Amorite is an extinct early Semitic language, formerly spoken during the Bronze Age by the Amorite tribes prominent in ancient Near Eastern history. It is known from Ugaritic, which is classed by some as its westernmost dialect,[1][2][3] and from non-Akkadian proper names recorded by Akkadianscribes during periods of Amorite rule in Babylonia (the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC), notably from Mari and to a lesser extent Alalakh, Tell Harmal and Khafajah. Occasionally, such names are also found in early Egyptian texts; and one place name, "Sənīr" (שְׂנִיר) for Mount Hermon, is known from the Bible (Book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 3:9).[1]
The usual Northwest Semitic imperfective-perfective distinction is found: Yantin-Dagan, 'Dagon gives' (ntn); Raṣa-Dagan, 'Dagon was pleased' (rṣy). It included a 3rd-person suffix -a (unlike Akkadian or Hebrew) and an imperfect vowel, a-, as in Arabic rather than the Hebrew and Aramaic -i-.
There was a verb form with a geminate second consonant — Yabanni-Il, 'God creates' (root bny).
In several cases that Akkadian has š, Amorite, like Hebrew and Arabic, has h, thus hu 'his', -haa 'her', causative h- or ʼ- (I. Gelb 1958).
The 1st-person perfect is in -ti (singular), -nu (plural), as in the Canaanite languages.
In 2022, two large, 3,800-year-old, Amorite-Akkadian bilingual tablets were published, yielding a large corpus of Northwest Semitic.[4] The text is notably very similar to Classical Hebrew, and shows that by the early second millennium BC, there was already a spoken language very close to Hebrew, which before now has only been attested from the 10th century BC.[5]
Notes
^ abWoodard, Roger D. (2008-04-10). The Ancient Languages of Syria-Palestine and Arabia. Cambridge University Press. p. 5. ISBN9781139469340.
^Goetze, Albrecht (1941). "Is Ugaritic a Canaanite Dialect?". Language. 17 (2): 127–138. doi:10.2307/409619. ISSN 0097-8507. JSTOR 409619.
^Kaye, Alan S. (2007). Morphologies of Asia and Africa. Eisenbrauns. p. 49. ISBN9781575061092.
^George, Andrew; Krebernik, Manfred (12 December 2022). "Two Remarkable Vocabularies: Amorite-Akkadian Bilinguals!:". Revue d'assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale. 116 (1): 113–166. doi:10.3917/assy.116.0113. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^Aderet, Ofer (20 January 2023). "Two 3,800-year-old Cuneiform Tablets Found in Iraq Give First Glimpse of Hebrew Precursor". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
Further reading
Andrason, A.; Vita, J.-P. (2018). "Amorite: A Northwest Semitic Language?". Journal of Semitic Studies. 63 (1): 19–58. doi:10.1093/jss/fgx035. hdl:10261/194052.
Cohen, D. (1985). Les langues chamito-semitiques. Paris: CNRS.
I. Gelb. La lingua degli amoriti, Academia Nazionale dei Lincei. Rendiconti 8, no. 13 (1958): 143–163.
[1]Ignace J. Gelb, "Computer-aided Analysis of Amorite", Assyriological Studies 21, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980
Golinets, V. "Amorite Names Written with the Sign Ú and the Issue of the Suffixed Third Person Masculine Singular Pronoun in Amorite". In: Proceedings of the 53th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale. Vol. 1: Language in the Ancient Near East (2 parts). Edited by Leonid E. Kogan, Natalia Koslova, Sergey Loesov and Serguei Tishchenko. University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, 2010. pp. 591-616. doi:10.1515/9781575066394-026.
Golinets, Viktor. "Amorite Animal Names: Cognates for the Semitic Etymological Dictionary". In: Babel und Bibel 9: Proceedings of the 6th Biennial Meeting of the International Association for Comparative Semitics and Other Studies. University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, 2016. pp. 55-86. doi:10.1515/9781575064499-004
Howard, J. Caleb. "Amorite Names through Time and Space". In: Journal of Semitic Studies, 2023. fgac027. doi:10.1093/jss/fgac027.
H. B. Huffmon. Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts: A Structural and Lexical Study. Baltimore, 1965.
Knudsen, Ebbe Egede (1982). "An Analysis of Amorite: A Review Article". Journal of Cuneiform Studies. 34 (1/2): 1–18. doi:10.2307/1359989. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.
Remo Mugnaioni. “Notes pour servir d’approche à l’amorrite” Travaux 16 – La sémitologie aujourd’hui. Aix-en-Provence: Cercle de Linguistique d’Aix-en-Provence, Centre des sciences du language, 2000, p. 57–65.
M. P. Streck. Das amurritische Onomastikon der altbabylonischen Zeit, vol. 1: Die Amurriter, Die onomastische Forschung, Orthographie und Phonologie, Nominalmorphologie. Alter Orient und Altes Testament Band 271/1. Münster, 2000.
Streck, Michel P. "Amorite". In: The Semitic Languages: An International Handbook. Edited by Stefan Weninger. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, 2012. pp. 452-459. doi:10.1515/9783110251586.452
External links
Cryptic lost Canaanite language decoded on 'Rosetta Stone'-like tablets - LiveScience - Tom Metcalfe- 30 January 2023
August 23, 2023
amorite, language, amorite, extinct, early, semitic, language, formerly, spoken, during, bronze, amorite, tribes, prominent, ancient, near, eastern, history, known, from, ugaritic, which, classed, some, westernmost, dialect, from, akkadian, proper, names, reco. Amorite is an extinct early Semitic language formerly spoken during the Bronze Age by the Amorite tribes prominent in ancient Near Eastern history It is known from Ugaritic which is classed by some as its westernmost dialect 1 2 3 and from non Akkadian proper names recorded by Akkadian scribes during periods of Amorite rule in Babylonia the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC notably from Mari and to a lesser extent Alalakh Tell Harmal and Khafajah Occasionally such names are also found in early Egyptian texts and one place name Senir ש נ יר for Mount Hermon is known from the Bible Book of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 3 9 1 AmoriteNative toLevantExtinct2nd millennium BCLanguage familyAfro Asiatic SemiticCentral SemiticNorthwest SemiticAmoriteDialectsUgaritic Language codesISO 639 3None mis Glottologamor1239Amorite is considered an archaic Northwest Semitic language Notable characteristics include the following The usual Northwest Semitic imperfective perfective distinction is found Yantin Dagan Dagon gives ntn Raṣa Dagan Dagon was pleased rṣy It included a 3rd person suffix a unlike Akkadian or Hebrew and an imperfect vowel a as in Arabic rather than the Hebrew and Aramaic i There was a verb form with a geminate second consonant Yabanni Il God creates root bny In several cases that Akkadian has s Amorite like Hebrew and Arabic has h thus hu his haa her causative h or ʼ I Gelb 1958 The 1st person perfect is in ti singular nu plural as in the Canaanite languages In 2022 two large 3 800 year old Amorite Akkadian bilingual tablets were published yielding a large corpus of Northwest Semitic 4 The text is notably very similar to Classical Hebrew and shows that by the early second millennium BC there was already a spoken language very close to Hebrew which before now has only been attested from the 10th century BC 5 Notes Edit a b Woodard Roger D 2008 04 10 The Ancient Languages of Syria Palestine and Arabia Cambridge University Press p 5 ISBN 9781139469340 Goetze Albrecht 1941 Is Ugaritic a Canaanite Dialect Language 17 2 127 138 doi 10 2307 409619 ISSN 0097 8507 JSTOR 409619 Kaye Alan S 2007 Morphologies of Asia and Africa Eisenbrauns p 49 ISBN 9781575061092 George Andrew Krebernik Manfred 12 December 2022 Two Remarkable Vocabularies Amorite Akkadian Bilinguals Revue d assyriologie et d archeologie orientale 116 1 113 166 doi 10 3917 assy 116 0113 Retrieved 24 January 2023 Aderet Ofer 20 January 2023 Two 3 800 year old Cuneiform Tablets Found in Iraq Give First Glimpse of Hebrew Precursor Haaretz Archived from the original on 21 January 2023 Retrieved 24 January 2023 Further reading EditAndrason A Vita J P 2018 Amorite A Northwest Semitic Language Journal of Semitic Studies 63 1 19 58 doi 10 1093 jss fgx035 hdl 10261 194052 Cohen D 1985 Les langues chamito semitiques Paris CNRS I Gelb La lingua degli amoriti Academia Nazionale dei Lincei Rendiconti 8 no 13 1958 143 163 1 Ignace J Gelb Computer aided Analysis of Amorite Assyriological Studies 21 Chicago University of Chicago Press 1980 George Andrew Krebernik Manfred 2022 Two Remarkable Vocabularies Amorite Akkadian Bilinguals Revue d assyriologie et d archeologie orientale 116 1 113 166 doi 10 3917 assy 116 0113 Golinets V Amorite Names Written with the Sign U and the Issue of the Suffixed Third Person Masculine Singular Pronoun in Amorite In Proceedings of the 53th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale Vol 1 Language in the Ancient Near East 2 parts Edited by Leonid E Kogan Natalia Koslova Sergey Loesov and Serguei Tishchenko University Park USA Penn State University Press 2010 pp 591 616 doi 10 1515 9781575066394 026 Golinets Viktor Amorite Animal Names Cognates for the Semitic Etymological Dictionary In Babel und Bibel 9 Proceedings of the 6th Biennial Meeting of the International Association for Comparative Semitics and Other Studies University Park USA Penn State University Press 2016 pp 55 86 doi 10 1515 9781575064499 004 Howard J Caleb Amorite Names through Time and Space In Journal of Semitic Studies 2023 fgac027 doi 10 1093 jss fgac027 H B Huffmon Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts A Structural and Lexical Study Baltimore 1965 Knudsen Ebbe Egede 1982 An Analysis of Amorite A Review Article Journal of Cuneiform Studies 34 1 2 1 18 doi 10 2307 1359989 Accessed 22 Jan 2023 Remo Mugnaioni Notes pour servir d approche a l amorrite Travaux 16 La semitologie aujourd hui Aix en Provence Cercle de Linguistique d Aix en Provence Centre des sciences du language 2000 p 57 65 M P Streck Das amurritische Onomastikon der altbabylonischen Zeit vol 1 Die Amurriter Die onomastische Forschung Orthographie und Phonologie Nominalmorphologie Alter Orient und Altes Testament Band 271 1 Munster 2000 Streck Michel P Amorite In The Semitic Languages An International Handbook Edited by Stefan Weninger Berlin Boston De Gruyter Mouton 2012 pp 452 459 doi 10 1515 9783110251586 452External links EditCryptic lost Canaanite language decoded on Rosetta Stone like tablets LiveScience Tom Metcalfe 30 January 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Amorite language amp oldid 1170260006, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
