Trojan language

The Trojan language was the language spoken in Troy during the Late Bronze Age. The language remains unidentified, and it is not certain that there was one single language used in the city at the time.

The prime candidate language is Luwian, an Anatolian language which was widely spoken in Western Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age. Arguments in favor of this hypothesis include seemingly Luwian-origin Trojan names such as Kukkunni and Wilusiya, cultural connections between Troy and nearby Luwian-speaking states of Arzawa, and a seal with Hieroglyphic Luwian writing found in the ruins of Troy VIIb1. However, these arguments are not conclusive. No Trojan name is indisputably Luwian, and some are most likely not, for instance the seemingly Greek name Alaksandu. Additionally, the exact connection between Troy and Arzawa remains unclear, and in some Arzawan states such as Mira, Luwian was spoken alongside both pre-Indo-European languages and later arrivals such as Greek. Finally, the Luwian seal isn't sufficient to establish that it was spoken by the city's residents, particularly since it is an isolated example found on an easily transportable object.^[1][2][3]

In Ancient Greek literature such as the Iliad, Trojan characters are portrayed as having a common language with the Achaeans. However, scholars unanimously interpret this fact as a poetic convention, and not as evidence that the Trojans were Greek speakers. For instance, Calvert Watkins points out that the Spanish epic poem El Cid portrays its Arab character as Spanish speakers and that the Song of Roland similarly portrays Arab characters as speaking French.^[1][2][3]

Some scholars have suggested that Greek-origin names for Trojan characters in the Iliad motivate a more serious argument for the Trojans having been Greek speakers. However, legendary names have also been used to argue that the Trojans spoke other languages such as Thracian or Lydian. These arguments have been countered on the basis that these languages, unlike Luwian, would have been familiar to classical-era bards and could therefore be later inventions.^[1][2][3]

Given the paucity of data, one scholar concludes his discussion of the issue as follows:^[3]

...the lesson to be learned from this discussion is probably that of Wittgenstein: whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent. Additional data are required in order to carry forward research in this area.

See also[]

• Ahhiyawa
• Comparative method
• Dardanians
• Hittite language
• Indo-European languages
• Linear B
• Prehistory of Anatolia

References[]