𒄩𒌨𒊑𒇷

Hurrian

Hurro-Urartian (separate from IE/Semitic) · historical / hidden variety

FamilyHurro-Urartian (separate from IE/Semitic) SpeakersExtinct (~2300-1000 BCE) ScriptCuneiform CountriesMitanni and northern Mesopotamia (modern N Iraq, Syria, SE Turkey) Official inMitanni kingdom Vitalityextinct ISO 639-3xhu

Hurrian was a major Near Eastern language of the 3rd-2nd millennia BCE, used as the lingua franca of the Mitanni kingdom and known from cuneiform tablets at Yorgan Tepe (Nuzi), Bogazköy, and elsewhere. Together with Urartian (a sister language), it forms the Hurro-Urartian family, with no proven relations to other languages — possibly a Caucasian connection has been proposed.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Hurrian

Water

𒅆𒂊

/ʃie/

Fire

𒋫𒌅

/tatu/

Sun

𒅆𒈨𒄀

/ʃimeɡi/

Moon

𒆪𒋢𒄴

/kuʃuh/

Star

𒀯𒄭

/mulhi/

Mother

𒂊𒈾

/ena/

Father

𒀜𒋫𒀀𒄿

/attai/

I

𒅖𒋼

/iʃte/

You

𒉿

/we/

Name

𒋾𒊺

/tiʒe/

Eye

𒁍𒊑

/furi/

Hand

𒋗𒉌

/ʃuni/

Heart

𒋾𒊭

/tiʃa/

Love

𒋫𒁺

/tadu/

Tree

𒋫𒁉

/tappi/

House

𒅁𒊑

/ipri/

Dog

𒅕𒈠

/irma/

Cat

𒊭𒉿𒍣

/ʃawazi/

Eat

𒄠

/am/

Drink

𒈾𒄴𒉿

/nahw/

One

𒊭

/ʃa/

Two

𒅆𒉌

/ʃini/

Hello

𒄭𒇻

/hilːu/

Thank you

𒀀𒅆

/aʃi/

Good

𒀀𒍣

/aʦi/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Hurro-Urartian (separate from IE/Semitic) languages

Meaning HurrianSumerianTangkhul NagaBembaKimbunduBatsDargwa
Water 𒅆𒂊 /ʃie/ 𒀀 /a/ ze /ze/ amenshi /amenʃi/ menha /meɲa/ ხი /xi/ шин /ʃin/
Fire 𒋫𒌅 /tatu/ 𒉈 /izi/ mei /mei/ umulilo /umulilo/ tubia /tubja/ ცʼე /tsʼe/ цӏа /tsʼa/
Sun 𒅆𒈨𒄀 /ʃimeɡi/ 𒌓 /utu/ nyithui /ɲitʰui/ akasuba /akasuba/ muanya /mwaɲa/ მაცხ /matsx/ берхӏи /beɾħi/
Moon 𒆪𒋢𒄴 /kuʃuh/ 𒌗 /itud/ lai /lai/ umweshi /umweʃi/ ngonde /ŋɡonde/ ბუცʼ /butsʼ/ баз /baz/
Star 𒀯𒄭 /mulhi/ 𒀯 /mul/ sira /siraː/ intanda /intanda/ tetembwa /teˈtembwa/ სედა /seda/ зубари /zubari/
Mother 𒂊𒈾 /ena/ 𒂼 /ama/ ina /ina/ bamayo /bamajo/ mama /mama/ ნანა /nana/ неш /neʃ/
Father 𒀜𒋫𒀀𒄿 /attai/ 𒀊𒁀 /abːa/ apa /apa/ bataata /bataːta/ tata /tata/ დადა /dada/ атта /atːa/
I 𒅖𒋼 /iʃte/ 𒂷 /ŋe/ i /i/ ine /ine/ eme /eme/ სო /so/ ду /du/
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