Lycian

The Lycian language was spoken in what is now the Antalya region of Turkey up to about the 3rd Century BC, when the Lycians adopted Greek as their languages. Lycian is thought to have developed from Luwian, a language spoken in Asia Minor before the arrival of the Hittites (c. 18th century BC), and was related to Lydian.

The Lycian alphabet was adapted from an archaic version of the Doric Greek alphabet. Only a few of the Lycian letters were original inventions, or possibly borrowed from other alphabets. Around 180 inscriptions in Lycian dating from the fifth and fourth centuries BC have been found. As current knowledge of the language, particularly its grammar, is quite limited, not all the inscriptions have been fully deciphered.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Writing direction: left to right in horizontal lines
Number of letters: 29 (23 consonants and 6 vowels)
Some letters have several variant forms
A colon-like symbol was generally used to separate words.

Lycian alphabet

Sample text in Lycian

ãka herikle se haxlaza pabrati xbide hri-xñtawa-tahi ese tabãna terñ ijãnã ijaeusas krzz[ã]nase hãtahe.

When Ahilles and Heracles push the very army of Ionians in Iasos and Khersonnes with their own humiliation

Links

Information about the Lycian language and alphabet
http://www.lycianturkey.com
http://indoeuro.bizland.com/tree/anat/lycian.html

A Dictionary of the Lycian Language is available from:
http://www.beechstave.com/lycian.htm

Other alphabets

Armenian, Avestan, Bassa (Vah), Beitha Kukju, Coptic, Cyrillic, Elbsan, Etruscan, Fraser, Georgian (Asomtavruli & Nuskha-khucuri), Georgian (Mkhedruli), Glagolitic, Gothic, Greek, Hungarian Runes, Irish, Korean, Latin, Lycian, Lydian, Manchu, Meroïtic, Mongolian, N'Ko, Ogham, Old Church Slavonic, Oirat Clear Script, Old Italic, Old Permic, Orkhon, Pollard Miao, Runic, Santali, Somali, Sutton SignWriting, Tai Lue, Thaana, Uyghur

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