Phrygian language

The Phrygian language belongs to the Indo-European languages ​​. It was spoken in ancient times by the people of the Phrygians. The distribution area was in the northern West Asia Minor in the historical region of Phrygia and perhaps some adjacent areas.

The oldest known inscriptions were found in Gordion and date from the 8th century BC, the Phrygians used to own alphabet based on the Greek alphabet and has been extended to some characters. This first phase of the Phrygian literature, which is documented by about 250 inscriptions which ends in the 4th century BC Other examples of the Phrygian script can be found at Midas Midas Monument in the city and on the cult facade of Malta.

From the time mainly n between the 1st and 3rd centuries BC about 120 more Phrygian inscriptions are known, but which are now written in the Greek alphabet. For the 5th century, the Phrygian is still attested as a spoken language, not later than the 7th century AD, it is extinct.

Classification within the Indo-European

The fragmentary tradition of the Phrygian made ​​it difficult to classify this language within the Indo-European language family. To date, the earlier assumption of a closer relationship to the equally fragmentary traditional Thracian language has not been confirmed also for this reason.

However, the Phrygian language is now grouped together with the Greek and the late traditional Armenian to the group of balkanindogermanischen languages. The theory, the Phrygian representing a completely independent branch of the Indo-European language family and is otherwise considered obsolete.

Anecdote

Herodotus reported that Pharaoh Psammetichus I wanted to find the original language of the people. On this occasion he made by a shepherd raise two children with whom no one was allowed to speak. After about two years, the children stretched out his hands pleadingly and said, " bekos ". This meant in the language of the Phrygians "bread". Thus, it was assumed Phrygian is the oldest language.

648411
de