Re: Mitanni, Hurrians, etc.

Hi Piotr

Thanks for the reference it's fascinating. And its timing couldn't be
better, because I was just thinking about Hurrian/Mittanni in
relationship to our discussion about Proto-Indic in Egypt and the
Levant. Later on, after I have sat on them a while – I might want to
present these suppositions for further discussion/critic by the group.

For now I have two questions. The first is one I have also been
wondering about for a while: How does a linguist distinguish between
borrowed words, between two glossaries, and those that are inherited or
derivative between the groups. I have speculated on my own what the
factors might be – but I would really appreciate the learned answer of
an expert. This reference you gave us brought the question into sharp
focus.

The second question might be a little harder to answer. In one part of
the reference it states that the name Mittanni came from a ruler's
name. But a different part, and I believe a different author, states "A
chariot-owning aristocracy arose, known as mariyannu/martianni which is
thought to come from a word of Indic origin." And it would seem to me
that this is a better potential source for the name's origin. (i.e.
martianni -> Mattanni). Do you or any body else have any information,
or opinions?

Brent