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It is generally believed that a militarily powerful, nomadic [[Indo-Aryans|Indo-Aryan]] elite, known as the [[Maryannu]], settled in Mitanni, and came to [[elite dominance|politically dominate]] the indigenous population, while also adopting the Hurrian language. Such an phenomenon might be considered to form a part of the [[Indo-Aryan migration|Indo-Aryan expansion]]. |
It is generally believed that a militarily powerful, nomadic [[Indo-Aryans|Indo-Aryan]] elite, known as the [[Maryannu]], settled in Mitanni, and came to [[elite dominance|politically dominate]] the indigenous population, while also adopting the Hurrian language. Such an phenomenon might be considered to form a part of the [[Indo-Aryan migration|Indo-Aryan expansion]]. |
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In a treaty between the [[Hittites]] and Mitanni (between [[Suppiluliuma]] and [[Shattiwaza]], c. 1380 BC), the deities [[Mitra]], [[Varuna]], [[Indra]], and [[Nasatya]] ([[Ashvins]]) are invoked. [[Kikkuli]]'s horse training text (''circa'' 1400 BC) includes technical terms such as ''aika'' ([[Vedic Sanskrit]] ''eka'', one), ''tera'' (''tri'', three), ''panza'' (''pañca'', five), ''satta'' (''sapta'', seven), ''na'' (''nava'', nine), ''vartana'' (''vartana'', round). The numeral ''aika'' "one" is of particular importance because it places the superstrate in the vicinity of Indo-Aryan proper ([[Vedic Sanskrit]] ''eka'', with regular contraction of /ai/ to [eː]) as opposed to [[Indo-Iranians|Indo-Iranian]] or early Iranian (which has ''*aiva''; compare Vedic ''eva'' "only") in general. |
In a treaty between the [[Hittites]] and Mitanni (between [[Suppiluliuma]] and [[Shattiwaza]], c. 1380 BC), the deities [[Mitra]], [[Varuna]], [[Indra]], and [[Nasatya]] ([[Ashvins]]) are invoked. [[Kikkuli]]'s horse training text (''circa'' 1400 BC) includes technical terms such as ''aika'' ([[Vedic Sanskrit]] ''eka'', one), ''tera'' (''tri'', three), ''panza'' (''pañca'', five), ''satta'' (''sapta'', seven), ''na'' (''nava'', nine), ''vartana'' (''vartana'', round). The numeral ''aika'' "one" is of particular importance because it places the superstrate in the vicinity of Indo-Aryan proper ([[Vedic Sanskrit]] ''eka'', with regular contraction of /ai/ to [eː]) as opposed to [[Indo-Iranians|Indo-Iranian]] or early Iranian (which has ''*aiva''; compare Vedic ''eva'' "only") in general.{{Cn}} |
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Another text has ''babru(-nnu)'' (''babhru'', brown), ''parita(-nnu)'' (''palita'', grey), and ''pinkara(-nnu)'' (''pingala'', red). Their chief festival was the celebration of the [[solstice]] (''vishuva'') which was common in most cultures in the ancient world. The Mitanni warriors were called ''marya'' (Hurrian: maria-nnu), the term for (young) warrior in [[Sanskrit]] as well;<ref>Manfred Mayrhofer, Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, Heidelberg 1986-2000, II 293</ref> note mišta-nnu (= miẓḍha,~ Sanskrit mīḍha) "payment (for catching a fugitive)" (Mayrhofer II 358). |
Another text has ''babru(-nnu)'' (''babhru'', brown), ''parita(-nnu)'' (''palita'', grey), and ''pinkara(-nnu)'' (''pingala'', red). Their chief festival was the celebration of the [[solstice]] (''vishuva'') which was common in most cultures in the ancient world. The Mitanni warriors were called ''marya'' (Hurrian: maria-nnu), the term for (young) warrior in [[Sanskrit]] as well;<ref>Manfred Mayrhofer, Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, Heidelberg 1986-2000, II 293</ref> note mišta-nnu (= miẓḍha,~ Sanskrit mīḍha) "payment (for catching a fugitive)" (Mayrhofer II 358). |
Revision as of 01:37, 24 April 2022
Some loanwords in the variant of the Hurrian language spoken in the Mitanni kingdom, during the 2nd millennium BCE, are identifiable as originating in an Indo-Aryan language; these are considered to constitute an Indo-Aryan superstrate in Mitanni (or in Mitanni Hurrian). The words in question are theonyms, proper names and technical terminology.
It is generally believed that a militarily powerful, nomadic Indo-Aryan elite, known as the Maryannu, settled in Mitanni, and came to politically dominate the indigenous population, while also adopting the Hurrian language. Such an phenomenon might be considered to form a part of the Indo-Aryan expansion.
In a treaty between the Hittites and Mitanni (between Suppiluliuma and Shattiwaza, c. 1380 BC), the deities Mitra, Varuna, Indra, and Nasatya (Ashvins) are invoked. Kikkuli's horse training text (circa 1400 BC) includes technical terms such as aika (Vedic Sanskrit eka, one), tera (tri, three), panza (pañca, five), satta (sapta, seven), na (nava, nine), vartana (vartana, round). The numeral aika "one" is of particular importance because it places the superstrate in the vicinity of Indo-Aryan proper (Vedic Sanskrit eka, with regular contraction of /ai/ to [eː]) as opposed to Indo-Iranian or early Iranian (which has *aiva; compare Vedic eva "only") in general.[citation needed]
Another text has babru(-nnu) (babhru, brown), parita(-nnu) (palita, grey), and pinkara(-nnu) (pingala, red). Their chief festival was the celebration of the solstice (vishuva) which was common in most cultures in the ancient world. The Mitanni warriors were called marya (Hurrian: maria-nnu), the term for (young) warrior in Sanskrit as well;[1] note mišta-nnu (= miẓḍha,~ Sanskrit mīḍha) "payment (for catching a fugitive)" (Mayrhofer II 358).
Sanskritic interpretations of Mitanni names render Artashumara (artaššumara) as Arta-smara "who thinks of Arta/Ṛta" (Mayrhofer II 780), Biridashva (biridašṷa, biriiašṷa) as Prītāśva "whose horse is dear" (Mayrhofer II 182), Priyamazda (priiamazda) as Priyamedha "whose wisdom is dear" (Mayrhofer II 189, II378), Citrarata as Citraratha "whose chariot is shining" (Mayrhofer I 553), Indaruda/Endaruta as Indrota "helped by Indra" (Mayrhofer I 134), Shativaza (šattiṷaza) as Sātivāja "winning the race price" (Mayrhofer II 540, 696), Šubandu as Subandhu "having good relatives" (a name in Palestine, Mayrhofer II 209, 735), Tushratta (tṷišeratta, tušratta, etc.) as *tṷaišaratha, Vedic Tveṣaratha "whose chariot is vehement" (Mayrhofer I 686, I 736).
Attested words and comparisons
All of the following examples are from Witzel (2001).[2] For the pronunciation of the sounds transcribed from cuneiform as š and z, see Proto-Semitic language#Fricatives.
Names of people
Transcription of cuneiform | Interpretation | Vedic equivalent | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
bi-ir-ya-ma-aš-da | Priyamazdha | Priyamedha | "whose wisdom is dear"; /azd(ʰ)/ to [eːd(ʰ)] is a regular development in Vedic and its descendants (Indo-Aryan in the narrow sense) |
bi-ir-ya-aš-šu-wa, bi-ir-da-aš-šu-wa | Priyāśva ~ Prītāśva | Prītāśva | "whose horse is dear" |
ar-ta-aš-šu-ma-ra | Artasmara | Ṛtasmara | "who thinks of Arta/Ṛta" |
ar-ta-ta-a-ma | Artadhāma(n?) | Ṛtadhāman | "his abode is Ṛta" |
tu-uš-rat-ta, tu-iš-e-rat-ta, tu-uš-e-rat-ta | Tvaiša(?)ratha | Tveṣáratha | "whose chariot is vehement" |
in-tar-ú-da, en-dar-ú-ta | Indrauta | Indrota | "helped by Indra"; /au/ to [oː] is a regular development in Vedic; ú specifically indicates [u] as opposed to [o] |
Names of gods
From treaties of Mitanni.
Transcription of cuneiform | Interpretation | Vedic equivalent | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
a-ru-na, ú-ru-wa-na | Varuna | Varuṇa | |
mi-it-ra | Mitra | Mitra | |
in-tar, in-da-ra | Indra | Indra | |
na-ša-ti-ya-an-na | Nasatya(-nna) | Nāsatya | Hurrian grammatical ending -nna |
a-ak-ni-iš | Āgnis | Agni | only attested in Hittite, which retains nominative -/s/ and lengthens stressed syllables |
Horse training
From Kikkuli.
Transcription of cuneiform | Interpretation | Vedic equivalent | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
a-aš-šu-uš-ša-an-ni | āśva-san-ni? | aśva-sana- | "master horse trainer" (Kikkuli himself) |
-aš-šu-wa | -aśva | aśva | "horse"; in personal names |
a-i-ka- | aika- | eka | "1" |
ti-e-ra- | tera- ? | tri | "3" |
pa-an-za- | pańća- ? | pañca | "5"; Vedic c is not an affricate,[citation needed] but apparently its Mitanni equivalent was |
ša-at-ta | satta | sapta | "7"; /pt/ to /tː/ is either an innovation in Mitanni or a misinterpretation by a scribe who had Hurrian šinti "7" in mind |
na-a-[w]a- | nāva- | nava | "9" |
wa-ar-ta-an-na | vartan(n)a | vartana | round, turn |
Sources
- James P. Mallory. "Kuro-Araxes Culture", Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. Chicago–London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997.
- Manfred Mayrhofer. Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, 3 vols. Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1992-2001.
- Manfred Mayrhofer. “Welches Material aus dem Indo-arischen von Mitanni verbleibt für eine selektive Darstellung?”, in Investigationes philologicae et comparativae: Gedenkschrift für Heinz Kronasser, ed. E. Neu. Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz, 1982, pp. 72–90.
- Paul Thieme, The 'Aryan Gods' of the Mitanni Treaties, Journal of the American Oriental Society 80, 301-317 (1960)
See also
References
- ^ Manfred Mayrhofer, Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, Heidelberg 1986-2000, II 293
- ^ Witzel, Michael (2001). "Autochthonous Aryans? The evidence from Old Indian and Iranian texts". Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies. 7 (3): 1–115. doi:10.11588/ejvs.2001.3.830.