A Timeline of the Anatolian Languages

When did the first, most awesome, branch of Indo-European really die out? While textbooks might tell you 2000 BCE - 200 CE, the real story is far more complex! From ancient Ebla archives to Emperor Zeno of Isauria, discover how these fascinating languages survived far longer than most people think. We'll explore recent discoveries, mysterious inscriptions, and even hidden clues in the emperor's original name that might hold the key to understanding these ancient tongues.

(and btw, I slipped up once or twice on the pronunciation of Isaurian, sorry about that!)


Selected Sources (all sources are cited in video)

Olander, T. (Ed.). (2022). The Indo-European Language Family. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kristiansen, K., Kroonen, G., & Willerslev, E. (Eds.). (2023). The Indo-European Puzzle Revisited: Integrating Archaeology, Genetics, and Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Starke, F. (1987). Die Vertretungen von uridg. *dhugh₂tér- „Tochter“ in den luwischen Sprachen und ihre Stammbildung. Zeitschrift Für Vergleichende Sprachforschung,100(2), 243–269

Starke, F. (1980). Das luwische Wort für „Frau“. Zeitschrift Für Vergleichende Sprachforschung, 94(1/2), 74–86.

Holl, K. (1908). Das Fortleben der Volkssprachen in Kleinasien in Nachchristlicher Zeit. Hermes, 43(2), 240–254.

Simon, Z. (2023). Once again on the original name of Emperor Zeno of Isauria. Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 116(1), 279-284

Ramsay, W. M. (Ed.). (1906). Studies in the history and art of the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire: Written for the quatercentenary of the University of Aberdeen by seven of its graduates (Aberdeen University Studies No. 20). Aberdeen University Press.

Adiego, I. (2017). The longest Pisidian inscription (Kesme 2). Journal of Language Relationship, 15(1-2), 1-18.

#Linguistics #IndoEuropean #AncientHistory #Archaeology #Anatolia #HistoryMystery