The Galatian language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken in Galatia in Asia Minor (modern Turkey ) from the 3rd century BC. e. until the 4th century AD e. Some ancient sources claim that the Galician language was spoken in the VI century [1] . Akin to the Gallic language .
Content
Vocabulary
Only a few short glosses in the comments of classical authors and scattered names in inscriptions have been preserved from the language. Altogether they comprise approximately 120 words, mainly names and geographical names. Written by Greek authors, the words [2] [3] :
- άδάρκα (adarka) - a certain plant,
- αδες (ades) - legs,
- βαρδοί (bardoi) - bard singing poet
- μάρκα (marka) - horse
- τριμαρκισία (trimarkisia) - a battle group of three horsemen.
Proper names
Personal names end with riks, sometimes with -marus and correspond to common names throughout the Celtic-speaking space. Many contain a common root for Celtic languages:
- * brog - "country, territory". For comparison: Old Irish mruig , Welsh and Breton bro ; akin to the Latin margo and the Gothic marka ,
- * epo- "horse"; Old Irish ech , Welsh eb- (preserved in the word ebol “pony” and as part in ebrwydd “swiftly”),
- * māro- "great." For comparison: Gallic -māros , Old Irish mór , Welsh mawr , Breton meur
- * rig (o) - , "king". For comparison: Gallic -rīx / -reix , Irish rí , Welsh rhi ; akin to Gothic -reiks and Latin rēx .
Examples [2] :
Άδιατόριξ (Adiatorīx) - Adiatorix
Βιτοριξ (Bitorīx) - Bitorix
Βρογιμάρος (Brogimāros) - Brogimaros
Κάμμα (Cāmmā) - Kamm
Δομνείων (Domneiū) - Domney
Έπόνη (Eponī) - Eponi
Ολοριξ (Olorīx) - Olorix
Σμερτομάρα (Smertomārā) - Smertomara
Τεκτομάρος (Tectomāros) - Tectomaros
Generic names include:
- Ambitouti (Old Irish imm- , Welsh am “around”; Old Irish tuath , Welsh tut , “tribe”).
- Ριγόσαγες ( Rigosages - “King's Hunters ”). For comparison: the Irish saigid “go, look,” Welsh haedu , the verb suffix -ha “strive”.
- Τεκτόσαγες ( Tectosages - “Wandering Seekers”) . For comparison, a related tribe of wolves of tectosaguses in Gaul . Old Irish techt "movement", Welsh taith , "travel").
Geographic Names
Toponymy includes
- Acitorīgiāco ("[Settlement from] Acitorīx"; for example Acitodunum in Gaul),
- Άρτικνιακόν ( Articniācon , “[Settlement from] Artiknos” [“Son of the Bear”]),
- Δρυνέμετον ( Drunemeton ; from the practical * dru- “oak” or “mighty.” For comparison: Old Irish druí , Welsh dryw [from * dru-wid-s ], “Druid, wise man”, Old Irish neimed , Welsh nyfed “sacred place, [sacred] grove "). Designates the meeting place of the Galatian tetrarchs and judges.
- Ούινδια ( Uindia ; Old Irish finn , Welsh gwyn [masculine], gwen [feminine. "Light, white").
Notes
- ↑ John T. Koch. Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia . " Late classical sources — if they are to be trusted — suggest that it survived at least into the 6th century AD ." - Santa-Barbara: ABC-CLIO. - T. 3 G -L. - S. 788. - 2187 p. - ISBN 9781851094400 .
- ↑ 1 2 Philip Freeman. The Galatian Language: A Comprehensive Survey of the Language of the Ancient Celts in Greco-Roman Asia Minor . - Mellen Press, 2001. - S. 15–18, 23–64. - 136 p. - ISBN 9780773474802 .
- ↑ Xavier Delamarre. Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental . - Errance, 2008 .-- 440 p. - ISBN 9782877723695 .
Literature
- Freeman ph. The Galatian Language: A Comprehensive Survey of the Language of the Ancient Celts in Greco-Roman Asia Minor. Lewiston, New York: Mellen Press, 2001. ISBN 0-7734-7480-3 . (eng.)
- Weisgerber, L. (1931). Galatische Sprachreste. In Natalicium Johannes Geffcken zum 70. Geburtstag 2. Mai 1931 gewidmet von Freunden, Kollegen und Schülern, 151-75. Heidelberg: Carl Winter. (German)