Canaano-Akkadian language

Canaano-Akkadian or Amarna Canaanite is an ancient Semitic language which was the written language of the Amarna letters from Canaan, Alashiya and Amurru. It is a mixed language with mainly Akkadian vocabulary and Canaanite grammatical features. It has been variously described as a Canaanite dialect of Akkadian, Canaanite coded in Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform and a purely scribal language.

Linguistic features

Canaano-Akkadian combined the Akkadian lexicon with Canaanite grammar, which influenced the syntax and morphology of the language. As such, the hybridization manifested in numerous ways, including:

• Akkadian verbs were conjugated using Canaanite verb affixes, using the Akkadian term's 3MS form as the base.
• a change i > e, seen in Canaano-Akkadian edin, for Akkadian ', "give!".
• elision of vowels between the root radicals r and b, seen in CA tîrbu for Akk. têrubu, "you enter".
• a change -Vn > -CV in words which end with the energic marker -(n)na followed by a suffix or enclitic participle, seen in CA iÅ¡timûš+Å¡u for Akk. iÅ¡temun+Å¡u, "I have heard it"; and CA nûbbalûš+Å¡u for Akk. nubbalun+Å¡u, "we must bring him".