A Grammar of the Hittite Language

Since its publication in 2008, A Grammar of the Hittite Language has been the definitive Hittite reference and teaching tool. This new edition brings Hoffner and Melchert’s essential work up to date, incorporating the dramatic progress achieved in the field over the past fifteen years.

Heavily revised and expanded, the second edition recasts the discussion of topics to better serve the linguistically informed reader. A reorganized presentation of the synchronic facts makes them accessible to both Hittitologists and linguists interested in Hittite for historical or typological purposes.

Part 1 provides a thorough overview of Hittite grammar that is grounded in abundant textual examples. Part 2 is a tutorial that guides students through a series of graded lessons with illustrative sentences for translation. The tutorial is keyed to the reference grammar and includes extensive updated notes. Taken together with Part 2: Tutorial, which guides students through a series of graded lessons keyed to this reference grammar, the work remains the most comprehensive and detailed Hittite grammar ever produced.

“In this second edition of A Grammar of the Hittite Language, Melchert superbly synthesizes the substantially increased knowledge of all aspects of Hittite grammar since the first edition in 2008, regularly adding his own original grammatical insights. The discussion excellently represents the state of the art while also making clear that much work still needs to be done. The book is a must-read for Hittitologists and Indo-Europeanists.”—Petra Goedegebuure, senior editor of The Chicago Hittite Dictionary

Harry A. Hoffner Jr. was John A. Wilson Professor of Hittitology at the University of Chicago. He was the author of six books, including The Laws of the Hittites and Hittite Myths.

H. Craig Melchert is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and A. Richard Diebold Professor of Indo-European Studies Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles. His research centers on historical linguistics, with special emphasis on the Anatolian subfamily of Indo-European. He has written many articles and books, including A Dictionary of the Lycian Language and Anatolian Historical Phonology.

Contents

Preface

Preface to the Revised Edition

List of Abbreviations and Conventional Markings

Introduction

Chapter 1. Orthography and Phonology

Chapter 2. Noun and Adjective Formation

Chapter 3. Noun and Adjective Inflection

Chapter 4. Noun and Adjective Declension

Chapter 5. Personal Pronouns

Chapter 6. Possessive Pronouns

Chapter 7. Deixis: The Demonstratives

Chapter 8. Relative and Indefinite Pronouns

Chapter 9. Numbers

Chapter 10. Verb Formation

Chapter 11. Verb Inflection

Chapter 12. Conjugation of mi-Verbs

Chapter 13. Conjugation of ḫi-Verbs

Chapter 14. Medio- Passive Conjugation

Chapter 15. Grammatical Agreement

Chapter 16. Noun Cases

Chapter 17. Pronouns

Chapter 18. Adjectives

Chapter 19. Adverbs

Chapter 20. Local Adverbs, Preverbs and Postpositions

Chapter 21. Verb Voice

Chapter 22. Verb Tense

Chapter 23. Verb Mood

Chapter 24. Verb Aspect

Chapter 25. Non- Finite Verb Forms

Chapter 26. Negation

Chapter 27. Questions

Chapter 28. Particles

Chapter 29. Conjunctions

Chapter 30. Clauses

Chapter 31. Grammatical Effects of Language Use

Chapter 32. Sumerian and Akkadian

References

Index

Selected Word Index