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How did Hittite and Luwian preserve ancient noun forms with alternating r and n suffixes?
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Anatolian languages
Distribution of the Anatolian languages.
Hittite and Luwian preserve an archaic type of noun known as a heteroclitic noun, which features alternating -r and -n suffixes depending on the grammatical case.12
In these languages, the stem of the noun changes form to mark its function within a sentence. Typically, the -r suffix appears in the nominative and accusative cases, while the -n suffix appears in other cases. Examples of this ancient pattern include:2
- Hittite: wātar (nominative/accusative) and witenas (genitive), meaning "water".12
- Luwian: dū-r (nominative/accusative) and dū-n-ati (instrumental), meaning "urine".1
This feature is considered a striking archaism within the Anatolian languages, reflecting an irregular inflectional system that deviates from more common patterns.132