Tartessos
Tartessian
Disputed (Indo-European Celtic per Koch 2009; non-IE per Untermann 1997) · historical / hidden variety
Tartessian (or "Southwestern Iberian") is the language of ~95 stelae inscriptions found in the Algarve, Alentejo, and southwestern Spain (~7-5c. BCE). The Tartessian script is largely deciphered but the language is partially understood. Decipherment is contested: John Koch (2009) argues for a Celtic affiliation; Jürgen Untermann (1997) treats it as non-Indo-European. Most basic vocabulary cells are unattested as inscriptions are dominated by personal names and funerary formulae.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tartessian
Water
—
/—/
Fire
—
/—/
Sun
—
/—/
Moon
—
/—/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
—
/—/
Eat
—
/—/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
—
/—/
House
—
/—/
Dog
—
/—/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
—
/—/
Eye
—
/—/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Koch (2009) — Tartessian: Celtic in the South-west at the Dawn of History
- Untermann (1997) — Monumenta Linguarum Hispanicarum IV
Words compared
Compared with related Disputed (Indo-European Celtic per Koch 2009; non-IE per Untermann 1997) languages
| Meaning | Tartessian | Nicaraguan Sign Language | Liburnian | Goguryeo | Damin (Lardil ceremonial register) | Messapic | Proto-Japonic-Koreanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | l!ii /lǃiː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *əma /əma/ |
| Father | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ana /ˈana/ | *əpa /əpa/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.