Luwian language
| Luwian | |
|---|---|
Luwian hieroglyph BOS (cow) | |
| Native to | Hittite Empire, Arzawa, Neo-Hittite kingdoms |
| Region | Anatolia (Turkey), Northern Syria |
| Ethnicity | Luwians |
| Extinct | around 600 BC |
Indo-European
| |
Early forms | Proto-Indo-European
|
| Cuneiform Anatolian hieroglyphs | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:xlu – Cuneiform Luwianhlu – Hieroglyphic Luwian |
Linguist List | xlu Cuneiform Luwian |
hlu Hieroglyphic Luwian | |
| Glottolog | luvi1235 |
Distribution of the Luwian language | |
Luwian (/ˈluːwiən/), sometimes known as Luvian or Luish, is an ancient language, or group of languages, within the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family. The ethnonym Luwian comes from Luwiya (also spelled Luwia or Luvia) – the name of the region in which the Luwians lived. Luwiya is attested, for example, in the Hittite laws.[1]
The two varieties of Luwian are known after the scripts in which they were written: Cuneiform Luwian (CLuwian) and Hieroglyphic Luwian (HLuwian). There is no consensus as to whether these were a single language or two closely related languages.
- ^ Law number 21 of the Code of the Nesilim says, "If anyone steal a slave of a Luwian from the land of Luwia, and lead him here to the land of Hatti, and his master discover him, he shall take his slave only."