http://etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495?format=rss Tribe.net. Local Connections http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#c812376f-da3b-478e-8a87-dc4f915031b7 true, lol! Consider that the first teachers and doctors, not to say Roman kings, were Etruscans... Sun, 12 Feb 2006 08:23:42 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#c812376f-da3b-478e-8a87-dc4f915031b7 Cassandra Nightveil 2006-02-12T08:23:42Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#7b128b44-bba3-4e55-8fd8-70935c9516fd "thus un-orphaning two languages" Yes, language isolates (e.g., Sumerian, Basque, Etruscan) are perennial candidates for the grand marrying up, kooky armchair linguists. Some of the problems involved in trying to relate them are: (1) the great difference in age between extant texts, about 2K years, and (2) the lack of historical-comparative linguistics skills of the people doing the equating. See http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/larryt/basque.prehistory.html Wed, 26 Jan 2005 19:33:07 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#7b128b44-bba3-4e55-8fd8-70935c9516fd jheem 2005-01-26T19:33:07Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#df3bece7-b37d-427d-b1c3-c020e42e84cc "It does not seem to be related to any other language presently known." Did some digging, there seems to be some thought that it might be related to Basque...thus un-orphaning two languages. But that's not my conclusion, just something i read recently - i'll try and find the link. Wed, 26 Jan 2005 19:12:31 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#df3bece7-b37d-427d-b1c3-c020e42e84cc Sídhe 2005-01-26T19:12:31Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#1995baef-ed9a-4851-996f-3ffc582f9cfb I had a vision of an Etruscan haruspex coming to Rome and having learning foreign language like dialogues with other citizens. How does one say: "Excuse me, where is the Pantheon?" in Etruscan ... Wed, 26 Jan 2005 14:10:03 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#1995baef-ed9a-4851-996f-3ffc582f9cfb jheem 2005-01-26T14:10:03Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#dd48a1fa-f3b1-4bf2-89e9-2ef4ca7a658e You're welcome, Meka. It's a pity about the books. Ironically, the best collection of Mithraic statuary is in the Vatican. Wed, 26 Jan 2005 14:07:05 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#dd48a1fa-f3b1-4bf2-89e9-2ef4ca7a658e jheem 2005-01-26T14:07:05Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#87d12934-4380-436a-a80b-0348c82b56cb I just bought "Etruscan Language" by the Bonfante's - i am going to try to learn it if it's learnable...anyone here speak it or have good knowledge of it? Meka Wed, 26 Jan 2005 10:29:20 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#87d12934-4380-436a-a80b-0348c82b56cb niehjla 2005-01-26T10:29:20Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#47f53163-f9d2-4669-8e30-087bec7c7912 Some lovely links there jheem - thank you. Wikipedia is getting rather well-endowed - I haven't been there for a while. Nothing makes me angrier than the action in the last line of this paragraph: "Livy and Cicero were both aware that highly-specialized Etruscan religious rites were codified in several sets of books under the generic Latin title Etrusca Disciplina. The Libri Haruspicini dealt with divination from the entrails of the sacrificed animal, the Libri Fulgurales expounded the art of divination by observing lightning. A third set, the Libri Rituales, would have provided us with the key to Etruscan civilization: its wider scope embraced Etruscan standards of social and political life as well as ritual practices. According to the 4th century Latin writer Servius, a fourth set of Etruscan books existed, dealing with animal gods. The Christian authorities collected these works of paganism and burnt them during the 5th century." Meka. Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:31:46 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#47f53163-f9d2-4669-8e30-087bec7c7912 niehjla 2005-01-25T08:31:46Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#6a16c96d-8588-4737-b31d-b22a2d52372b There is really no genetic link between Latin and Etruscan that professional historical linguists recognize. Latin does have some Etruscan loanwords. Latin is what is called an Indo-European language (in the Italic sub-family), along with Oscan, Umbrian, and Faliscan. Etruscan is pretty much an isolate. It does not seem to be related to any other language presently known. The Romans did borrow a lot of culture from the Etruscans. Here are some links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan_language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italic_languages http://users.tpg.com.au/etr/etrusk/default.html The latter shows the Liber Linteus which is the longest, nearly complete text. Fri, 21 Jan 2005 15:13:40 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#6a16c96d-8588-4737-b31d-b22a2d52372b jheem 2005-01-21T15:13:40Z http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#c26162b6-63b1-425a-8572-1e02724d09d2 What's the current status of the debate regarding the origin of Latin and the Etruscan language? I remember there being some thought given to the idea that Latin was an Etruscan dialect (and that Rome began as an Etruscan colony). It certainly didn't begin as a Trojan colony that's for sure :^) I bring this up because I know that even the "Latins" were a distinct language group from the original language of the Romans themselves - so was that language Etruscan which evolved into Latin through assimilation/contact with the Latin tribes of the area? Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:28:16 GMT http://Etruria.tribe.net/thread/a63e8966-fcd8-4841-9805-f21359e91495#c26162b6-63b1-425a-8572-1e02724d09d2 Sídhe 2005-01-21T14:28:16Z