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Ugaritic language

Ugaritic language

1 9.9
An extinct language spoken in ancient northern Syria and related to Hebrew and Phoenician
  • noun
  • Specialized
: lengua ugarítica
  • The Ugaritic language is primarily known from clay tablets found in the city of Ugarit.

Examples

  • Scholars study the Ugaritic language to compare its vocabulary with Hebrew and Phoenician.

  • Many ancient texts written in Ugaritic language have expanded our understanding of Semitic cultures.

  • The Ugaritic language was used in ancient texts.

  • Many scholars study the Ugaritic language for its historical significance.

  • Many ancient texts written in Ugaritic language have expanded our understanding of Semitic cultures.

  • Scholars study the Ugaritic language to compare its vocabulary with Hebrew and Phoenician.

  • The Ugaritic language is primarily known from clay tablets found in the city of Ugarit.

Synonyms

Ugaritic
vsUgaritic language
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dead Semitic language once spoken in northern Syria, known from ancient clay tablets from about 1400–1200 BCE

is a general statement of ancient extinct Semitic speech without exact dating evidence

Surface Forms

Morphology

Ugaritic + language

This noun phrase is fully compositional: 'Ugaritic' names a specific Semitic tongue (noted as known from ancient texts) and 'language' simply classifies it, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. The proper‑noun + 'language' pattern is cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand it refers to that historical/extinct language.

Etymology

Ugaritic language gets its name from the ancient city Ugarit, where many clay tablets with that language were found. That's why the name now refers to the old Semitic language that is 'no longer spoken' and is known from those tablets.