficult and a reconstruction virtually only because of the inscription finds possible. Here, overlaps arise with the suspected Hittite language area. The exact position of the Luwian language within the Hittite Empire is unclear. Early on there was a verbal exchange between Luwian and Hittite, who in the 13th century reached its peak. This influence is attested to by numerous Luwian loanwords in Hittite.

The Luwian is attested (around 1200 BC) to the 7th century BC even after the collapse of the Hittite Empire. Some linguists even suggested the hypothesis that in the late period of the hethischen Empire in the 13th century BC Hittite had been displaced by the Luwian as everyday language.

In 1995, during excavations at Troy luwisches a seal to the fore. This finding led to speculation that had been spoken in Troy Luwian; in this case, Troy would but isolated outside of the previously assumed Luwian language area are. It is probable, however, that closer contacts between the Luwians and Troy have passed.

Scripture and dialects

The Luwian language is divided into two closely related dialects, which were held in each different writing systems: on the one hand the Cuneiform Luwian in the adapted for the Hittite Old Babylonian cuneiform, on the other hand, the hieroglyphic Luwian in the so-called Luwian hieroglyphic writing. The differences between the dialects are caused minimal and mainly due to the different spelling of the two different writing systems.

Cuneiform Luwian

Cuneiform Luwian was used by Hittite scribes, which it used for the usual Hittite cuneiform and the related Conventions. In contrast to the Hittite characters are logograms, ie with a certain symbolic value, less common. Especially the syllabic cuneiform apply. These are of type V, VK or KV (V = vowel, C = consonant ). A striking feature is the Plene - sensitive stretched vowels, and word-initially. To this end, the vowel is repeated in Scripture, such as ii -ti ( instead of i - ti) for IDI " he goes " or a- at - ta (instead of - ta) for ANDA " in / into it ."

Hieroglyphic Luwian

Hieroglyphic Luwian was written in hieroglyphic writing, which - had been invented for the Luwian language - as opposed to cuneiform. The writing, which includes a total of approximately 350 characters, consisting of both logograms and syllabic characters from, the logograms are primarily and only then the syllable characters have developed from it. This can be seen for example in the logogram Tarri "three", resulting in the syllabic signs tara / i developed. Apart from a few characters of the form KVKV only syllabic signs for V or KV occur. In contrast to the Cuneiform Luwian no Plene - case letters will be used, but additional vowel characters can be placed on visual and aesthetic reasons.

The use of logograms and syllabic signs results in different writing options for a word ( as in other comparable systems of writing, for example, the Sumerian cuneiform or Egyptian hieroglyphics ), represented here by the example of the Luwian word for " cow " ( nominative singular). Logograms are set in the transliteration in uppercase and designated by convention with a Latin term.

• BOS - only with logogram

To identify a word Initially, a special word delimiters are used, its use is not optional and also within individual texts consistent. Logograms can be distinguished by a special logo grams markers of the syllabic signs (as well as in the Egyptian ), but this distinction is carried out only sporadically.

The writing direction of the writing is not clearly defined. Left- to-right and right - to-left case are possible, as the Bustrophedon, ie, with each line changing direction. The orientation of the characters follows the writing direction. For aesthetic reasons, it happens that in addition the sequence of characters is reversed.

In the hieroglyphs writing a n is not expressed before other consonants. For example, is the case a-mi -za for aminza. The consonant r occupies a special position: only for the syllable ru There is a separate character; the other r -containing characters are formed by modification of other syllabic characters by giving them a slash is appended. From the syllabic signs tu example, is characterized tura or turi. Syllabic signs for Ka and Ki often coincide: for example, the characters are also available for wa wi. But for some syllables new characters which distinguish a- and i- vocalization During the development of writing emerged: by double underlining a character is clear that it is of the form Ka, wherein the non- underlined character form then only the value Ki reserves, for example, descending towards zi.

History of Science

Luwian in the form of cuneiform Luwian was detected in the deciphering of the Hittite in 1919 by Emil Forrer as a separate but related language. Other major advances in the study of language occurred after the Second World War with the publication and analysis of a larger number of texts; this includes work by Bernhard Rosenkranz, Heinrich Otten and Emmanuel Laroche. A major boost came in 1985 by Frank Starke of the reorganization of the text corpus.

The decipherment and arrangement of hieroglyphic Luwian prepared much greater difficulties. In the 1920s, failed several attempts in the 30s succeeded in the correct assignment of individual logograms and syllabic signs. About the classification of the language they were not yet united at this time, but regarded it as a form of Hittite and described the language accordingly as Hieroglyphic Hittite. After an interruption of the research activity by the Second World War in 1947 succeeded the decisive breakthrough with the discovery and publication of a Phoenician- hieroglyphenluwischen Bilingue by Helmuth Theodor Bossert. The reading of many syllabic signs remained but by today's flawed, and so the close relationship of the two Luwian dialects has not yet been detected.

In the 1970s it became clear after a thorough review of the many reading hieroglyphics by John David Hawkins, Anna Morpurgo and Günter Neumann, that it was a the Cuneiform Luwian closely related dialect of the Hieroglyphic Luwian. This revision is curiously back to a Fund outside the settlement area of ​​the Luwians, namely to the dimensions Urartian vessels, which were indeed written in hieroglyphic Luwian writing, but in Urartian language: the characters until then read as ī could be associated with the phonetic value of za, which a chain reaction triggered and led to a whole series of new readings. Since then, the research focused on working out the similarities between the two Luwian dialects better, which has led to a much better understanding of the Luwian.

Phonology

The reconstruction of the Luwian Phonembestandes based mainly on the written tradition and on comparisons with known Indo-European developments.

The following table represents a minimum consonants stock which can be reconstructed from the scriptures. The existence of other consonants, which are not distinguished in Scripture, is possible. The pharyngeal fricative ħ ʕ and provide an opportunity that could be as -h -hh - and - play, as well velar fricatives would be x and ɣ conceivable. When Cuneiform Luwian is the transliteration of a traditionally š s distinction, since this was originally to different characters for two different sounds at the Luwian signs represent probably the same dar. According to s

The Luwian has only three vowels, namely a, i and u, which occur shortly or stretched. However, different length is not important distinctive, but is related to the stress and word order. For example occurs independently as an adverb annan annan " including" or as a preposition Annan pātanza " under the feet " on.

On phonetic developments in the Luwian rhotacism is worth mentioning: rarely, d, l and n are to r to IRI, for example, Idi " he goes " or wala " die" to - wara. In addition, an d lost at the end of a word and a s are inserted between two dental consonants from * ad - tuwari is aztuwari " eat it" ( ds and z are phonetically equivalent).

Grammar

Nominal morphology

There are two different genders: animate ( commune) and inanimate (neutral). There are two numbers: singular and plural; some animated nouns can also form a collective plural in addition to pure counting plural. The Luwian six different case: nominative, genitive, dative - locative, accusative, ablative - instrumental and vocative. In her role nominative, genitive, dative and accusative correspond essentially to that which they occupy in German. The ablative - instrumental is used to specify means and ends. The vocative as Title- case occurs rarely and only in the singular.

When genus commune occurs in addition a -i. Between stem and case ending In hieroglyphic Luwian the ending of the nominative / accusative neuter is complemented by a particle -sa/-za. When genitive Cuneiform Luwian and Hieroglyphic Luwian deviate more from each other. Only the hieroglyphic Luwian knows a case - ending for the genitive. In Cuneiform Luwian the genitive must be replaced by a reference adjective. For this purpose a adjektivierendes Wortbildungsmorphem is at the root of the noun and declined appended the new word as an adjective. This construction is also in the hieroglyphic Luwian possible, where they can even be combined with the genitive ending - occur.

Adjectives

Adjectives agree with their reference word in number and gender. Forms for nominative and accusative only be distinguished for the genus commune, and even there only in the singular. For reasons of clarity, only the A - with the beginning word endings are shown in the table, depending on the stem - can also be a to -i. The forms are mainly based on the forms of noun declension, one -as- before the case ending occurs, which would be expected with a noun.

Pronouns

The Luwian has the typical Anatolian languages ​​personal pronouns and on apa and za-/zi- constructive demonstrative. The declination is similar to the Hittite, for the personal pronoun but not all case testified. In the third person takes the place of the personal pronoun, the demonstrative pronoun apa -

Possessive pronouns and the demonstrative pronoun to be apa - like adjectives are declined; of the personal pronouns in each case the known forms are given, the different use of the various personal pronouns is not entirely clear, nor the distinction between different case.

In addition to the forms shown in the table, the Luwian has a demonstrative of the tribe za-/zi- of which are not in all case forms are known, and regularly declined and the relative and interrogative kwis (nom. sing com. ), Kwin ( accusative singular com. ) kwinzi ( Nom. / Akk. plur com. ) kwati ( Dat. / Abl. sing. ), kwanza ( Nom. / Akk. Neut plur. ) Kwaya. Some Indefinitpronomina with not yet completely clear importance have survived.

Verbal morphology

The Luwian is different, as in Indo-European languages ​​common to two numbers: singular and plural, as well as three persons. There are two modes: indicative and imperative, but no subjunctive. Only active forms are known so far, but the existence of a medio - passive voice is suspected. Two time levels are distinguished: present and preterite; the present tense takes over the function of the future tense.

The conjugation is very similar to the Hittite HHI conjugation. In the present indicative forms are also occupied in-i and -ia for the 2nd person singular forms also on - tisa and for the 3rd person singular.

A single participle can be formed with the suffix -a ( i) mma. It has the liabilities importance for transitive verbs and stativische importance for intransitive verbs. The infinitive ends in- una.

Syntax

The usual word order is subject-object - verb, for emphasizing words or phrases they can, however, be placed at the beginning. Relative clauses are usually precedes the main clause, the reverse order is, however, also possible. Dependent reference words or adjectives are usually in front of the word to which they relate.

The coordination of subordinate clauses serve different conjunctions with temporal or conditional meaning. There is no beiordnende conjunction; But main clauses can be coordinated by enclitic -ha, which is appended to the first word of the next sentence. In narratives sentences with conjunctions prosekutiven be connected: a, added before the first word of the sentence, is content to be understood as " and then "; PA as an independent conjunction at the start or enclitic -pa indicate in the narrative opposition or a change of topic.

Vocabulary and texts

The well-known Luwian vocabulary consists largely of the purely Indo-European Erbwortschatz. Foreign words for various technical and religious areas mainly from the Hurrian, which have also been adopted into the Hittite language later from the Luwian.

The resulting text corpus of Luwian is composed mainly of cuneiform ritual texts from the 16th and 15th century BC and Monumental hieroglyphic inscriptions. There are also some letters and business documents. Most hieroglyphic inscriptions are from the 10th to 7th century BC, from the period after the collapse of the Hittite Empire.

Further written evidence are hieroglyphic Luwian seal, dating from the 16th century to the 7th century. Seals from the time of the Hittite Empire are often digraphisch written, both in Luwian hieroglyphs and cuneiform. However, only logograms are used on the seals practically. The absence of syllabic signs makes a conclusion about the pronunciation listed on the seals of names and titles impossible, so also a safe assignment to one of several languages.

Teaching of Luwian

The study of the Luwian language falls within the field of the subject Hittite or Anatolian, represented at German universities usually through the compartments Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Indo-European studies, which give at irregular intervals introductions to the Luwian language. It usually knowledge of cuneiform and Hittite are provided in the Ancient Near Eastern Studies. In addition, representatives of interested Near Eastern archeology, epigraphy, ancient history, palaeography and religious history of language, archeology, history, culture and religion of Luwians.

Text example

The text example comes from the Phoenician- hieroglyphenluwischen Bilingue Karatepe. These hieroglyphics are read from right to left. Several typical features of the Hieroglyphic Luwian emerge here:

• The characters are aligned according to the writing direction from right to left.
• The lines are centered; it is placed on an overall aesthetic appearance of the text value.
• The beginning of a new word appears only irregularly.
• Logograms are provided partially (DIES on the first line ) but not always ( URBS also in the first line) with the logogram markers.
• For the same words, there are different spellings; tawiyan both VERSUS -na as well as VERSUS -ia - na, where also the na - characters is varied.

* Zin (a ) is actually the adverb "here" which is derived from the demonstrative za-/zi-; in connection zin ( a) zin ... ( a) ... but it takes over the function of a conjunction that is best " on the one hand ... on the other hand ... " reproduced in the German with.

Translation:

" In my days, I expanded the area adanische one hand against the West, but on the other hand towards the east. "