Where Did The Etruscans Come From?

Etruscology website ^ | June 2002 | Dieter H. Steinbauer

[SunkenCiv]

Nevertheless, after more than a century of research, the linguistic relationship between Lemnian and Etruscan -- despite the scanty material -- is nowadays established to a large extent as an undeniable fact. The phonemic systems can not be set to coincide completely, yet it is significant that apart from the already mentioned four vowel system parallels exist in the consonant inventory, too. There are two varieties of s (here written s and sh) and no indications of the voiced plosives b, d, g, while next to each other are to be found in both languages t and th (no aspirate sound like the Greek one, but rather pronounced like ty). Evident conformities exist in the vocabulary between Etruscan (ET, Ta 1.169:) avils machs shealchlsc (literally: "at (=-s) years at four and (=-c) at sixty"), and Lemnian mav shialchveis avis (literally: "four at (=-s) sixty at years"). The common translation, "at 64 years", is of course depending on the values assigned to the Etruscan numerals. In view of the extremely meagre vocabulary of the Lemnian language possible interpretations must rely almost completely on so far decoded Etruscan expressions. Yet, the interpretation of mav and mach is based additionally on the fact that in the (Indo-European) Anatolian language Luvian the word "four" is called maua.

[SunkenCiv]

:') I've read about a Polynesian-Greek connection before...

[Rocky]

I believe that both of these languages are dead, are they not? If so, how do we know what they sounded like?

[SunkenCiv]

Etruscan isn't spoken (other than some loanword descendants) and longer texts of the language are nearly unknown. There are some Latin-Etruscan bilinguals, and some "pidgin" inscriptions; also the Lemnian stele, which was found on Lemnos in the Aegean (!) and appears to record Etruscan or something like it (or ancestral to it). The ancient sources say that the Etruscans were transplants to Italy, having come from the Aegean and Anatolia. That remains my view.

The way to pronounce Etruscan is a modern guess, based on the bilinguals, plus some comments in surviving ancient sources. It would be nice if Claudius' history of the Etruscans turns up in the Piso library in Herculanaeum, or anywhere really, regardless of how much chaff may be in it.

Polynesian is still spoken. Greek is still spoken. :')

[Ptarmigan]

Latin has some elements of Etruscan words from what I have read before.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Verginius Rufus]

Herodotus 5.26:

...Otanes [a Persian commander] became the successor to Megabazus' command, and captured Byzantium, Chalcedon, Antandrus in Troas, and Lamponium. Taking a fleet from the Lesbians, he captured Lemnos and Imbros, both of which were still inhabited by Pelasgians at the time.

[Verginius Rufus]

Latin persona and triumphus are said to come from Etruscan. Triumphus is ultimately from Greek thriambos.

[SunkenCiv]