Punic language

Punic
Spoken in:	Formerly spoken in North Africa
Total speakers:	—
Language family:	Afro-Asiatic  Semitic   West Semitic    Central Semitic     Northwest Semitic      Canaanite       Punic
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	none
ISO 639-2:	sem
ISO 639-3:	xpu
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode.

The Punic language is an extinct Semitic language formerly spoken in the Mediterranean region of North Africa by the people of the Punic culture, while its effects survive today in various southern european mediterranean languages.

Contents 1 Description 2 Aspirated "H" 3 Influence 4 See also

[edit] Description

Punic as a spoken language is described as extinct and it is too far removed from modern day literature to be thought of as dormant.

Yet there are many scripts still in existence on both sides of the Atlantic. Some are monumental and generally conform to a Phoenician based alphabet/font, but in addition classical literature and a number of later dramatic works have preserved the concept of written and spoken Punic, albeit with a roman alphabet and latinised pronunciation.

Most historical translations have in the main relied on roman narratives and most Punic words which easily reach us in the 21st century tend to be North African place, family or personal names.

Other articles contain reference to the Punic Wars in which there are many allusions to such nomenclature of which some are more well known than others. e.g. Hannibal, Hasdrubal, Hanno, Hamilcar, Himilco, Hippo Accra, Hadrumentum, Hispania, Bomilcar, Carthalo, Gades, Utica, Bostar, Qartakhena, Qart Hadasht, Gisco,Mago, Melqart, Ashroket, Hamilax, Abdolonim, Haggith, Baalhaan, et al.

[edit] Aspirated "H"

One of the most striking features of spoken Punic which transcends more than two millennia is the prevailing aspirate 'h' in translation.

Those modern languages which correctly aspirate an 'h' in speech have a common factor in that in every case there is evidence of Carthaginian/Iberian/Celtic progenitors.^{[dubious – discuss]}

There is in addition when translated using a Roman alphabet a sibilant pronunciation of most word formations commencing with the letter 'x', e.g. xthet and xocolac.

Another typical feature of this language is that this letter 'l' in pronunciation would form the equivalent of a glottal stop unless placed at the beginning of a word formation.

Like many other Afro-Asiatic languages, vowel sounds are implied in context, rather than indicated in script, e.g. hnbl brc lmmch brc

[edit] Influence

Influence of proto-Punic and neo-Punic can be plainly identified in spoken languages of those types even where there is limited written evidence, although there is some which survives to this day. e.g. Hanno's first speech at the beginning of scene V of Plautus Poenulus:

yth alonim ualonuth sicorathi symacom syth chy mlachthi in ythmum ysthyalm ych-ibarcu mysehi li pho caneth yth bynuthi uad edin byn ui bymarob syllohom alonim ubymysyrthohom byth limmoth ynnocho thuulech-antidamas chon ys sidobrim chi fel yth chyl is chon chen liful yth binim ys dybur ch-innocho-tnu mehashabim yth emanethi hy chirs aelichot sithi nasot bynu yid ch-illuch ily gubulim lasibithim bodi aly thera ynnynu yslym min cho-th iusim. yth alonim ualoniuth sicorathi isthym himihym macomsyt lech lachanna nilimniichto anno byn mytthymballe udrait annech, rufeyn nyccho issam.

A further documentation attributes this oath to Barcid family leaders hialpi mer sva Melqart, ok Eschmoun, ok hin almattki an Tanit.

In Canaanite writings there is clear Punic verse: aesneth karith nago, ualkah um ubefo, karith an shem.

[edit] See also

• Punicpl:Język punicki