Hattic language

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Hattic was a non-Indo-European language spoken in Asia Minor between the 3rd and the 2nd millennia BC, before the appearance of the Hittites.

The Hittites, who spoke an Indo-European language (see Hittite language), eventually absorbed or replaced the Hattic speakers (Hattians), but continued to use Hattic for religious purposes.

Hattic is little known, but appears to be related to the Northwest Caucasian (Circassian) family. Its position in the hypothetical North Caucasian family and other proposed classifications of the languages of the Caucasus is still the subject of much debate among linguists.

The Hittite term for Hattic was hattili, whereas the Hittites called their own language nesili. The form "Hittite" originally comes from biblical Heth, quite possibly connected to common Assyrian and Egyptian designations of "Land of the Hatti" (Khatti) west of the Euphrates.

See also