Re: On the origin of the Etruscans

From: marktwainonice
Message: 47586
Date: 2007-02-24

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Francesco Brighenti" <frabrig@...>
wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "C. Darwin Goranson"
> <cdog_squirrel@> wrote:
>
> > I really like the idea of the Etruscans being Indo-European in
> > origin, or at least closely related to the Indo-Europeans. If
> > indeed their language is an offshoot of an Anatolian one...
>
> Sorry, there appears to be a misunderstaing here; that was
> originated by my unhappy choice of the term "Anatolian" in the
> opening sentence of my post archived at
>
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/47547
>
> I had written:
>
> "The theory about the Anatolian origin of the Etruscan people *and*
> language appears to have been strengthened by a new genetic study
of
> cattle in the Tuscan region."
>
> The term "Anatolian" is used in my note in a geographical, not in
a
> linguistic sense; in fact, I wanted to refer to Beekes' hypothesis
> that the homeland of the Tyrsenoi (= Etruscans) lay in
northwestern
> Anatolia, just south of the Sea of Marmara.
>
> Beekes' booklet, available as a PDF at
>
> http://www.knaw.nl/publicaties/pdf/20021051.pdf ,
>
> is really worth reading for anyone interested in the problem of
the
> Etruscan origins (and also that of the origin of the Etruscan
> language). However, he doesn't maintain that the Tyrsenoi spoke an
> IE-related language. He thinks that they lived in close proximity
to
> the (IE-speaking) Lydians, though. Please read the paper, that's
> so much interesting!
>
> Best,
> Francesco
>

RSPB writes "Herodotus says that the Etruscans came from Lydia. The
question is whether this is correct. My answer is: yes, but the
Lydians lived at that time (also) in another area."

Thanks for the link. Herodotus may just be right on this (remember,
he tells us that the improbable stuff is being **reported** to him).
The idea that they emigrated because of famine is not out of line,
but the cute story that they invented games to take their minds off
their hunger is overly cute.

--Mark