Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Hurrian Language

Hurrian is an extinct language that was spoken in the ancient Near East, particularly in the kingdom of Hurria, which existed from the 24th to the 13th century BCE. It is known primarily from a small number of inscriptions and loanwords found in other languages, such as Hittite and Ugaritian.

Hurrian was likely a member of the Northwest Caucasian language family, which also includes modern languages such as Circassian and Abkhaz. However, due to the limited amount of surviving texts and the complexities of the ancient Near Eastern linguistic landscape, the classification of Hurrian is still a matter of debate among scholars.

Some of the most notable Hurrian inscriptions include the "Hurrian King List", which provides information about the rulers of Hurria, and the "Hurrian Cultic Texts", which describe religious rituals and practices. These texts provide valuable insight into the culture and beliefs of the Hurrians, and have helped to shed light on the history of the ancient Near East.