Hittite

views updated May 23 2018

Hit·tite / ˈhitīt/ • n. 1. a member of an ancient people who established an empire in Asia Minor and Syria that flourished from c.1700 to c.1200 bc. ∎  a subject of this empire or one of their descendants, including the members of a Canaanite or Syrian people mentioned in the Bible (11th to 8th century bc).2. the Anatolian language of the Hittites, the earliest attested Indo-European language. Written in both hieroglyphic and cuneiform scripts, it was deciphered in the early 20th century.• adj. of or relating to the Hittites, their empire, or their language.

Hittite

views updated Jun 27 2018

Hittite a member of an ancient people who established an empire in Asia Minor and Syria that flourished from c.1700 to c.1200 bc. Also, a subject of this empire or one of their descendants, including a Canaanite or Syrian people mentioned in the Bible (11th to 8th century bc).