Siculian language
| Siculian | ||
|---|---|---|
| Period | until 3rd century BC Chr. | |
|
Formerly spoken in |
Sicily | |
| Linguistic classification |
|
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| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-3 |
scx |
|
The Siculian language is a language named after the ancient Siculians , which was spoken during the Greek colonization of Sicily and which is characterized by many direct or indirect language testimonies from the 6th to 4th centuries BC. Is attested for different regions of Sicily.
The language is handed down through around 1000 glosses , which ancient authors call Siculian, as well as through a number of inscriptions from the 6th to 4th centuries BC. The inscriptions prove the adoption of the Greek alphabet . There are a few peculiarities, above all the arrow-shaped alpha ( alpha siculum ), which is also found on Greek inscriptions in Sicily, but due to the lack of alternative occurrences in Siculian texts, is considered a special feature that was developed by the indigenous inhabitants of the island. The most important tradition of the language is an ancient vase from the 5th century BC. BC, which was discovered in Centuripe and contains almost 100 letters.
On the basis of these finds and traditions, an association with the Indo-European languages is considered certain and a relationship with the Italian languages is very likely. The exact position on these is unclear, however. Untermann refers to parallels to the Oskisch - Umbrian , Pierre Grimal assumes a relationship with the Latin - Faliskischen languages. The Siculian is hardly understandable so far.
The text from Centuripe
NUNUSTENTIMIMARUSTAINAMIEMITOMESTIDUROMNANEPOS
DUROMIEMTOMESTIVELIOMNEDEMPONITANTOMEREDESUINO
BRTOME ...
There have been several attempts to translate it (e.g. Vittore Pisani 1963, Gerhard Radke 1996) without a certain result.
literature
- Glanville Price: Encyclopedia of the Languages of Europe . 1st edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken 2000, ISBN 0-631-22039-9 , pp. 430-431 .
- Jürgen Untermann : Siculically. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 11, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01481-9 , column 542 f.
- Paolo Poccetti: Language Relations in Sicily. Evidence for the speech of the Σικανοί, the Σικελοί and others. In: Olga Tribulato (Ed.): Language and Linguistic Contact in Ancient Sicily. Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 49-94.
Remarks
- ↑ Poccetti 2012, p. 73.