𒉈𒅆𒇷
Hittite
Anatolian (Indo-European) · historical / hidden variety
Hittite (Nešili) is the earliest attested Indo-European language (c. 1650-1178 BCE), the official language of the powerful Hittite Empire centered on Hattusa (modern Boğazkale, central Anatolia, Turkey). Its decipherment by Bedřich Hrozný in 1915 revolutionized Indo-European studies — it preserves laryngeal consonants reconstructed for Proto-Indo-European but lost in nearly every other branch, confirming Saussure's 1879 theoretical reconstruction. Written in cuneiform borrowed from Akkadian on clay tablets, with around 30,000 surviving tablets from the royal archives.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Hittite
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Anatolian (Indo-European)
| Meaning | Hittite | Luwian | Mycenaean Greek | Old Persian | Avestan | Tocharian A | Phrygian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 𒉿𒀀𒋻 /waːtar/ | wār /waːr/ | 𐀄𐀈 /hudɔːr/ | 𐎠𐎱 /aːpi/ | 𐬁𐬞 /aːp/ | 𑀯𑀭𑁆 /wær/ | bedu /ˈbedu/ |
| Fire | 𒉺𒄴𒄯 /paxːur/ | pāḫur /ˈpaːxur/ | 𐀢 /pyːr/ | 𐎠𐎫𐎼 /aːtar/ | 𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /aːtar/ | 𑀧𑁄𑀭𑁆 /por/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | 𔖖𔓚 /ˈtiwad/ | 𐀀𐀸𐀪𐀍 /haːwelios/ | 𐏃𐎢𐎺𐎼 /huwar/ | 𐬵𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆 /huwarə/ | 𑀓𑁄𑀁 /kom/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | 𒀀𒅈𒈠 /arma/ | 𔓜𔒄𔗦 /ˈarmas/ | 𐀕 /mɛːn/ | 𐎶𐎠𐏃 /maːha/ | 𐬨𐬁𐬵 /maːh/ | 𑀫𑀜𑁆 /mæɲ/ | masê /maˈseː/ |
| Star | 𒄩𒀸𒋼𒅕𒍝 /xasterts/ | — /—/ | 𐀀𐀳𐀫 /astɛːr/ | 𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎼 /staːra/ | 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬭 /star/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀭𑁂𑀁 /ɕreⁿ/ | — /—/ |
| Night | 𒅖𒉺𒀭𒍝 /ispants/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐎧𐏁𐎱 /xʃapa/ | 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬞 /xʃap/ | 𑀯𑀱𑁂 /wʂe/ | — /—/ |
| Rain | 𒄭𒂊𒍑 /xeːus/ | — | — | — | 𐬬𐬁𐬭𐬀 /ˈʋaːra/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀯𑀲𑁂 /swase/ | — |
| Wind | 𒄷𒌋𒉿𒀭𒍝 /xuwants/ | — | 𐀀𐀚𐀗 /anemos/ | — | 𐬬𐬁𐬙𐬀 /ˈʋaːta/ | 𑀯𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆 /want/ | — |
| Earth | 𒋼𒂊𒅗𒀭 /teːkan/ | tiyamma- /tijamma/ | — | 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡 /buːmi/ | 𐬰𐬀𐬨 /zam/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀓𑀁 /tkam/ | — |
| Stone | 𒉺𒀸𒅆𒆷𒀸 /pasːilas/ | assu- /ˈasːu/ | — | 𐎠𐎰𐎥 /aθaŋɡa/ | 𐬀𐬯𐬆𐬥𐬔𐬀 /asəŋɡa/ | 𑀓𑀭𑁆𑀯𑀸𑀜𑁆 /kərwaɲ/ | — |
| Sea | 𒀀𒊒𒈾𒀸 /arunas/ | — | — | 𐎭𐎼𐎹 /draja/ | 𐬰𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬢𐬵 /zrajaŋh/ | 𑀲𑀸𑀫𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀢𑀭𑁆 /saːmudtər/ | — |
| Mother | 𒀭𒈾 /anːa/ | anni- /ˈanni/ | 𐀔𐀳 /maːtɛːr/ | 𐎶𐎠𐎫𐎼 /maːtar/ | 𐬨𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /maːtar/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀘𑀭𑁆 /maːtsar/ | mater /ˈmater/ |
| Father | 𒀜𒋫 /atːa/ | 𔐞𔑣𔓯𔗔 /ˈtadis/ | 𐀞𐀳 /patɛːr/ | 𐎱𐎡𐎫𐎠 /pitaː/ | 𐬞𐬌𐬙𐬀𐬭 /pitar/ | 𑀧𑀸𑀘𑀭𑁆 /paːtsar/ | atas /aˈtas/ |
| I | 𒌑𒊌 /uːk/ | 𔐀 /ˈamu/ | 𐀁𐀒 /eɡɔː/ | 𐎠𐎭𐎶 /adam/ | 𐬀𐬰𐬆𐬨 /azəm/ | 𑀦𑀱𑁆 /nəʂ/ | az /az/ |
| You | 𒍣𒅅 /tsik/ | tu /tu/ | 𐀶 /tuː/ | 𐎬𐎢𐎺𐎶 /tuvam/ | 𐬙𐬏𐬨 /tuːm/ | 𑀢𑀼 /tu/ | — /—/ |
| We | 𒌑𒂊𒌍 /weːs/ | anzāš /ˈantsaːs/ | — /—/ | 𐎺𐎹𐎶 /vajam/ | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨 /vaeːm/ | 𑀯𑀲𑁆 /was/ | — /—/ |
| Name | 𒆷𒀀𒈠𒀭 /laːman/ | 𔐓𔓇𔒄𔖪 /ˈalamantsa/ | 𐀃𐀜𐀔 /onoma/ | 𐎴𐎠𐎶 /naːma/ | 𐬥𐬁𐬨𐬀𐬥 /naːman/ | 𑀜𑁄𑀁 /ɲom/ | onoman /ˈonoman/ |
| Person | 𒀭𒌅𒉿𒀪𒄩𒀸 /antuwaxːas/ | ziti- /ˈtsiti/ | 𐀀𐀵𐀫𐀦 /antʰrɔːkʷos/ | 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 /martija/ | 𐬨𐬀𐬴𐬌𐬌𐬀 /maʃja/ | 𑀦𑀧𑁂𑀁 /napem/ | — |
| Head | 𒄩𒅈𒊭𒅈 /xarsar/ | ḫarmaḫi- /ˈxarmaxi/ | — | — | 𐬯𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬵 /sarah/ | 𑀮𑀧𑁆 /lap/ | — |
| Eye | 𒊭𒆪𒉿 /sakuwa/ | tawi- /ˈtawi/ | — /—/ | 𐏂𐏁𐎶𐎴 /tʃaʃman/ | 𐬗𐬀𐬱𐬨𐬀𐬥 /tʃaʃman/ | 𑀅𑀓𑁆 /ak/ | — /—/ |
| Ear | 𒅖𒋫𒈠𒀭 /istaman/ | tummant- /ˈtumːant/ | — | 𐎥𐎢𐏁 /ɡauʃa/ | 𐬔𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 /ɡaoʃa/ | 𑀓𑁆𑀮𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀲𑁆 /klots/ | — |
| Mouth | 𒀀𒄿𒅖 /ajs/ | āssa- /ˈaːsːa/ | — | — | 𐬁𐬵 /aːh/ | — | — |
| Tooth | 𒅗𒀀𒂵 /kaːɡa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐬛𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬀𐬥 /dantan/ | 𑀓𑀫 /kəm/ | — /—/ |
| Tongue | 𒆷𒀀𒆷 /laːla/ | lāli- /ˈlaːli/ | — /—/ | 𐏃𐏀𐎠𐎴𐎶 /hizaːnam/ | 𐬵𐬌𐬰𐬎𐬎𐬁 /hizuaː/ | 𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑀼 /kəntu/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | 𒆠𒅖𒊭𒅈 /kesːar/ | 𔑁𔓯𔑶𔖸 /ˈistri/ | 𐀐𐀁 /kʰɛːr/ | 𐎭𐎿𐎫 /dasta/ | 𐬰𐬀𐬯𐬙𐬀 /zasta/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀲𑀭𑁆 /tsar/ | zeira /ˈzeːra/ |
| Foot | 𒉺𒋫 /pata/ | pāta- /ˈpaːta/ | 𐀡𐀆 /podei/ | 𐎱𐎠𐎭 /paːda/ | 𐬞𐬀𐬛 /pad/ | 𑀧𑁂 /pe/ | petes /ˈpetes/ |
| Heart | 𒆠𒅕 /ker/ | zārt- /tsaːrt/ | — /—/ | 𐏀𐎼𐎭 /zard/ | 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 /zərəd/ | 𑀅𑀭𑀸𑀜𑁆𑀘𑁆 /araːɲts/ | — /—/ |
| Bone | 𒄩𒀸𒋫𒄿 /xastaːi/ | ḫāssa- /ˈxaːsːa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐬀𐬯𐬙 /ast/ | 𑀆𑀬𑁆 /aːj/ | — /—/ |
| Blood | 𒂊𒌍𒄯 /eːsxar/ | āšḫar- /ˈaːsxar/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎𐬥𐬍 /vohuniː/ | 𑀬𑁆𑀲𑀸𑀭𑁆 /jsaːr/ | — /—/ |
| Poop | 𒊭𒀝𒋼𒀀 /sakːar/ | — | — | — | 𐬔𐬏𐬚𐬀 /ɡuːθa/ | — | — |
| Love | 𒀀𒀸𒅆𒅀𒋻 /aːsːijatar/ | azza- /ˈatsːa/ | 𐀠𐀫 /pʰilos/ | 𐎳𐎼𐎡𐎹 /frija/ | 𐬟𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 /frija/ | 𑀢𑀼𑀁𑀓𑁆 /tuŋk/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | 𒋫𒊒 /taru/ | — /—/ | 𐀈𐀬 /doru/ | — /—/ | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀 /waesa/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀫𑁆 /staːm/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | 𒆪𒉿𒀭 /kuwan/ | zuwana- /tsuˈwana/ | 𐀓𐀺 /kuwɔːn/ | 𐎿𐎱𐎣 /spaka/ | 𐬯𐬞𐬁 /spaː/ | 𑀓𑀼 /ku/ | kan /kan/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𑀓𑀼𑀫𑀽𑀱𑁆 /kumuːʂ/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐬨𐬀𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬀 /masja/ | 𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀱 /laks/ | — /—/ |
| Bear | 𒄯𒁖𒂵𒀸 /xartaɡːas/ | — | — | — | 𐬀𐬭𐬴𐬀 /arʃa/ | — | — |
| House | 𒂍 /peːr/ | 𔔙𔐤𔖪 /ˈparnantsa/ | 𐀺𐀂𐀒 /woikos/ | 𐎶𐎠𐎴𐎡𐎹 /maːnija/ | 𐬥𐬨𐬁𐬥𐬀 /nmaːna/ | 𑀯𑀱𑁆𑀢𑁆 /waʂt/ | — /—/ |
| Honey | 𒈪𒇷𒀉 /milit/ | malli- /ˈmalːi/ | 𐀕𐀪 /meli/ | — | — | 𑀫𑀺𑀢𑁆 /mit/ | — |
| Wine | 𒉿𒅀𒈾𒀸 /wijanas/ | — | 𐀺𐀜 /woinos/ | — | — | — | — |
| Iron | 𒄩𒉺𒀠𒆠 /xapalki/ | — | — | — | 𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬢𐬵 /ajaŋh/ | — | — |
| Wheel | 𒄷𒌨𒆠𒅖 /xurkis/ | — | 𐀀𐀗 /harmo/ | — | 𐬗𐬀𐬑𐬭𐬀 /tʃaxra/ | 𑀓𑀼𑀓𑀮𑁆 /kukəl/ | — |
| Eat | 𒂊𒄑𒍝𒊍𒍣 /eːtsːatsːi/ | ad- /ad/ | 𐀁𐀈𐀕𐀙 /edmenai/ | 𐎧𐎼 /xar/ | 𐬑𐬬𐬀𐬭 /xwar/ | 𑀰𑀯𑁆 /ɕæw/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | 𒂊𒆪𒍣 /ekutsi/ | ū- /uː/ | 𐀡𐀜 /piːnɔː/ | 𐎱𐎠 /paː/ | 𐬞𐬁 /paː/ | 𑀬𑁄𑀓𑁆 /jok/ | — /—/ |
| Sleep | 𒊺𒌍𒍣 /sestsi/ | — | — | — | 𐬑𐬬𐬀𐬞 /xwap/ | 𑀓𑁆𑀮𑀺𑀲𑁆 /klis/ | — |
| One | 𒀸 /as/ | — /—/ | 𐀁 /hen/ | 𐎠𐎡𐎺 /aiwa/ | 𐬀𐬉𐬬𐬀 /aewa/ | 𑀲𑀲𑁆 /sas/ | — /—/ |
| Two | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐀉𐀺 /duwoː/ | 𐎯𐎢𐎺 /duva/ | 𐬛𐬬𐬀 /dva/ | 𑀯𑀼 /wu/ | — /—/ |
| Three | 𒋼𒊑 /teri/ | tarri- /ˈtarːi/ | 𐀯𐀪 /tiri/ | 𐎨𐎡𐏂 /θraja/ | 𐬚𐬭𐬁𐬌𐬌𐬊 /θraːjoː/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀭𑁂 /tre/ | — /—/ |
| Four | 𒈪𒂊𒉿𒀸 /miewas/ | māuwa- /ˈmaːuwa/ | 𐀤𐀵𐀫 /kʷetoro/ | — | 𐬗𐬀𐬚𐬡𐬀𐬭 /tʃaθwar/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯𑀭𑁆 /ɕtwar/ | — |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | 𒀸𒋗 /asːu/ | 𔖢 /ˈwaːsu/ | 𐀀𐀏𐀳 /aɡatʰos/ | 𐎴𐎡𐎲 /naiba/ | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 /vohu/ | 𑀓𑀸𑀲𑀼 /kaːsu/ | — /—/ |
| New | 𒉈𒂊𒉿𒀸 /neːwas/ | nāwa- /ˈnaːwa/ | 𐀚𐀺 /newos/ | — | 𐬥𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀 /nava/ | 𑀜𑀼 /ɲu/ | — |
| Red | 𒈪𒄿𒋾𒅖 /miːtis/ | — /—/ | 𐀁𐀬𐀲𐀨 /erutʰraː/ | — /—/ | 𐬯𐬎𐬑𐬭𐬀 /suxra/ | 𑀭𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀭 /rtaːr/ | — /—/ |
| White | 𒄯𒆠𒅖 /xarkis/ | — | 𐀩𐀄𐀒 /leukos/ | — | 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 /spaeta/ | 𑀆𑀭𑁆𑀓𑀺 /aːrki/ | — |
| Black | 𒁕𒀭𒆪𒅖 /dankuis/ | — | — | — | 𐬯𐬁𐬨𐬀 /saːma/ | 𑀅𑀭𑁆𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆 /arkant/ | — |
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