The Elements of Hittite

by Theo Van Den Hout

Hittite is the earliest attested Indo-European language and was the language of a state which flourished in Asia Minor in the second millennium BC. This exciting and accessible new introductory course, which can be used in both trimester and semester systems, offers in ten lessons a comprehensive introduction to the grammar of the Hittite language with ample exercises both in transliteration and in cuneiform. It includes a separate section of paradigms, a grammatical index, as well as a list of every cuneiform sign used in the book. A full glossary can be found at the back. The book has been designed so that the cuneiform is not essential and can be left out of any course if so desired. The introduction provides the necessary cultural and historical background, with suggestions for further reading, and explains the principles of the cuneiform writing system.

Genres: Linguistics

222 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2011

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice intro textbook. The organization leads you steadily through the language with a little bit of grammar, vocabulary, writing etc. in each chapter. Exercises walk you through a real and important text, and as you get through the book you make decent progress through that as well. What's especially nice compared to other Hittite primers is the inclusion of the actual cuneiform as well as the transliterations, and the inclusion of some pictures of the original texts, which gives you much more of a real connection to the language than dealing just with Latinized text.

One thing I'd like to see in the book is an expanded reference section at the end, especially including a more comprehensive dictionary section. (There is a dictionary and maybe it is sufficient for someone who already has familiarity with the language; but for someone who is new, or wants to use the book as a reference beyond the specific texts included in the book, it would be helpful to have something more comprehensive and informative.) Including a few other texts, even without full analysis or exercises, would also make the book even more valuable for people who want to continue working in the language.

[Szoruj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, in my opinion this concise coursebook has only one con - vocabulary lists after each lesson are often incomplete and some words cannot be found even in the appendix.