Editing Anatolian Languages (section)

== Hattian Language (pre-Indo-European language isolate; ~2000-1400 BCE) ==
Hattian (or '''Hattic''') was called ''Hattili'' in later '''Hittite''' cuneiform texts, and it is sometimes referred to as <u>proto-Hittite</u>. Hattian has left behind a scant linguistic record, primarily because it was not written in its own '''script'''. Our knowledge of Hattian comes from later cuneiform texts written by the <u>Hittites</u>, who adopted and adapted their '''cuneiform''' writing system from <u>Mesopotamia</u>. The Hittites used this script to record Hattian in a number of religious texts and rituals, which provides the primary evidence for linguistic study.

The <u>Halys River</u>, now known as the <u>'''Kızılırmak River'''</u>, was a significant geographical marker, serving not just as a physical boundary but also as a linguistic and cultural demarcation line; the '''Hattians''' inhabited the region around and inside the bend of the Halys River, primarily in central and north-central <u>Anatolia</u>, south of the <u>Black Sea</u>. They settled on a central plateau, surrounded by mountains and intersected by fertile river valleys; the Halys River was a crucial waterway for agriculture, trade, and communication; this was a region called '''Hatti''' (Biblical <u>Heth</u>).  The Assyrian and Egyptian designation of an area west of the Euphrates was the 'Land of the Hatti' (, or <u>Khatti</u>). This position also provided some measure of isolation for the Hattians, separated geographically from the influences of neighboring cultures in its earliest stages of their development. In the narrative of the ''Bible'' (''<u>Genesis 10:15</u>''), '''Heth''' is a son of '''Noah''' who was given the land of <u>Canaan</u>. The Hittites, among other groups, represent the indigenous populations that the Israelites encountered and sometimes fought against, according to biblical narratives.

The heartland of the language before the arrival of Hittite-speakers ranged from '''Hattusa''' (then called <u>Hattus;</u> near modern <u>Boğazkale, central Türkiye</u>) northward to '''Nerik''' (coastal north-central <u>Türkiye</u>). By the rise of the <u>Hittite New Empire</u> (~1400 BCE), this language had been replaced even in its heartland, outcompeted by <u>Indo-European</u> '''Hittite'''.

Hattian language seems to have been agglutinative, with a variety of both prefixes and suffixes that when added to its root word can change its meaning; these markers could represent tense, mood, and possession. Unlike <u>Indo-European</u> languages, Hattian seems to have lacked gender distinctions for its nouns / pronouns, and it is believed to have a case system to denote grammatical functions such as subject, object, and possession (typical for languages of the region). It also seems to have favored a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, which is common for agglutinative languages, as well, as for languages that possess a rich lexicon of case markers.

Hittite texts frequently incorporated religion-oriented Hattian words and phrases in '''rituals''', '''prayers''', and descriptions of '''gods''', indicating a deep respect for the religious traditions of their predecessors. This adoption seems to have extended beyond vocabulary, influencing the structure and practice of Hittite religious ceremonies and belief systems.

Aside from religious terms, Hittite absorbed a number of Hattian loanwords, particularly in the areas of '''agriculture''', '''flora''', and '''fauna''', which suggests a degree of cultural exchange and influence in everyday life and knowledge.

While the core structure of <u>Hittite</u> remained <u>Indo-European</u>, the prolonged contact with Hattian may have influenced certain '''syntactic''' or '''morphological''' aspects, especially in the context of ritual language. Isolating these influences is challenging due to the nature of the available texts, which are primarily religious and therefore might not reflect everyday language use.