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Comment by matrix12 | Hacker News Reader

Great source of Akkadian.

Interestingly, the letters to Canaan are written in a mixed Canaano-Akkadian language[1], not in a Canaanite/Hebrew. It is a mixed language with predominantly Akkadian vocabulary and Canaanite grammatical features. It used the cuneiform writing system of the Akkadian language. To the north in Ebla city-state there was another East Semitic language - Eblaite [2].

My speculation would be that Canaan's elite was either Akkadian, or at least they were educated/influenced from there. This is also aligned with the Biblical stories that mythical Abraham come to Canaan from Mesopotamia/Sumer.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaano-Akkadian_language

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eblaite_language

They were not Akkadian. Akkadian was the international language of diplomacy in that area, as English is today, or French was a century ago.

"Canaan's elite was either Akkadian" -- the writing was done by scribes, who were a kind of elite, but the kings did not write these themselves.

The language is Akkadian, with heavy influence from the Canaanite of the authors.

> "Canaan's elite was either Akkadian" -- the writing was done by scribes, who were a kind of elite, but the kings did not write these themselves.

you cut out the rest of the sentence, and then just rephrased it ;)

"or at least they were educated/influenced from there"

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