Hunnic language

[Nikos]

From what little we know of the Huns from period sources, we can infer that they most likely originated near or on the Mongolian steppe, but it is far from certain. Complicating the issue, the steppe tribe that attacked the Chinese (known as Xiong-Nu) are often times linked together with the Huns as being the same people. I'm not an expert in this area of history, but it would seem to me that a central Asian origin seems appropriate. However, there is little to no evidence of the Hunnic language remaining and what we do have can sometimes prove contradictory. So my fellow history enthusiasts, where do you feel the Hunnic language belongs with all the available evidence we have, and what do you think the connection (if any) between the Huns and Xiong-Nu people are?

For myself, I'm most comfortable placing Hunnic in the Altaic group of languages. Looking at the names I feel they fit in more with Altaic rather than Turkic or other language families.

[athanaric]

For myself, I'm most comfortable placing Hunnic in the Altaic group of languages. Looking at the names I feel they fit in more with Altaic rather than Turkic or other language families.

Well, unless there's been a major update over the last few months, Turkic is classified as a sub-group of Altaic. I think the safest bet is either a Turkic language or some other Altaic one from the region (AFAIK Hunnic names also match Turkic/Turkish names).

[Edelfred]

There too have been raids of different ethnicities united in common goal . I mean raids in Iran by Ugric or Turkic and Iranic . The latter been called in Sanskrit -Sveta Huns -White Huns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephthalite_Empire ).
Interesting that Sveta is also the name for fair-haired people in Slavic , which again reminds about Slavic-Iranic linguistical interchange .

[dogukan]

Turkic is an Altaic language.
Huns were probably a Turkic group of the steppes that mixed up with other peoples on the way creating a snowball effect and pushing everyone westward...but the original pushing group is most likely a central asian nomadic-pastoralist Altaic group.

[Edelfred]

Alas they have been mixed crew : Iranic and Slavic(the leaders of Huns in Europe: 3 from 5 had Slavic names ) elements are known . Altaic element is hypothetic and is Ugric sooner then Turkic .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huna_people : Huna here Iranic .

3 known words are (medos, strava ,kamos ) Medos is Gothic or Slavic for honey-based drink . Then word Strava I'd say the word is eitherSanskrit or Slavic or common to both intermixed groups . Kamos is too common to make any conclusion , but sooner Indo-European then Ugric .


Northern Huna were the Black Huns, Southern Huna were the Red Huns, Eastern Huna were the Celestial Huns, and Western Huna were the White Huns or Hephthalites (Iranic , Indo-Europeans )

[Aru]

Interesting that Sveta is also the name for fair-haired people in Slavic , which again reminds about Slavic-Iranic linguistical interchange .

No, it is not Slavic-Iranic interchange, but a word which evolved in several languages from common ancestor in PIE.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Append...v%C4%9Bt%D1%8A

[Edelfred]

No, it is not Slavic-Iranic interchange, but a word which evolved in several languages from common ancestor in PIE.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Append...v%C4%9Bt%D1%8A

This is not a reference since but hypothesis. Sanskrit Sveta -White . The Slavic live in Sarmatia it means word is Iranic - which is the better hypothesis . The known Germanic word -Wit (White ) does not have S as Sanskrit .
Then Sanskrit uses it to describe fair-haired people not those of the light . It sticks to the usage and sounding in Slavic ,which decribes fair-haired as Svetli .
Slavic genesis been in Sarmatian cultural influence area . Iranics are more ancient then Slavic . More ancient then the time when proto-Slavic been one nation with proto-Baltic ,more ancient then they been together with proto- Germanic , more ancient then the proto-Celts evolved from the same I-E pool in the Eastern Europe .
The interchange is more sound hypothesis then common root in my opinion .
The linguistic knowledge atributes 40% of Slavic lexicon being related to corresponding Eastern Iranic words .

That is why your presumption is not sound and there is no speculation in it so it can't be called a theory .

The reference to PIE is hypothetic . PIE is also hypothetic reconstruction .That is why a person of objective thinking says -
I support such hypothesis like common root .
Then have listen to the other, who says -I think Slavic could not have so similar word and meaning for it , my hypothsis that's why is :
they taken Iranic word and meaning .

Back to topic

From what little we know of the Huns from period sources, we can infer that they most likely originated near or on the Mongolian steppe, but it is far from certain. Complicating the issue, the steppe tribe that attacked the Chinese (known as Xiong-Nu) are often times linked together with the Huns as being the same people. I'm not an expert in this area of history, but it would seem to me that a central Asian origin seems appropriate. However, there is little to no evidence of the Hunnic language remaining and what we do have can sometimes prove contradictory. So my fellow history enthusiasts, where do you feel the Hunnic language belongs with all the available evidence we have, and what do you think the connection (if any) between the Huns and Xiong-Nu people are?

For myself, I'm most comfortable placing Hunnic in the Altaic group of languages. Looking at the names I feel they fit in more with Altaic rather than Turkic or other language families.

Tocharians are IE and they lived in the Northern China .
Uralic or Altaic family originally been not nomads ( or say some of them been primitive farmers) - they have not known horses ,weaponry everything Ugric and Turkic nomades associated with now, has been taken from IE - Iranic and Tocharians . There is a Tocharian grave found,with European-looking man and woman, their weapons and things like saddles, etc has been borrowed by the local Turkic-Mongolic and has not been changed for slightly for whole 3 thousands years . Spoken of innovativeness , Some say though Tocharians simply been assimilated by massive Uyghur-Turkic migration .
The Chinese been destroying Tocharian frescoes to eradicate their foreign European fair-hairedness
Vandalised frescoes - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tochari...izilDonors.jpg .
But ultimatedly considering the Northern China we must consider Huns and IE being in some contact like Huns taking horse ,bows etc from IE . The Chinese consider Huns as barbarians ,while Tocharians were called as people with connection to ancient knowledge with more respect for their culture .