Herbert Niehr

Multilingualism: A Case Study from the Kingdom of Yadiya/Sam’al

Section: Articles
Volume 15 (2026) / Issue 1, pp. 75-87 (13)
Published 19.02.2026
DOI 10.1628/hebai-2026-0006
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Summary

This article examines multilingualism and language policy in the kingdom of Yādiya/
Sam'al between ca. 900 and 720 BCE. It demonstrates as to how the royal chancellery
used different languages for the purpose of royal ideology by giving preference to
Phoenician and Old Aramaic.