Numidian language

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Numidian
Old Libyan
Native toancient Numidia and Africa
EthnicityMassylii
Era3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD
Libyco-Berber (Proto-Tifinagh)
Language codes
ISO 639-3nxm
nxm
Glottolognumi1241

Numidian, also known as Old Libyan or Libyan, was a language spoken in ancient Numidia and Roman North Africa. Although the script in which it was written, Libyco-Berber (from which Tifinagh descended), has been almost fully deciphered, the language has not. Libyco-Berber inscriptions are attested from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD. The language is scarcely attested and can be confidently identified only as belonging to the Afroasiatic family.

Categorization and reconstruction[edit]

As the Massylii, who spoke the language, were ethnically Berber,[1][2] it is supposed that Numidian was therefore a Berber language.[3] The Berber branch of Afro-Asiatic is sometimes called Libyco-Berber since it is not certain whether Numidian would fall within the modern Berber languages or form a sister branch to them. Some theorize that it constituted a group of its own, as there is no trace of the noun-case system shared by the modern Berber languages.[4] However, Proto-Berber is theorized to have no grammatical case either, which would also imply a later addition of the system. The Lybico-Berber tifinagh and the Phoenician alphabet being abjads without vowels complicates the matter even more.[5]

Work on deciphering the language has not been decisive, although especially recently some tried to reconstruct words by comparing Numidian script to proto and modern Berber languages. Most remaining scripts are funerary, and follow the formula of "X w-Y" (X son of Y). A few gravestones show a different word between the two personal names, plausibly interpreted as a kinship term based on Berber comparisons: wlt "daughter (of)" (modern Berber wəlt), and, more rarely, mt "mother (of)" (modern Tuareg ma). In the Dougga inscriptions some political positions are mentioned, such as "gld" (lord) which based on this technique, can be translated into the modern berber word "agellid"[6] which originates from the proto-berber word "*a-gəllid". A few verbs have been unambiguously identified in the various inscriptions. Comparison with modern Berber suggests that ṣkn, probably read as "eṣ(ə)k-n based on modern berber comparison which means"built" is to be analysed as ṣk "build" plus -n, marking 3pl subject agreement (-ən).[7][8]

An example of translation using this method can be demonstrated on a part of a Numidian inscription which is read as "Msnsn. gldt. w-gjj."[9] "Msnsn" is the name of king Massinissa while "gldt" is the word for king. Finally, "w-gjj" means "son of Gaia". Thus by attempting to translate the Numidian text through modern and proto-Berber the inscription would read "Massinissa the king, son of Gaia".[10][8]

This would strongly suggest that Numidian is a now extinct branch of the Berber languages, although this is not completely accepted and some linguists still criticize this theory.[4]

Thugga inscription[edit]

The Thugga inscription is the longest known Numidian inscription as of yet, and has served with the most clues regarding the language.

Numidian script

ṢKN. TBGG. BNP?TŠN?. MSNSN. GLDT. WGJJ. GLDT. WZLLSN. ŠPṬ[T]

ŚBŚND. ŚGDT. SJS'. GLD. MKWSN.

ŠPṬ. GLDT. WPŠN. GLDT. MWSN'. ŠNK. WBNJ. WŠNK. DŠPT. WM[GN]

WTNK. MṢṢKW. MGN. WJRŠTN. WŚDJLN. GḎB. MGN. WŠPṬ. MW[SNT]

WŠMN. GLDT. GLDGMJL. ZMR. WMSNP. WŠMN. GLDMṢK. MQ[L']

WŠJN. GLDT. WMGN. GLDT. ṬNJN. ŠJN. WNKKN. WPṬŠ. DRŠ[ .W]

ŠPṬ. WŠNK[11]

Normalization and adding of known or possible vowels

eṣ(ə)k-n Thubgag BNP?TŠN? Mass-nsen a-gəllidt w-Gayya a-gəllidt w-Zelalsen šufet

aswas-nd' sugasdenn (?) s-yusa' a-gəllid Mikiwsan[8]

Translation from Punic

The Thuggans built this sacred place for king Massinissa, son of king Gaia, sone of the shuphet Zelalsen in the year of the Jubilee(?) after Micipsa became the king.

The lines after this have not yet been reconstructed.

Comparison with modern berber languages[edit]

Numidian Northern Berber languages Tamasheq language English
eṣ(ə)k eṣk or bnu kɑ́nn or dæ̀y build
Thubgag Thugga Thugga Dougga
BNP?TŠN? Unknown meaning, and missing letter
Mass-nsen Mass-nsen or Masnsen Mass-nsen or Masnsen Masinissa
Gayya Gaya Gaya Gala
Zelalsen Zelalsen Zelalsen Zelalsen
a-gəllid agellid or agllid amenokal lord, master or king
šufet shufet shufet Shophet
aswas assewas, assegwas or asseggas Awetai, Iwitian Possibly year, although Numidian translation is unsure
sugasdenn deffir d̩ɑ̀ræt or d̩ɑ̀rɑ after
yusa' yusa or as-d ə̀qqæl come or came
Mikiwsan Mekwesen Mekewsen Micipsa

Based on comparison, Numidian seems to be closest to the modern Northern Berber languages such as the Zenati languages, Shilha language, and the Kabyle language although the modern northern berber languages have gone through grammatical changes, and they have also taken loanwords from Arabic, Latin, and French.

Other texts[edit]

These texts are examples of bilingual inscriptions with known meanings, most of which are funerary texts

The first published sketch of the Ateban inscription

Cenotaph inscription[edit]

Punic

[mn]ṣbt š'ṭbn bn ypmṭt bn plw

hbnm š'bnm ʕb'rš bn ʕbdštrt

zmr bn 'ṭbn bn ypmṭt bn plw

mngy bn wrsbn

wb'zrt šl' **t* zzy wṭmn wwrskn

hḥršm šyr msdl bn nnpsn w'nkn b[n] 'šy

hnskm šbrzl špṭ bll wppy bn bby

Punic to English translation

The monument of 'ṭbn son of Ypmṭt son of Plw.  Builders of the stones: ʕb'rš son of ʕbdštrt; Zmr son of 'ṭbn son of Ypmṭt son of Plw; Mngy son of Wrsbn.  And for its ???, Zzy son of Ṭmn and Wrskn.  Workers of the wood: Msdl son of Nnpsn and 'nkn son of 'šy. Casters of the iron: Šfṭ son of Bll and Ppy son of Bby.

Numidian

****N WYFMṬT W*******DRŠ WWDŠTR*****BN WYFMṬṮ WFLWMNGY WWRSKNKSLNS ŻŻY WṬMN WRSKNNBBN NŠ[Q]RH MSDL WNNFSN NKN WŠYNB*N NZLH ŠFṬ WBLL FFY WBBY

Normalization and adding of known or possible vowels

Aṭeban w-Yefmaṭat w-Falu****D'rš w-Wadaštar

Zamir w-Aṭeban w-Yefmaṭat w-Falu

Mangy w-Wareskan

KSLNS Żaży w-Ṭaman w-Raskn

NBBN NŠ[Q]RH Masdil w-Nanafsen Naken w-šy

NB*N N(u)Z(a)LH Šufeṭ w-Balil Fafy W-Beby[12]

The translation of the words outside of personal names in the text still debated, although in the last line what was translated in Punic as "casters of iron" is shown in Numidian as "NB*N NZLH". In most Modern Berber languages the word for iron is "uzzal" which is a Wanderwort,[13] and in this Numidian script it can be assumed that NZLH can be reconstructed a n-uzzal-h based on comparison with modern Berber.

Borj Hellal inscription[edit]

Punic

LYGW'KNY BN KNRDT BN MSYLN TN"BNM’ L’

Numidian

YGWKN W KNRDT NNBYH

Normalization and adding of known or possible vowels

Ygwakni w-Kanardat NNBYH

Known English translation

Ygwakni son of Kanardat NNBYH[14]

Ain el-Kebch inscription[edit]

Numidian

ZNN RCH WYRNBT NMRSH MSWH

Normalization and adding of known or possible vowels

Z'anan RCH w-YRNBT NMRSH MSWH

Known English translation

Z'NN son of YRN'BT the NMRSH

Kef Beni Fredj inscriptions[edit]

Latin

SACTUT•IHIMIR F•VIXIT•ANORVM•LXX H[SE]

Latin to English

Sactut son of Ihimir lived 70 years. [He is buried here.]

Numidian

ZKTT WYMR MTYBLH MSWH MNKDH

Normalization and adding of known or possible vowels

Zaktut w-Iymir MTYBLH MSWH MNDKH

MTYBLH is probably the name of a place, while the last two words, MSWH MNKDH, are common on funerary inscriptions; their meaning is controversial.[12]

Place and clan names[edit]

According to some linguists, words starting with N or M and ending with H so often mentioned in funerary texts (including MSWH, MNDKH, NNBYH) are names of clans. A few examples of known names or writings of clans or towns include:

  • MSLM: Massylii
  • MSKR or MSKRH: Misiciri, or Misikiri, a Berber tribe whom lived along the Medjerda mountains
  • NNDRMH: Possibly Nedroma
  • NBIBH: Nababhes, a Berber tribe who lived in modern day western Algeria
  • NPZIH: Possibly the Nefzawas, a Berber tribe in modern day southern Tunisia or Northeast Libya

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jamil M. Abun-Nasr (20 August 1987). A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period. Cambridge University Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-316-58334-0.
  2. ^ Phillip C. Naylor (7 May 2015). Historical Dictionary of Algeria. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-8108-7919-5.
  3. ^ Steven Roger Fischer (4 April 2004). History of Writing. Reaktion Books. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-86189-588-2.
  4. ^ a b Robert Martin Kerr, 2010
  5. ^ Pereltsvaig, Asya (2020-09-03). Languages of the World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-47932-5.
  6. ^ Maddy-Weitzman, Bruce (2011-05-01). The Berber Identity Movement and the Challenge to North African States. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-74505-6.
  7. ^ "Libyco-Berber". mnamon.sns.it. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  8. ^ a b c Daniels, Peter T.; Bright, William (1996). The World's Writing Systems. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507993-7.
  9. ^ Jensen, Hans (1969). Sign, Symbol, and Script: An Account of Man's Efforts to Write. Putnam.
  10. ^ "Libyan' Inscriptions in Numidia and Mauretania". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  11. ^ Donner, Herbert; Röllig, Wolfgang (2002). Kanaanäische und aramäische Inschriften (in iw). Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  12. ^ a b "Libyco-Berber - Examples of writing". mnamon.sns.it. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  13. ^ Kossmann, Maarten (2013-07-18). The Arabic Influence on Northern Berber. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-25309-4.
  14. ^ http://www.inp.rnrt.tn/periodiques/Africa09.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  • Aikhenvald & Militarev, 1991. 'Livijsko-guanchskie jazyki', Jazyki Azii i Afriki, vol. 4, pp. 148–266.
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