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The Phrygian language was the Indo-European language of the Phrygia
Phrygia

In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the Southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges, changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the Hellespont....
ns, a people from Thrace
Thrace

Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. Today the name Thrace designates a region spread over southern Bulgaria , northeastern Greece , and European Turkey ....
 who later migrated to Asia Minor.

gian is attested by two corpora, one from around 800 BC and later (Paleo-Phrygian), and then after a period of several centuries from around the beginning of the Common Era
Anno Domini

, abbreviated as 'AD' or 'A.D.', and 'Before Christ', abbreviated as 'BC' or 'B.C.', are designations used to number years in the Julian calendar and Gregorian calendars....
 (Neo-Phrygian). The Paleo-Phrygian corpus is further divided (geographically) into inscriptions of Midas (city) (M, W), Gordion, Central (C), Bithynia
Bithynia

Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thrace Bosporus and the Euxine ....
 (B), Pteria
Pteria

Pteria may refer to:*Pteria a town in ancient Cappadocia * Pteria a genus of bivalve molluscs, the winged oysters...
 (P), Tyana
Tyana

Tyana was an ancient city of Anatolia, in modern south-central Turkey. It was the capital of a Hittites kingdom in the 2nd millennium BC, and had a long history as a Greek city state and later a Christian community....
 (T), Daskyleion (Dask), Bayindir (Bay), and "various" (Dd, documents divers).






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The Phrygian language was the Indo-European language of the Phrygia
Phrygia

In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the Southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges, changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the Hellespont....
ns, a people from Thrace
Thrace

Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. Today the name Thrace designates a region spread over southern Bulgaria , northeastern Greece , and European Turkey ....
 who later migrated to Asia Minor.

Inscriptions

Phrygian is attested by two corpora, one from around 800 BC and later (Paleo-Phrygian), and then after a period of several centuries from around the beginning of the Common Era
Anno Domini

, abbreviated as 'AD' or 'A.D.', and 'Before Christ', abbreviated as 'BC' or 'B.C.', are designations used to number years in the Julian calendar and Gregorian calendars....
 (Neo-Phrygian). The Paleo-Phrygian corpus is further divided (geographically) into inscriptions of Midas (city) (M, W), Gordion, Central (C), Bithynia
Bithynia

Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thrace Bosporus and the Euxine ....
 (B), Pteria
Pteria

Pteria may refer to:*Pteria a town in ancient Cappadocia * Pteria a genus of bivalve molluscs, the winged oysters...
 (P), Tyana
Tyana

Tyana was an ancient city of Anatolia, in modern south-central Turkey. It was the capital of a Hittites kingdom in the 2nd millennium BC, and had a long history as a Greek city state and later a Christian community....
 (T), Daskyleion (Dask), Bayindir (Bay), and "various" (Dd, documents divers). The Mysian inscriptions seem to be in a separate dialect (in an alphabet with an additional letter, "Mysian-s").

Midassehri
The last mentions of the language date to the 5th century AD and it was extinct by the 7th century AD. We can reconstruct some words with the help of some inscriptions written with a script similar to the Greek
Greek alphabet

The Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th century BC or early 8th century BCE....
.

Classification

The Phrygian language was most likely close to Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 and, perhaps, Thracian
Thracian language

The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times by the Thracians in South-Eastern Europe....
. In most cases the Phrygian language used an alphabet originating with the Phoenicians. The available inscriptions in the Phrygian language have not yet been translated. Inscriptions which used a script close to the Greek
Greek alphabet

The Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th century BC or early 8th century BCE....
, have been translated, and some of the Phrygian vocabulary identified.

Grammar

Its structure, what can be recovered from it, was typically Indo-European
Indo-European languages

The Indo-European languages are a Language family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau , Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ....
, with nouns declined
Declension

In linguistics, declension is the occurrence of inflection in nouns, pronouns and adjectives, indicating such features as grammatical number , grammatical case , and grammatical gender....
 for case (at least four), gender (three) and number (singular and plural), while the verbs are conjugated
Grammatical conjugation

In linguistics, conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb, noun or adjective from its principal parts by inflection . Conjugation may be affected by grammatical person, grammatical number, grammatical gender, grammatical tense, Grammatical aspect, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, or other grammatical category....
 for tense, voice, mood, person and number. No single word is attested in all its inflection
Inflection

In grammar, inflection or inflexion is the way language handles grammatical relations and relational categories such as grammatical tense, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, grammatical aspect, grammatical person, grammatical number, grammatical gender, grammatical case....
al forms.

Many words in Phrygian are very similar to the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language
Proto-Indo-European language

The Proto-Indo-European language is the unattested, linguistic reconstruction common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans....
 (PIE). Phrygian seems to exhibit an augment
Augment (linguistics)

In linguistics, the augment is a syllable added to the beginning of the word in certain Indo-European languages, most notably Greek language , Armenian language, and the Indo-Iranian languages such as Sanskrit, to form the Perfect aspect, preterite, or aorist tenses....
, like Greek and Armenian, c.f. eberet, probably corresponding to PIE *e-bher-e-t (Greek ephere with loss of the final t).

Vocabulary

A sizable body of Phrygian words are theoretically known; however, the meaning and etymologies and even correct forms
Epigraphy

Epigraphy is the study of wikt:inscriptions or wikt:epigraphs engraved into stone or other durable materials, or cast in metal, the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them....
 of many Phrygian words (mostly extracted from inscriptions) are still being debated.

A famous Phrygian word is bekos, meaning "bread". According to Herodotus
Herodotus

Herodotus of Halicarnassus was a Greeks historian who lived in the 5th century BC and is regarded as the "Father of History" in Western culture....
 (Histories 2.9) Pharaoh Psammetichus I
Psammetichus I

Psamtik I , was the first of three kings of the Sais, Egypt, or Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt. His prenomen, Wahibre, means "Constant is the Heart of Ra." The story in Herodotus of the Dodecarchy and the rise of Psamtik is fanciful....
 wanted to establish the original language
Origin of language

The origin of language, also known as glottogony, is a topic that has attracted considerable attention throughout human history. The use of language is one of the most conspicuous traits that distinguishes Homo sapiens from other species....
. For this purpose, he ordered two children to be reared by a shepherd, forbidding him to let them hear a single word, and charging him to report the children's first utterance. After two years, the shepherd reported that on entering their chamber, the children came up to him, extending their hands, calling bekos. Upon enquiry, the pharaoh discovered that this was the Phrygian word for "wheat bread", after which the Egyptians conceded that the Phrygian nation was older than theirs. The word bekos is also attested several times in Palaeo-Phrygian inscriptions on funerary stelae. Many modern scholars suggest that it is cognate to Albanian buke meaning "bread" and to English bake(PIE *bheHg-).

Hittite
Hittite language

Hittite or Nesili is the extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centered on ancient Hattusas in north-central Anatolia ....
, Luwian
Luwian language

Luwian is an extinct language of the Anatolian languages of the Indo-European languages language family. Luwian is closely related to Hittite language, and was among the languages spoken by population groups in Arzawa, to the west or southwest of the core Hittites area....
 (both also had an impact on Phrygian morphology), Galatian and Greek (which also exhibits a high amount of isoglosses with Phrygian) all had an impact on Phrygian vocabulary.

According to Clement of Alexandria
Clement of Alexandria

Clement of Alexandria , was the first notable member of the Christianity of Alexandria, and one of its most distinguished teachers. He was born about the middle of the 2nd century, and died between 211 and 216....
, the Phrygian word bedu meaning "water" (PIE *wed) appeared in Orphic ritual.

Other Phrygian words include:

  • anar, 'husband', from PIE *ner- 'man';
cf. Gk
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: aner "man, husband", Alb
Albanian language

Albanian is an Indo-European languages spoken by nearly 6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including the west of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and southern Serbia....
: njeri "man, person", Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: ner (nêr) "male"
  • attagos, 'goat
    Goat

    The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep: both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae....
    ';
cf. Arm: tik "leather skin",aytig "goat", Ger: Ziege "she-goat", Alb
Albanian language

Albanian is an Indo-European languages spoken by nearly 6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including the west of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and southern Serbia....
: dhi "she-goat", Wakhi
Wakhi language

Wakhi is an Indo-European language in the sub-branch of Southeastern Iranian languages and is intimately related to other Pamir languages and Pashto language....
 ti? "goat call", Ishkashmi dec "goatskin bag".
  • Bagaios, "Zeus", from PIE *bheh2gos "apportioner";
cf. Alb
Albanian language

Albanian is an Indo-European languages spoken by nearly 6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including the west of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and southern Serbia....
: bekoj "bless", Avestan: baga "good fortune, share", Skt: bhága "the apportioner", Toch A: pak "share, part", Toch B: pake "share, part".
  • balaios, 'large, fast', from PIE *bel- 'strong';
cognate to Gk: belteros "better", Rus
Russian language

Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe....
: bol'šój "large, great", Welsh: balch "proud", Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: balaz (belez) "fast"
  • belte, 'swamp
    Swamp

    A swamp is a wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land, by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a substantial number of hammock , or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation....
    ', from PIE *bhel-, 'to gleam';
Rom
Romanian language

Romanian or Daco-Romanian ; self-designation: limba rom?na, ) is a Romance languages spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova....
: balta, Bulg
Bulgarian language

Bulgarian is an Indo-European languages, a member of the Slavic languages linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except Macedonian language, such as the elimination of grammatical case, the development of a suffixed definite article , the lack of a verb infin...
: ????? (blato) /'blat?/ (Old Bulg: ????? (balto) /'balta/) "swamp",Rus: ?????? (boloto) /b?'lot?/ "swamp", Lith: baltas "white", Rus: ??????? (bledny) /'bledn?j/ and Bulg
Bulgarian language

Bulgarian is an Indo-European languages, a member of the Slavic languages linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except Macedonian language, such as the elimination of grammatical case, the development of a suffixed definite article , the lack of a verb infin...
 ?????? (bleden) /bled?n/ "pale".
  • brater, 'brother', from PIE *bhrater-, 'brother';
cognate to: Serb
Serbian language

name=Serbian|nativename=|pronunciation=['sr?pski?]|familycolor=Indo-European|map=|states=See below under "Official status", besides that in Croatia and as an immigrant's language spread over Central Europe and Western Europe, as well as Northern America...
: 'brat', Gk: phrater "clansman, kin", Per
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
: bratar, 'brother',Rus
Russian language

Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe....
 and Bulg
Bulgarian language

Bulgarian is an Indo-European languages, a member of the Slavic languages linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except Macedonian language, such as the elimination of grammatical case, the development of a suffixed definite article , the lack of a verb infin...
: brat "brother", Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: bra/bradar (bbra/brader) "brother".
  • daket, 'does, causes', PIE *dhe-k-, 'to set, put';
cognate to Serb
Serbian language

name=Serbian|nativename=|pronunciation=['sr?pski?]|familycolor=Indo-European|map=|states=See below under "Official status", besides that in Croatia and as an immigrant's language spread over Central Europe and Western Europe, as well as Northern America...
: 'dakle', Lat
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
: facere "to do, make", French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
: faire "to do, to make", Gk: tithenai "to put, place, set" Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: dakat (dekat/dikit) "does, causes"
  • germe, 'warm', PIE *gwher-, 'warm';
cognate to Gk: thermos "warm", Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: germ "warm" , Per
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
: garm "warm", Arm: jerm "warm", Alb
Albanian language

Albanian is an Indo-European languages spoken by nearly 6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including the west of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and southern Serbia....
: zjarm "warm".
  • kakon, 'harm, ill', PIE *kaka-, 'harm';
cf. Gk: kakós "bad", Lith: keñti "to be evil", Arm: qaq "excretion".
  • knoumane, 'grave', maybe from PIE *knu-, 'to scratch';
cognate to Gk: knao "to scratch", OHG: hnuo "notch, groove", nuoen "to smooth out with a scraper", Lith: knisti "to dig", Arm: qnel,qnum "to sleep".
  • manka, 'stela', Arm: manuk, mankakan "child, childish".
  • mater, 'mother', from PIE *mater-, 'mother';
cf. Gk: meter "mother", Serb
Serbian language

name=Serbian|nativename=|pronunciation=['sr?pski?]|familycolor=Indo-European|map=|states=See below under "Official status", besides that in Croatia and as an immigrant's language spread over Central Europe and Western Europe, as well as Northern America...
: 'mater', Per: madar "mother", Alb
Albanian language

Albanian is an Indo-European languages spoken by nearly 6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including the west of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and southern Serbia....
: motër "sister" Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: ma/mê "mother/female"
  • meka, 'great', from PIE *meg-, 'great';
Gk: megas "great"; , Arm
Armenian language

The 'Armenian language' is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenians. It is the official language of the Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh....
: metz "great"; , Kur
Kurdish language

The Kurdish language is a term used for the language spoken by Kurdish people. It is mainly concentrated in the parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey....
: mezn (mezin) "great" , Alb
Albanian language

Albanian is an Indo-European languages spoken by nearly 6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including the west of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and southern Serbia....
: i/e madh "big, great".
  • zamelon, 'slave', PIE *dhghom-, 'earth';
Gk: chamelos "adj. on the ground, low", Srb/Cro: zèmlja and Bulg
Bulgarian language

Bulgarian is an Indo-European languages, a member of the Slavic languages linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except Macedonian language, such as the elimination of grammatical case, the development of a suffixed definite article , the lack of a verb infin...
: zèmya/zèmlishte "earth/land", Lat: humilis "low".

See also

  • Paleo Balkan languages
  • Ancient Macedonian language
    Ancient Macedonian language

    Ancient Macedonian was the language of the ancient Macedonians. It was spoken in Macedonia during the 1st millennium BC. From the 4th century BC, it was gradually replaced by the Koine Greek dialect of the Hellenistic period....
  • Thracian language
    Thracian language

    The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times by the Thracians in South-Eastern Europe....
  • Greek language
    Greek language

    Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
  • Alphabets of Asia Minor
    Alphabets of Asia Minor

    Various alphabetic writing systems were in use in Iron Age Anatolia to record Anatolian languages and the Phrygian language. Previously several of these languages had been written with logogram and syllabary systems....


External links

  • -Britannica.com
  • -maravot.com/