Lecture | CIEL Seminars
A Luwian song in Old Hittite and its relevance for the study of negation compounds
- Date
- Friday 27 March 2026
- Time
- Serie
- Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (CIEL) Seminars
- Address
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 2.28
Abstract
The song recorded at the end of the Old Hittite ritual for the disappearing deity (CTH 752) was long believed to be in the Palaic language. However, recent progress in the decipherment of the song indicates a strong possibility of Luwian identity, thus bringing to light interesting archaic features of an Indo-European poetic language. Following a comprehensive examination of this metrical composition, a distinctive linguistic characteristic pertaining to a negative compound as evidenced in the song will be analyzed within the broader context of the Indo-European word formations. In addition, a general overview of negative compounds in the Anatolian languages will be presented.