Hoe ontcijfer je een dode taal?

Summary

This transcript explores the fascinating process of deciphering dead languages, focusing on the example of Krim-Gothic and Egyptian hieroglyphs. It highlights the challenges scholars face when trying to decode ancient texts, emphasizing the importance of finding key starting points like bilingual inscriptions or related languages. Through examples such as the Rosetta Stone and Ogier van Busbeke’s investigation of Krim-Gothic, the narrative demonstrates how linguistic patterns, sound shifts, and historical documents can help reconstruct lost languages. It showcases how determination, linguistic knowledge, and a bit of luck can unravel the mysteries of forgotten tongues.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ancient languages can be deciphered even if they are no longer spoken, but it requires scientific effort and unique methods.
• 😀 Discovering an unknown language, like an ancient Egyptian or Gothic dialect, involves overcoming challenges like the absence of translators and dictionaries.
• 😀 The Rosetta Stone played a key role in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs by providing a translation key through multiple languages.
• 😀 Every language's decryption is a unique puzzle, and there is no universal decoder for dead languages.
• 😀 The Krim-Gothic language was spoken by the Goths in Crimea and is related to Germanic languages like Dutch, German, and English.
• 😀 The migration of the Goths from northern Europe to the Crimea led to the isolation and eventual loss of their language and culture.
• 😀 In the 16th century, humanists like Ogier van Busbeke began studying native languages, discovering traces of the Krim-Gothic language through the testimonies of two envoys.
• 😀 Ogier’s list of Krim-Gothic words led to the hypothesis that the language was related to Old Gothic, but uncertainties arose due to translation issues and language mixing.
• 😀 Advances in phonetics in the 19th century helped scholars understand sound shifts in languages, providing more clarity in deciphering the Krim-Gothic language.
• 😀 The Krim-Gothic language was confirmed to be related to Gothic, not just a corrupted form of modern German, through comparisons with ancient texts like Wulfila's Gothic Bible.
• 😀 Inscriptions found in Crimea in the 9th century further confirmed the Krim-Gothic language, revealing it to be distinct from the Gothic spoken by the Byzantines, with unique dialect features.

Q & A

What happens when a librarian or archaeologist finds an ancient text that no one can understand?

The scientist would face the challenge of deciphering the language, as no one speaks it anymore and there is no known translation. This requires an understanding of language evolution and the use of existing clues or tools to decode it.

What is the main challenge in deciphering a dead language?

The main challenge is the lack of a 'universal decoding key'. Every case of deciphering a dead language is unique, requiring the use of clues such as related languages, inscriptions, and historical context.

How was the Egyptian hieroglyphs deciphered?

The deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs was facilitated by the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, which featured the same text in three scripts: hieroglyphic, demotic (another Egyptian script), and Greek, providing the necessary clues for translation.

What is the Krim-Gothic language, and why is it significant?

Krim-Gothic was spoken by the Goths who settled in the Crimean Peninsula. It is significant because it is closely related to Germanic languages like Dutch and German and offers insights into the history of the Goths and their migration.

How did the Goths end up in the Crimean Peninsula?

The Goths migrated from Northern Europe to Eastern Europe and eventually settled on the northern shores of the Black Sea in Crimea during the third century. Some later expanded further into Italy and Spain.

What role did Ogier van Busbeke play in the discovery of the Krim-Gothic language?

Ogier van Busbeke, a Flemish humanist, became interested in the Krim-Gothic language when he heard of a people in Crimea with Germanic features. He interviewed two emissaries from Crimea and recorded a list of words in the Krim language, which he believed might be of Gothic origin.

Why is Ogier van Busbeke's list of Krim-Gothic words considered imperfect?

Busbeke's list is imperfect due to multiple layers of translation between different languages (Greek, Italian, Latin, West Flemish, and German) that distorted the original words. Additionally, his lack of familiarity with certain languages led to potential errors.

How did linguistic advancements in the 19th century help in understanding the Krim-Gothic language?

In the 19th century, the discovery of systematic sound shifts in languages, particularly in the study of the Germanic languages, allowed linguists to compare Busbeke's list to these shifts and identify errors, leading to a clearer understanding of the Krim-Gothic language.

What evidence supports that Krim-Gothic is indeed a Germanic language?

The comparison of Busbeke's list with the Gothic Bible, translated by Bishop Wulfila in the fourth century, shows clear connections. Additionally, evidence from inscriptions and the study of sound changes reinforces the idea that Krim-Gothic is a variety of Gothic.

What is the significance of the 2013 discovery related to Krim-Gothic?

In 2013, a fragment of a column from the former Crimean Gothic capital was discovered with graffiti in Greek and an unusual script. This graffiti was found to have similarities with the Gothic script designed by Wulfila, providing crucial evidence that the Goths in Crimea were still using their Gothic language in the 9th century.

How was the Krim-Gothic text from the graffiti decoded?

The graffiti was decoded by recognizing patterns from Wulfila's Gothic script. Researchers identified words that were consistent with Gothic language, such as 'frauja' (lord) and 'hilp' (help), revealing a message asking for help for a sinner named Damian.

What does the study of the Krim-Gothic language teach us about deciphering dead languages?

Deciphering a dead language requires persistence, patience, and often centuries of research. It shows the importance of finding initial clues, understanding linguistic evolution, and interpreting scripts accurately. A breakthrough often comes from a combination of scholarly knowledge, luck, and detailed analysis.