Mark your calendars for April 22, 2025 - a compelling seminar awaits those interested in ancient languages, religious studies, and the power of names. The Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée (MOM) in Lyon will host a talk by Dr. Florian Réveilhac (CNRS/HiSoMA) on a fascinating topic: the anthroponymy (naming system) of Southern Anatolian languages - namely Luwian, Lycian, and Carian, often collectively referred to as the Luwic subgroup.
Rethinking Names in the Ancient World
Long examined through an Indo-European lens - primarily modeled on Greek and Indo-Iranian - names in Luwic languages are now revealing much more complexity than previously thought. Dr. Réveilhac proposes a significant shift in approach: many personal names in these languages are theophoric, meaning they incorporate the name or epithets of deities.
These divine references may allude to:
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Specific cult places,
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Religious functions or offices,
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Or titles attributed to gods.
Rather than simple lexical derivations, these names reveal a ritual and theological fabric that defined identity in Luwic-speaking cultures.
A New Typology of Names
Dr. Réveilhac’s talk, titled “Les noms théophores dans l’anthroponymie des langues louviques (louvite, lycien, carien, etc.) : nouvelles approches” ("Theophoric Names in Luwic Anthroponymy: New Approaches"), will offer a combinatorial analysis of the building blocks of these names. His work suggests a typology that could reframe how we read and interpret inscriptions from Anatolia.
Event Details
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Title: Les noms théophores dans l’anthroponymie des langues louviques
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Speaker: Dr. Florian Réveilhac, CNRS / HiSoMA
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Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
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Time: 17:00–19:00
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Location: Salle Reinach, 4th floor, Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée (MOM), 7 rue Raulin, Lyon 7e
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Organized by: Gilles Van Heems, Yannis Gourdon, and Alcorac Alonso Déniz
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Hosted by: HiSoMA (History and Sources of the Ancient World)
Whether you're a linguist, historian, philologist, or simply fascinated by how ancient peoples named themselves and others, this seminar offers a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research on ancient naming practices.
Stay tuned and follow updates at: hisoma.mom.fr
