The language spoken by the Hyksos, a group of people who ruled over parts of ancient Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650-1550 BCE), is a topic of much debate and speculation among historians and linguists. However, based on the available evidence, it is generally believed that the Hyksos spoke a Western Semitic language.
The term “Western Semitic” refers to a branch of the Semitic language family, which also includes other ancient languages such as Akkadian, Amorite, Ugaritic, and Hebrew. This branch is characterized by certain linguistic features and shared vocabulary.
One piece of evidence that supports the idea of the Hyksos speaking a Western Semitic language is their personal names. The names of the Hyksos rulers and individuals mentioned in their texts often have Semitic elements and show similarities to Canaanite names. For example, names like Jacob-Har, Yakub-Hadad, and Yaqub-Baal are attested among the Hyksos rulers.
The term “Canaanite” is sometimes used as a convenient label for the language spoken by the Hyksos, although it is important to note that the Hyksos themselves were not necessarily Canaanites in an ethnic sense. The term is used here primarily to refer to the linguistic affiliation of the Hyksos.
It is worth mentioning that the Hyksos’ presence in Egypt during this period coincided with increased contact and trade between Egypt and the Levant, which includes the region of Canaan. This suggests that there may have been a linguistic and cultural exchange between the Hyksos and the local populations in the eastern Mediterranean.
However, due to the limited surviving textual evidence from the Hyksos period, it is challenging to reconstruct the exact linguistic details of the Hyksos’ language. We do not have extensive written records or bilingual texts that would allow for a comprehensive understanding of their language.
While the exact details of the Hyksos’ language remain uncertain, based on the available evidence, it is generally believed that they spoke a Western Semitic language, which may be referred to as Canaanite for convenience. Further research and archaeological discoveries may shed more light on this fascinating aspect of ancient history.