Matzinger Joachim. Einführung ins Messapische. ΚΛΑΟΗΙ ΖΙΣ

2nd version. Wien: selfpublished, 2014 — v + 129 p.
Мессапский язык относится к индоевропейским языкам. Носители — племена Япигов: Мессапов, Певкетов и Давнов. Был распространён на юго-востоке Апеннинского полуострова на территории современной области Апулии (на юго-восточной оконечности Италии). Известно около 540 надписей VI—I вв. До н. э., выполненных в основном мессапским алфавитом.
As Simona Marchesini has written: “The Messapic language belongs to the Indo-European language family. Since only very fragmented examples from a limited number of text types have been found, only a relatively small range of grammatical and lexical typology and reconstruction has been possible until now. This fact prevents us from assigning the Messapic language to a specific language group within the Indo-European languages. The most relevant gaps concern the verb system and the reconstruction of the labiovelar and palatal consonant sets. The morphology also fails to enlighten us about the affinity of Messapic with the group of Italic languages.”
This Introduction into Messapic is a work in progress by Joachim Matzinger who has an expertise in Balkanology (especially as regards Albanian) and has written papers about the Messapic language in German and Italian. The text is rich in geographic maps and pictures representing Messapic inscriptions. Topics dealt with are place names and ethnonyms, Messapic culture, Messapic alphabet, phonological system, morphology, the issue of Messapic genetic relatedness, language contacts, religion and cults, personal onomastics. As a conclusion, the author gives readings from selected inscriptions.