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Which ancient languages belonged to the Anatolian branch?
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Indo-European languages
Approximate locations of Indo-European languages in contemporary Eurasia.
The Anatolian branch of the Indo-European languages consists of several extinct languages that were spoken in ancient Anatolia. The primary languages identified within this group include:
- Hittite
- Palaic
- Luwian (including both Cuneiform Luwian and Hieroglyphic Luwian)
- Lycian
- Lydian
- Carian
Additionally, scholars include Pisidian and Sidetic as part of the Anatolian group, though these are considered very poorly attested compared to the others. These languages are significant to historical linguistics because they represent some of the oldest recorded Indo-European speech, with Hittite texts dating back to the 17th century BCE.1234