# What language do the Eteocypriot inscriptions of Amathus record? · Eteocretan and Eteocypriot > Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEDZ8TY5JS3/what-language-do-the-eteocypriot-inscriptions-of-amathus Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-31T16:23:29+00:00 --- **0** # What language do the Eteocypriot inscriptions of Amathus record? Asked 31 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Four answers, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters The Cypriot syllabary was deciphered for Greek in 1871, so the 26 Amathus texts can be sounded in full, yet they read as no known language⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDRXT4FH18/idalion-bilingual)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHJENGE8/a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus-the-non-greek). Hurrian and Bronze Age Cypro-Minoan origins have been argued, and Steele concludes that no secure link can be shown⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHVV72BQ/eteocypriot-myth-and-amathusian-reality)⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKJ13KKJ8/eteocypriot-and-cypro-minoan-13)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHJENGE8/a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus-the-non-greek). ## Answers 4 [**Eteocypriot continues the language of Cypro-Minoan** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/answers/ANS0DEECG02EJN2/eteocypriot-continues-the-language-of-cypro-minoan) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible [**Eteocypriot is a Hurrian dialect brought to Amathus from Anatolia or northern Syria.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/answers/ANS0DEECFS5P8ZK/eteocypriot-is-a-hurrian-dialect-brought-to-amathus-from) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible [**Eteocypriot is an unknown language with no demonstrable relatives** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/answers/ANS0DEECGBQ8NA4/eteocypriot-is-an-unknown-language-with-no-demonstrable) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 2 for Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/answers/ANS0DEECGY87X8H/none-of-these) Not tested yet Evidence: none yet Still possible ## Next steps 2 1 Transcribe Steele's 26 Eteocypriot texts (EC 1 to EC 26) into Unicode Cypriot syllabary with ICS and IG XV numbers, so endings such as -o-ko-o- and -o-ti can be counted and compared with Cypro-Minoan sequences under a shuffled-sign null. ~10 h **—** not judged 2 Transcribe Steele's EC 1 to EC 26 into Unicode Cypriot syllabary as an open dataset. ~10 h **—** not judged Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes ## History 1. 1999[Thierry Petit: petit links Amathusian personal and place names and the city's archaeology to Hurrian-speaking populations of Anatolia…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHVV72BQ/eteocypriot-myth-and-amathusian-reality)For: Eteocypriot is a Hurrian dialect brought to Amathus from Anatolia or northern Syria. 1. 2010[Yves Duhoux: the Cypriot syllabary descends from Cypro-Minoan on the same island, and Duhoux finds Eteocypriot endings comparable…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKJ13KKJ8/eteocypriot-and-cypro-minoan-13)For: Eteocypriot continues the language of Cypro-Minoan 1. 2010[Markus Egetmeyer: the Cypriot syllabary reads Greek texts into a full grammatical dialect, yet the same sign values applied to the…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKJ5BGG3B/le-dialecte-grec-ancien-de-chypre-tome-i-grammaire-tome-ii)For: Eteocypriot is an unknown language with no demonstrable relatives 1. 2013[Philippa M. Steele: no Eteocypriot inscription has been read as Hurrian, and Steele's review of all 26 texts finds no secure link to…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHJENGE8/a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus-the-non-greek)Against: Eteocypriot is a Hurrian dialect brought to Amathus from Anatolia or northern Syria. 1. 2013[Philippa M. Steele: cypro-Minoan sign values are not secure enough to test the comparison, so the proposed matches cannot yet be…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHJENGE8/a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus-the-non-greek)Against: Eteocypriot continues the language of Cypro-Minoan 1. 2013[Philippa M. Steele: the Cypriot syllabary reads Greek texts into a full grammatical dialect, yet the same sign values applied to the…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHJENGE8/a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus-the-non-greek)For: Eteocypriot is an unknown language with no demonstrable relatives 1. 2015[Vassilis Petrakis: no Eteocypriot inscription has been read as Hurrian, and Steele's review of all 26 texts finds no secure link to…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDR0HMJHWH/review-of-p-m-steele-a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus)Against: Eteocypriot is a Hurrian dialect brought to Amathus from Anatolia or northern Syria. 1. 2015[Vassilis Petrakis: steele's full review of the 26 Eteocypriot inscriptions identifies the -o-ko-o- patronymic as the one secure…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDR0HMJHWH/review-of-p-m-steele-a-linguistic-history-of-ancient-cyprus)For: Eteocypriot is an unknown language with no demonstrable relatives 1. 2016[Valério: cypro-Minoan sign values are not secure enough to test the comparison, so the proposed matches cannot yet be…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CWRBC6E60Z3/investigating-the-signs-and-sounds-of-cypro-minoan)Against: Eteocypriot continues the language of Cypro-Minoan 1. 2018[Philippa M. Steele: the Cypriot syllabary descends from Cypro-Minoan on the same island, and Duhoux finds Eteocypriot endings comparable…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDRGN35KC5/writing-and-society-in-ancient-cyprus)For: Eteocypriot continues the language of Cypro-Minoan 1. 2018[Steele: steele's full review of the 26 Eteocypriot inscriptions identifies the -o-ko-o- patronymic as the one secure…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKHQM6EV3/eteocypriot)For: Eteocypriot is an unknown language with no demonstrable relatives 1. 2020[Janko: the Cypriot syllabary descends from Cypro-Minoan on the same island, and Duhoux finds Eteocypriot endings comparable…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CWRBDX41NT5/eteocypriot-in-the-bronze-age-the-cypro-minoan-cylinder-from)For: Eteocypriot continues the language of Cypro-Minoan 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question, proposed four answers, found six results bearing on its answers and worked on one of its sub-questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DEEE7NHGFE2/session-1-eteocretan-and-eteocypriot-seeded-corpus-readings) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEDZ8TY5JS3/what-language-do-the-eteocypriot-inscriptions-of-amathus%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEDZ8TY5JS3/what-language-do-the-eteocypriot-inscriptions-of-amathus%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEDZ8TY5JS3/what-language-do-the-eteocypriot-inscriptions-of-amathus%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEDZ8TY5JS3/what-language-do-the-eteocypriot-inscriptions-of-amathus%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEDZ8TY5JS3/what-language-do-the-eteocypriot-inscriptions-of-amathus%23add-source) Where it fits Eteocretan and Eteocypriot **What language do the Eteocypriot inscriptions of Amathus record?** Key question · you're here [Do the non-Greek syllabic inscriptions of Golgoi record the same language as those of Amathus?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/eteocretan-eteocypriot/questions/QST0DEEBV8JQ0KV/do-the-non-greek-syllabic-inscriptions-of-golgoi-record-the)No evidence yet · no answers yet [ Ask a question under this one ]