Gutian language
Encyclopedia
The Gutian language was spoken by the Gutians or Guteans, an ancient people who lived in the territory between the Zagros
and the Tigris
, present-day Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan, around 2100 BCE, and who briefly ruled over Sumer
.
Nothing is known about the language except its existence and a list of Gutian ruler names in the Sumerian king list
. The existence is attested by a list of languages spoken in the region, found in a clay tablet from the Middle Babylonian period presumably originating from the city of Imar,, which also lists Akkadian
, Amorite
, Sutean
, "Subarean" (Hurrian
), and Elamite
. There is also record of "an interpreter for the Gutean language" at Adab
.
The Gutian king names from the Sumerian list are Inkishush
, Zarlagab, Shulme
(or Yarlagash), Silulumesh (or Silulu), Inimabakesh (or Duga), Igeshaush (or Ilu-An), Yarlagab
, Ibate, Yarla (or Yarlangab), Kurum, Apilkin, La-erabum, Irarum, Ibranum, Hablum, Puzur-Suen, Yarlaganda
, Si-um (?), and Tirigan. Based on these names, some scholars claim that the Gutian language was neither Semitic
nor Indo-European
, and was unrelated to the languages spoken around it.
However, according to T. Gamkrelidze
and V. Ivanov
, Gutian language was close to Tocharian languages
of the Indo-European
family
The historical Guti have been widely regarded as among the ancestors of the Kurds, including by the modern Kurds themselves. However, in the late 19th-century, Assyriologist Julius Oppert
sought to connect the Gutians of remote antiquity with the later Gutones (Goths), whom Ptolemy in 150 AD had known as the Guti, a tribe of Scandia. Oppert's theory on this connection is not shared by many scholars today, in the absence of further evidence.
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
and the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
, present-day Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan, around 2100 BCE, and who briefly ruled over Sumer
Sumer
Sumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
.
Nothing is known about the language except its existence and a list of Gutian ruler names in the Sumerian king list
Sumerian king list
The Sumerian King List is an ancient manuscript originally recorded in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer from Sumerian and neighboring dynasties, their supposed reign lengths, and the locations of "official" kingship...
. The existence is attested by a list of languages spoken in the region, found in a clay tablet from the Middle Babylonian period presumably originating from the city of Imar,, which also lists Akkadian
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
, Amorite
Amorite language
Amorite is an early Northwest Semitic language, spoken by the Amorite tribes prominent in early Near Eastern history. It is known exclusively from non-Akkadian proper names recorded by Akkadian scribes during periods of Amorite rule in Babylonia , notably from Mari, and to a lesser extent Alalakh,...
, Sutean
Sutean language
The Sutean language is mentioned by a clay tablet from the Middle Assyrian period, presumably originating from the city of Imar, among a list of languages spoken in the region. The other languages are Akkadian, Amorite, Gutian, "Subarean" , and Elamite. The Sutean people may have lived in the...
, "Subarean" (Hurrian
Hurrian language
Hurrian is a conventional name for the language of the Hurrians , a people who entered northern Mesopotamia around 2300 BC and had mostly vanished by 1000 BC. Hurrian was the language of the Mitanni kingdom in northern Mesopotamia, and was likely spoken at least initially in Hurrian settlements in...
), and Elamite
Elamite language
Elamite is an extinct language spoken by the ancient Elamites. Elamite was the primary language in present day Iran from 2800–550 BCE. The last written records in Elamite appear about the time of the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great....
. There is also record of "an interpreter for the Gutean language" at Adab
Adab
Adab or Udab was an ancient Sumerian city between Telloh and Nippur. It was located at the site of modern Bismaya or Bismya in the Wasit Governorate of Iraq.-History:...
.
The Gutian king names from the Sumerian list are Inkishush
Inkishush
Inkishush or Inkicuc was a Gutian ruler in Sumer from ca. 2135 BC to 2129 BC. Inkishush is the first Gutian ruler mentioned in the Sumerian King List.-See also:*Chronology of the ancient Near East*Sumerian king list...
, Zarlagab, Shulme
Shulme
Shulme was a Gutian ruler in Sumer from ca. 2126 BC to 2120 BC.-See also:*Chronology of the ancient Near East*Sumerian king list*Gutian dynasty of Sumer...
(or Yarlagash), Silulumesh (or Silulu), Inimabakesh (or Duga), Igeshaush (or Ilu-An), Yarlagab
Yarlagab
Yarlagab was a Gutian ruler of Sumer.Yarlagab was preceded by Ilu-An and succeeded by Ibate....
, Ibate, Yarla (or Yarlangab), Kurum, Apilkin, La-erabum, Irarum, Ibranum, Hablum, Puzur-Suen, Yarlaganda
Yarlaganda
Yarlaganda , and was a Gutian.He was preceded by Puzur-Suen and succeeded by Si-Um....
, Si-um (?), and Tirigan. Based on these names, some scholars claim that the Gutian language was neither Semitic
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
nor Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
, and was unrelated to the languages spoken around it.
However, according to T. Gamkrelidze
Tamaz Gamkrelidze
Tamaz Valeryanovich Gamkrelidze is a distinguished Georgian linguist, orientalist public benefactor and Hittitologist, Academician and President of the Georgian Academy of Sciences , Doctor of Sciences , Professor .Gamkrelidze was born in Kutaisi, Georgian SSR...
and V. Ivanov
Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Ivanov
Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Ivanov is a prominent Soviet/Russian philologist and Indo-Europeanist probably best known for his glottalic theory of Indo-European consonantism and for placing the Indo-European urheimat in the area of the Armenian Highlands and Lake Urmia.-Early life:Vyacheslav Ivanov's...
, Gutian language was close to Tocharian languages
Tocharian languages
Tocharian or Tokharian is an extinct branch of the Indo-European language family. The name is taken from the people known to the Greeks as the Tocharians . These are sometimes identified with the Yuezhi and the Kushans. The term Tokharistan usually refers to 1st millennium Bactria, which the...
of the Indo-European
Indo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
family
The historical Guti have been widely regarded as among the ancestors of the Kurds, including by the modern Kurds themselves. However, in the late 19th-century, Assyriologist Julius Oppert
Julius Oppert
Julius Oppert , French-German Assyriologist, was born at Hamburg, of Jewish parents.After studying at Heidelberg, Bonn and Berlin, he graduated at Kiel in 1847; and the next year went to France, where he was teacher of German at Laval and at Reims...
sought to connect the Gutians of remote antiquity with the later Gutones (Goths), whom Ptolemy in 150 AD had known as the Guti, a tribe of Scandia. Oppert's theory on this connection is not shared by many scholars today, in the absence of further evidence.