Researchers identify 31 letters in ancient Sidetic language

Hürriyet Daily News ^ | June 06 2026 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

The language is being studied through bilingual inscriptions unearthed during excavations. Research led by Feriştah Alanyalı, together with linguists Michaela Zinko and Alfredo Rizza, has expanded the known Sidetic alphabet from 26 to 31 letters...

According to Alanyalı, the discovery of both bilingual inscriptions and longer texts containing between 30 and 40 lines has provided fresh opportunities for linguistic analysis.

Researchers increasingly agree that the words "Siruawn" and "Siruawan," which appear in Sidetic inscriptions, refer to Side itself...

Alanyalı said Sidetic belonged to the Luwian branch of Anatolian languages, alongside languages such as Lycian and Carian...

Alanyalı also pointed to archaeological evidence indicating close cultural ties between Side and eastern civilizations during the seventh century B.C...

"The inscription explains that the temple was funded through sponsorships," Alanyalı said. "The names of contributors and the amounts they donated were written in Sidetic so that everyone could read them, showing that the language was still widely used." ...

Alanyalı noted that the Greek meaning of Side is "pomegranate," a symbol that remains closely associated with the region today. Pomegranate motifs also appear on ancient city coins, underscoring the fruit's importance to Side's identity.

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: carian; epigraphyandlanguage; etruscan; godsgravesglyphs; history; hurrian; lemnian; luwian; lycian; lydian; sidetic; softwareproblem

[SunkenCiv]

Aerial view of ruins, Side, Turkey

Side Excavation Archive

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

• Carian | Omniglot | Simon Ager
• Etruscan | Omniglot | Simon Ager
• Luwian | Omniglot | Simon Ager
• Lycian | Omniglot | Simon Ager
• Lydian | Omniglot | Simon Ager

[SunkenCiv]

[sidebar] Today, the Lemnian Stele is displayed at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Credit: diffendale. CC BY-2.0/flickr

[johnnygeneric]

I read the cracked the and spelling code: “a,e,i,o,u and sometimes y”.

The experts announced in a joint conference “We all were a little perplexed, but yet...it all sounded so familiar.”

[Red Badger]

Hey! I know that guy! He's The Mole from Dick Tracy!..........

[AdmSmith]

Great, soon I’ll be able to tell jokes in Sidetic.

[SunkenCiv]

This is the break you've been waiting for! 🤡

[left that other site]

Is that Alfred Hitchcock?

[Magnum44]

[Dr. Sivana]

I always love a good Dick Tracy villain.

[AdmSmith]

I'm guessing it's “Yes” in Sidetic, based on the fact that it's related to Ancient Greek and that I'm guessing that's roughly how it's pronounced.

[AdmSmith]

Sorry, it should be

[null and void]

I read the cracked the and spelling code: “a,e,i,o,u and sometimes y”.

Misquoted
"a, e, i, o, u
and
sometimes y and w."

Otherwise it doesn't rhyme...

[Windcatcher]

But “yes” in modern Greek is nothing like that. It’s και, pronounced “keh”, like “Kevin”. How do I know? I’m 2nd-generation Greek American.

[AdmSmith]

και is a conjunction, ναι is yes.

[AndyJackson]

Looks like would read upsidaisy.

[grey_whiskers]

Is that the earliest profile of Alfred Hitchcock?

[Windcatcher]

Ah. You’re right. The first is “and”, the second is “yes”.