What Etruscan Sounded Like - and how we know

NativLang
17 Nov 201707:46
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script explores the enigmatic Etruscan civilization, which predated the Romans in Italy and possibly influenced the Latin alphabet. Discoveries from a mummy's linen book filled with Etruscan text in Egypt led to insights about their unique language and script. Despite challenges in deciphering due to the language's isolation, scholars have made progress using combinatory techniques and quasi-bilingual inscriptions, revealing a language with dynamic grammar and evolving sounds. The Etruscan language remains a fascinating mystery, with its exact relations to other languages still under investigation.

Takeaways
  • 🏺 The discovery of a mummy with Etruscan text in Egypt led to the finding of the longest Etruscan text ever seen.
  • 📜 The Etruscan language was almost lost, but this find provided a significant amount of text for study.
  • 🔠 Etruscan letters resemble our own, but with some differences, such as writing from right to left and certain unique sounds.
  • 🌍 The Etruscans played a crucial role in spreading the alphabet in Italy, modifying the Greek alphabet to suit their needs.
  • 🎭 The Etruscan alphabet influenced the Roman alphabet, including the creation of the letter 'G' from 'C'.
  • 🗣️ Etruscan language had distinct phonetic features, such as the use of voiceless and aspirated sounds, and a lack of the vowel 'o'.
  • 🔍 Etruscologists have used a 'Combinatory technique' to decipher Etruscan texts by considering context and different meanings.
  • 📚 Despite the lack of dictionaries or a Rosetta Stone, progress has been made in understanding Etruscan grammar and vocabulary.
  • 🌟 Etruscan language showed evolution over time, with simplification of vowels and changes in consonant usage.
  • 🤔 The Etruscan language's origins and relationships to other languages remain a topic of intrigue and ongoing research.
Q & A

  • What civilization is the script referring to that was once spread across Italy?

    -The script refers to the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that predated the Romans and significantly influenced the region of Italy, particularly Tuscany.

  • How did the Etruscans contribute to the development of the alphabet?

    -The Etruscans played a crucial role in spreading the alphabet in Italy. They adapted the Greek alphabet, simplifying it by removing voiced consonants and vowels they didn't need, and passed it on to the Romans, who further modified it to create the Latin alphabet used today.

  • What was the significance of the mummy found in Egypt with Etruscan inscriptions?

    -The mummy found in Egypt was significant because it was wrapped in the longest Etruscan text ever seen, providing invaluable insights into the Etruscan language and culture. This discovery sparked interest in deciphering the Etruscan language.

  • How did the Etruscans modify the Greek alphabet?

    -The Etruscans modified the Greek alphabet by removing voiced consonants like b, d, and g, and vowels they didn't distinguish, such as 'o'. They also added new letters and modified existing ones to suit their language's phonetic needs.

  • What is the 'Combinatory technique' mentioned in the script?

    -The 'Combinatory technique' is a method used by Etruscologists to decipher the Etruscan language. It involves leaving words in their context, trying out different combinations of meanings, and looking for patterns that unlock the text's meaning across various inscriptions.

  • What are some of the unique features of the Etruscan language?

    -The Etruscan language had unique features such as singular and plural nouns, case endings, distinct pronouns, and verb tenses. It also showed a trend towards simplifying vowels over time and used nucleic consonants where other languages might use vowels.

  • How did the Etruscans write the word for 'Greek'?

    -The Etruscans wrote the word 'Greek' as 'Creice', reflecting their adaptation of the Greek alphabet and language.

  • What is the significance of the 'talking objects' in the Etruscan culture?

    -The 'talking objects' were aristocratic gifts inscribed with messages that 'spoke for themselves'. They are significant as they provide a glimpse into the Etruscan's language and culture, showing that they had a tradition of inscribing objects with meaningful messages, similar to practices in Latin, Greek, and Venetic cultures.

  • What does the phrase 'celi huθiś zaθrumiś flerχva, neθunsl śucri θezric' illustrate?

    -This phrase is an example of Etruscan text from the script, demonstrating the language's grammar and structure. It gives a sense of the complexity and richness of the Etruscan language, even though a full understanding of it remains elusive.

  • What clues have been found regarding the Etruscan language's relation to other languages?

    -

Outlines
00:00
🏺 Discovery of the Etruscan Language through the Linz Book

This paragraph delves into the discovery of the Etruscan language, an ancient civilization that predated the Romans in Italy. The narrative begins with a European traveler in 19th century Egypt who purchases a sarcophagus with a mummy wrapped in a linen book filled with Etruscan text. The script discusses the Etruscans' contribution to the alphabet, their adaptation of the Greek alphabet, and the unique features of their language. It also touches on the challenges faced by Etruscologists in deciphering the Etruscan language due to the lack of dictionaries, grammars, and a Rosetta Stone equivalent. The paragraph concludes with the mention of the 'Combinatory technique' that slowly yielded results, revealing aspects of Etruscan grammar, such as singular and plural nouns, case endings, pronouns, and verb tenses.

05:01
📜 Evolution and Mysteries of the Etruscan Language

The second paragraph explores the evolution of the Etruscan language and its simplification over time, with examples of how names and words changed. It discusses the use of nucleic consonants and the dropping of vowels after the first syllable in inscriptions, indicating a shift in the language. The paragraph also highlights the use of quasi-bilingual inscriptions and 'talking objects' to gain insights into the Etruscan language. It raises the possibility of Etruscan being part of a larger family of Tyrrhenian languages and describes the linen book as a kind of ritual calendar. Despite progress, the Etruscan language remains largely mysterious, with many aspects still undeciphered.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Etruscans
The Etruscans were an ancient civilization that predated the Romans in Italy. They are known for their influence on the development of the Roman alphabet and for their enigmatic language, which was deciphered through a combination of guesswork and context analysis. The video discusses their role in spreading the alphabet in Italy and their unique linguistic features.
💡alphabet
The alphabet is a set of letters used in writing, and it is a crucial aspect of the video as it explores the Etruscan influence on the development of the Roman, and subsequently, the Latin alphabet. The Etruscans are credited with adapting the Greek alphabet, simplifying it for their own language, and thus indirectly influencing the modern alphabets used today.
💡sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, typically used for burials of significant individuals. In the context of the video, a European traveler discovers a sarcophagus with a mummy and a book filled with Etruscan text, which becomes a key artifact in the study of the Etruscan language.
💡Etruscan language
The Etruscan language is an ancient, now extinct, language that was spoken by the Etruscans. It is characterized by its unique script and linguistic features, which were deciphered through a combination of guesswork and context analysis. The language is noted for its influence on the development of the Roman alphabet and for its mysterious origins.
💡deciphering
Deciphering refers to the process of understanding and interpreting a coded or unknown script. In the video, this term is central to the discussion of how scholars attempted to make sense of the Etruscan language, which was initially indecipherable due to its unique and non-identifiable script.
💡Emperor Claudius
Emperor Claudius was a Roman emperor known for his intellectual pursuits, including the study of the Etruscan language. The video mentions an ancient dictionary written by Claudius, which was unfortunately lost, and it highlights the lack of linguistic resources available for understanding the Etruscan language.
💡Combinatory technique
The Combinatory technique is a method used by scholars to decipher the Etruscan language by examining inscriptions in context and trying out different combinations of meanings until a coherent interpretation is found. This approach was labor-intensive but eventually led to breakthroughs in understanding the language.
💡Indo-European
Indo-European is a proposed language family that includes many of the languages spoken in Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of Western Asia. The video discusses the attempts by scholars to classify the Etruscan language within this family, among others, before its unique characteristics were better understood.
💡nucleic consonants
Nucleic consonants refer to the use of consonants in a language that are typically represented by a combination of a consonant and a vowel in other languages. In the context of the Etruscan language, this term is used to describe their unique way of representing certain sounds, such as using 'lautn' instead of a vowel.
💡ritual calendar
A ritual calendar is a system used to organize and schedule religious or cultural ceremonies and observances. The video reveals that the Etruscan text found in the sarcophagus is a type of ritual calendar, indicating the importance of such calendars in Etruscan culture.
💡Tyrrhenian languages
Tyrrhenian languages are a proposed group of ancient languages spoken in ancient Italy, of which Etruscan is a member. The video speculates on the possibility that Etruscan may not have been a completely isolated language but part of a larger family of Tyrrhenian languages.
Highlights

A wealthy civilization once spread across Italy, founding ancient cities and possibly influencing modern words like 'person' and 'Rome'.

This civilization is not the Romans, but an earlier people with a language that was almost lost.

The discovery of a mummy in Egypt with bandages filled with Etruscan letters led to the finding of the longest Etruscan text ever seen.

The Etruscans are credited with spreading the alphabet in Italy, modifying the Greek alphabet to suit their language.

Etruscan language looked mysterious because it was written from right to left, but flipping it reveals familiar letters.

Etruscans simplified the Greek alphabet, removing voiced sounds like b, d, g, and distinguishing between p, t, k and aspirated ph, th, kh.

The Etruscan language did not originally distinguish between the vowels 'o' and 'u'.

The word 'Ruma' is an example of how the Etruscan language might have influenced the name 'Rome'.

The Etruscan language added unique letters, such as the /f/ sound represented by an 8-looking symbol.

Etruscans distinguished between s and sh sounds, using only two letters for these at a time.

Without dictionaries or grammars, Etruscologists used a 'Combinatory technique' to decipher Etruscan by context and brute force.

Etruscan had grammar rules, including singular and plural nouns, case endings, pronouns, and verb tenses.

Vowel sounds in Etruscan simplified over time, as seen in the evolution of the name 'Ajax' to 'Eivas'.

Etruscan language used nucleic consonants and sometimes dropped vowels after the first syllable.

The Etruscan name for themselves evolved from 'Rasenna' to 'Rasna', indicating a heavy accent on the first syllable.

Quasi-bilingual inscriptions, like those on 'talking objects', provided context for understanding the Etruscan language.

A stone from Lemnos Island possibly suggests that Etruscan was not a孤立语言 but part of a larger Tyrrhenian language family.

The Linen Book's language remains mysterious, but it is believed to be a kind of ritual calendar.

Despite progress, simple questions like how to say 'yes' or 'no' in Etruscan are still unanswered.

Transcripts

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