The Etruscan Language: An Introduction, Revised Editon [Paperback]

Giuliano Bonfante (Author), Larissa Bonfante (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0719055407 | ISBN-13: 978-0719055409 | Edition: Revised

This well-illustrated volume provides the best collection of Etruscan inscriptions and texts currently in print. A substantial archeological introduction sets language and inscriptions in their historical, geographical, and cultural context. The overview of Etruscan grammar, the glossary, and chapters on mythological figures all incorporate the latest innovative discoveries.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Guiliano Bonafonte is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of Turin, and member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincie, Rome.

Larissa Bonafonte is Professor of Classics at New York University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Manchester University Press; Revised edition (November 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719055407
• ISBN-13: 978-0719055409
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Else is There?, August 1, 2006

By 

Kenneth Sohl "[e-mail]" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Etruscan Language: An Introduction, Revised Editon (Paperback)

I'm getting a little tired of reviewers who bash a book that is about a hard-to-find topic, then end their reviews with "look elsewhere", or "this was a good introduction, BUT..." I mean, where else would you look for a book on the Etruscan language? And what is all this about "comparative"?? Did the previous reviewer just learn this word? One can only find so much on a dead language. If you know so much, then please give us some book titles that can help us go even farther in our studies.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book You Need To Read To Dispel Myth About Etruscan Language, March 2, 2011

By 

Gianluca L. Ferme "gianchi66" (Chicago, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Etruscan Language: An Introduction, Revised Editon (Paperback)

After I read this and Pallottino's The Etruscans, I found a lot of answers I was looking for on the Etruscans. I am not an expert, but this book made me understand a lot about these inhabitants of Central Italy.

I say this because when I got interested in the subject I searched the Web and watched videos that present a lot of fiction as facts about the Etruscans, and frankly I am really aggravated that this stuff is even out there. Theories about the Etruscans coming from Armenia and such.

Pallottino makes the case, studying the Etruscans' burial methods, that they were a pre-Indoeuropean people (who therefore preceded the arrival of the Latins) with their distinct customs. Just like the Basques of Northern Spain, which display a very distinct language from the rest of Spain.

The language issue has long been the subject of other fiction. Growing up in Italy, I remember distinctly documentaries on TV saying the Etruscan language was a mystery. This book is very much proof to the contrary. It's short and to the point.

10 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite as interesting as I thought., October 21, 2005

By 

Christopher Culver - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Etruscan Language: An Introduction, Revised Editon (Paperback)

THE ETRUSCAN LANGUAGE: An Introduction by Giuliano and Larissa Bonfante, the second edition of which appeared in 2002, is one of the few resources in English on this enigmatic language of early Italy. As a student of comparative linguistics, I thought that the work would be interesting and would include some discussion of the possible links between Etruscan and other language families. However, the authors show some dislike of the comparative method and are unwilling to consider Etruscan in a comparative context.

The book is divided into three parts. First comes the historical background, i.e. who the Etruscan people were. The discussion of the language itself comes in the second part, a meagre grammar with most of the phonology and morphology that can be discerned from available evidence. The third part, "Study aids", has sample inscriptions and texts and glossaries.

I imagine that this book will be most useful to archaeologists and historians who need some basic understanding of the language. Comparative linguists will want to look elsewhere.