Extinct Languages
Description
A noted linguist examines extinct languages, from Egyptian hieroglyphs to the mysteries of as-yet undeciphered writings, in this scholarly work. While certain ancient languages were passed down continuously through the ages, many others were ignored for centuries. When scholars began to decipher these extinct languages in the early nineteenth century, they uncovered previously inaccessible riches of knowledge and history. Yet much work remains to be done on undeciphered scripts that continue to tantalize and perplex us today. In Extinct Languages, linguist Johannes Friedrich guides readers through the fascinating world of recovered systems of writing, including Egyptian and Hittite hieroglyphs, Babylonian cuneiform, and others. He also explains the methodology and principles behind the deciphering process that will one day crack ancient mysteries such as the Indus Valley script.
More details
Person
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Contents
- Introduction
- I. The Three Great Decipherments in the Study of the Ancient Orient
- 1. The Egyptian Hieroglyphics
- a. Land and People, History and Culture
- b. The Principles of the Egyptian Writing
- c. The Decipherment of the Egyptian Writing
- d. The Meroitic Script and Its Study
- 2. Cuneiform Writing
- a. Land and People, History and Civilization of Mesopotamia
- b. The Essential Features of the Cuneiform Writing
- c. The Spread of Cuneiform Writing to the East and to the West
- d. Remarks concerning the History and Civilization of the Hurrians and Hittites
- e. Alphabetic Scripts Based on the Cuneiform Writing
- f. The Decipherment of the Early Persian Cuneiform Script
- g. The Decipherment of the Neo-Elamite Cuneiform Script
- h. The Decipherment of the Babylonian Cuneiform Script
- i. The Interpretation of Sumerian Records
- j. The Interpretation of Hittite and of Cognate Languages of Asia Minor
- k. The Interpretation of Hurrian
- l. The Interpretation of Urartaean
- m. The Interpretation of Early Elamite
- n. The Decipherment of Ugaritic
- 3. The Hittite Hieroglyphic Writing
- a. General Facts
- b. The Basic Principles of the Hieroglyphic Script and the Possibility of a Decipherment
- c. The Progress of the Decipherment
- II. The Decipherment and Study of Other Scripts and Languages of the Old World
- 1. The Decipherment of Other Unknown Scripts and Languages
- a. The Translation of the Lycian Language
- b. The Translation of the Lydian Language
- c. On the Translation of the Language of Side
- d. The Decipherment of the Numidian Script
- 2. The Decipherment of Other Unknown Scripts
- a. The Decipherment of the Cypriote Script
- b. On the Decipherment of the Proto-Byblic Script
- 3. The Translation of Other Unknown Languages
- a. On the Translation of Etruscan
- b. On the Translation of Other Languages of Ancient Italy
- c. On the Translation of Phrygian
- III. Principles of the Methodology of the Decipherment of Extinct Scripts and Languages
- IV. A Few Examples of Undeciphered Scripts
- 1. The Sinaitic Script
- 2. The Cretan-Minoan Script
- 3. The Carian Script
- 4. The Indus Valley Script
- Appendix
- Index
- About the Author
- Copyright
