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Proto-Hittite

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

Proto-Hittite is the name given by Dr. Forrer to the prefixal language, examples of which are found in the cuneiform texts of Boghaz Keui. In them it is called Khattilis “Hittite”, the mixed official language of Boghaz Keui being known as “the language of the scribes” (EME sa ameli dubbi, Annals of Archœology, iii, 3, pl. xxvi, 1, 12). This latter was, in fact, a mixture of Sumerian, Assyrian, and Indo-European elements on the basis of an Asianic language which was spoken in Arzawa (Western Cilicia) and Kizzuwadna (of which the southern Qumani or Komana was the capital). The royal line of Boghaz Keui, as their names show, originally spoke Proto-Hittite, and must have given the name of Khattu and Khattusis (“Silver-town”) to the city which they made their capital after the conquest of the surrounding territory. They came from Kussar, written Kursaura in earlier documents, the Garsaura of classical geography, and their capital had been Arinna (“Well-town”), the Phreata of Ptolemy. Here their annals reached back to the time when Sargon of Akkad had invaded their country (2800 b.c.).

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1924

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References

page 246 note 1 Or “ordered”, since dais (as opposed to das) = the ideographic ME-is.

page 249 note 1 The ideograph is literally “image-of-mouth-with-teeth-showing”. In a ritual text from Assur published by Ebeling (Quellen zur Kenntniss der babylonischen Religion, ii, No. 5) offerings are to be made “before (the image of) the Mouth with (protruded) tongue”, which must therefore have been honoured as a god. References to an image of a similar character are also to be found in the Hittite texts.

page 252 note 1 Or zibakhsun.

page 253 note 1 Karinuwanzi. In K.B. iii, 4, Rev. iii, 17, we read that when the women who had been sent to him embraced the king's feet, … kâri · tiyanun “I allowed [them] to pay homage”, or something similar.

page 253 note 2 Ueber die Völker und Sprachen des alten Chatti-landes, p. 33.

page 255 note 1 To this list of deified kings is probably to be added Khasamilias, Khasmilis, whom I would identify with the Kabirian Kasmilos, Kadmilos, identified with Hermes (Schol. to Apoll. Rhod., i, 917). Khasa-milis is a word of similar formation to duddu-milis, dud-milis, “spear-man” ; the Proto-Hittite mills “man” is the origin of the Hittite word miliskus “slave”.