Mysteries Department
Sign inRequest access
0

What do the Dreros and Amathus bilinguals actually establish about the two languages?

Asked 31 Oct 2026 by ·1 answer·0·0 following
One answer, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

One answer has been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. One is still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet.

Why it matters

The Dreros bilingual offers inai beside Greek ewade, "it was decided", and a Greek word for cheese; the Amathus bilingual offers two Greek names and a patronymic ending in syllabic spelling⁠[1]⁠[2]. Both stones are lost and known from drawings, and the Eteocypriot text is longer than its Greek, so most proposed equations go beyond what the stones show⁠[3]⁠[4].

Answers 1

Evidence: 1 for
Still possible

History

  1. Henri van Effenterre: the Amathus bilingual's Eteocypriot is longer than its two-line Greek and only the names and patronymic align; the…For: The bilinguals fix names, one ending and perhaps one verb, not a grammar
  2. Raymond A. Brown: the Amathus bilingual's Eteocypriot is longer than its two-line Greek and only the names and patronymic align; the…For: The bilinguals fix names, one ending and perhaps one verb, not a grammar
  3. Philippa M. Steele: the Amathus bilingual's Eteocypriot is longer than its two-line Greek and only the names and patronymic align; the…For: The bilinguals fix names, one ending and perhaps one verb, not a grammar
  4. Session 1: raised the question and worked on one of its sub-questions
Add evidence
1What it bears on2What you found3Where it comes from
Which answer?
Does it count for or against it?
In a sentence, what did you find?
What you found optional
Where it comes from optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Propose an answer
Your answer, in a sentence
What would rule it out? optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Ask a sub-question
Your question
Why it would help optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Add a source
The source
What it shows about this question optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.

Discussion 0

Add to the discussion