| Title | Indus ScriptIndus Valley Language (Undeciphered)Harappan Indus Valley Language |
|---|---|
| Description | The language of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), often referred to as Harappan or Meluhhan, represents one of the ancient world's most profound enigmas. Written in the "Indus Script"—a logo-syllabic system compromising over 400 distinct signs—it remains undeciphered despite over 4,000 surviving inscriptions on steatite seals, copper tablets, and pottery from major urban centers like Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Dholavira (c. 2600–1900 BCE).\n\n**The Dravidian Hypothesis**: The most widely accepted scholarly framework (championed by Asko Parpola, Iravatham Mahadevan, and Kamil Zvelebil) posits that the language belongs to the Proto-Dravidian family. This is based on:\n1. **Rebus Principle**: The use of homophones, e.g., the "fish" sign (*mīn*) standing for "star" (*mīn*).\n2. **Structural Analysis**: The agglutinative nature of sign clusters parallels Dravidian syntax (SOV, adjective-noun).\n3. **Historical Linguistics**: The presence of Brahui (a North Dravidian language) in Balochistan suggests a wider Dravidian footprint in antiquity.\n\nThis entry utilizes **Proto-Dravidian (PDr)** reconstructions to provide a hypothetical reading of the script, offering values for signs like "Man", "Fish", "Jar", and "Tree" as proposed by these scholars. |
| Alternate Names & Variants | Native Names: Sindhu Lipi Harappan Script Indic Names: सिन्धु लिपि हडप्पा लिपि English Names: Indus Script Harappan Script Indus Valley Language Alternate Names: Meluhhan Proto-Indian |
| Language ID | INHF-LNG-0000000001-12:00:00:07:01:26-IVCL |
| URI | |
| API URL | https://inheritage.foundation/api/v1/aat/languages/indus |
| Language Family | Unclassified / Isolate(Hypotheses: Proto-Dravidian, Para-Munda, Indo-Aryan, Language X) |
| Status | Extinct / Undeciphered |
| ISO Codes | ISO 639-2: misISO 639-3: mis |
| Glottolog Code | hara1272 |
| Wikidata URI | |
| Regions | Indus Valley Punjab Sindh Gujarat (Dholavira, Lothal) Balochistan Haryana (Rakhigarhi) |
| Time Periods | Early Harappan (3300-2600 BCE) Mature Harappan (2600-1900 BCE) Late Harappan (1900-1300 BCE) |
| Dynasties | Harappan Civilization |
| Script Associations | Indus Script |
| Related Languages | Brahui (Historical link?) Elamite (Zahedan link?) Proto-Dravidian (Reconstructed) |
| Literary Works | Seals (Steatite) Tablets (Copper/Clay) Pottery Graffiti Dholavira Signboard Stoneware Bangles |
| Inscription Types | Administrative Seals Trade Tags Amulets Votive Inscriptions Signboards |
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