Lecture | Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (CIEL) Seminars
Celtiberian and Lusitanian: Some Recent Findings
- Date
- Friday 4 April 2025
- Time
- Series
- Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (CIEL) Seminars
- Location
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 0.05
Abstract
Celtiberian and Lusitanian are the two indigenous Indo-European languages attested in the Iberian Peninsula in Antiquity. These are fragmentary languages, known only from a limited number of inscriptions; however, as with other Palaeohispanic languages, the number of known inscriptions is steadily increasing. In this paper, we will examine a few recent findings and their implications for our understanding of these two languages.
For Celtiberian, a particularly significant recent discovery is the Novallas bronze. Although written in the Latin alphabet, it surprisingly provides evidence of a diacritic used with the letter S to distinguish between (at least) two different sibilants. This finding has important implications for Celtiberian phonology and for the study of Celtiberian inscriptions written in the Latin script.
Regarding Lusitanian, we will analyze in detail the two most recently discovered inscriptions, from Arronches and Viseu in Portugal. These inscriptions offer valuable phonetic and morphological information about this poorly attested language. Specifically, they provide evidence for understanding the evolution of final -s in Lusitanian, as well as insights into the morphology of the accusative and dative plural. In combination with evidence from Latin inscriptions found in the same region, these discoveries have led to a reevaluation of certain Lusitanian deity names previously identified.