Languages of pre-Indo-european europe?

[Oghurkhan]

we can discuse about this. I've a proposition based on phenotypical, genetic and linguistic proves (during neolithic times): The Danubian culture bearers spoke Semitic languages, the Minoan and Tyrhenian peoples spoke languages distant related to north-caucasian languages and came originally from Anatolia (google Sea peoples), while the west of Europe was inhabited by Vasconic speakers. The north-east was inhabited by proto-Uralics, and the steppes of Ukraine and Russia where inhabited by proto-IE.

I want to hear your opinion about this pre-IE neolithic model.

[Pyramidologist]

Here is a list of Pre-IE's -

Pelasgians and Lemnians (Greece and the Aegean)
Eteocretans (Crete)
Eteocypriots (Cyprus)
Elymians and Sicani (Sicily)
Basques, Tartessians and Iberians (Western Europe)
Picts (Britain)
Etruscans and Camunni (Italy)
Rhaetians (Alpine Region)
Lapps (Scandinavia)

Some of their territories overlapped. Another pre-Indo-European people were the Ligures, who the ancient Latin author Avienus claims once inhabited up to the coasts of Britain, before being displaced and pushed south by the later arriving Indo-Europeans.

What languages did they speak?

I believe Pictish is of Afro-Asiatic (Berber) roots.

Professor Rhys (The Welsh People, 1902, p. 618) claimed to have found a Hamitic (Berber) element: ''The linguistic complement of the anthropological evidence, and the strongest corroboration of the theory of the kinship of the early inhabitants of Britain to the North African white race''.

[curupira]

I would guess it is fair to say many.

[billErobreren]

Well there's the Basque, How about them?

[Oghurkhan]

It think you're right. I think we can place the known ethnic names into cathegories:
Pelasgians and Lemnians (Greece and the Aegean): Tyrhenian
Eteocretans (Crete): Semitic?
Eteocypriots (Cyprus): Semitic or Tyrhenian
Elymians and Sicani (Sicily): Tyrhenian
Basques, Tartessians and Iberians (Western Europe): Vasconic
Picts (Britain): Vasconic with Afro-Asiatic elite (superstratum)
Etruscans and Camunni (Italy): Tyrhenian
Rhaetians (Alpine Region): Tyrhenian
Lapps (Scandinavia): unknown mesolithic extraction
Ligures: Vasconic

But I personally think it might be more usefull to look at the archeological horizons:
Danubian horizon (from Anatolia stretching from Balkans, Hungary, west Ukraine, south-middle Germany, south Netherlands): Afro-Asiatic (probably close to Semitic). They can be associated with Danubian, Dinarid and Pontid races and y-dna E1b1b and J
Cardium Ware (from Levant, Balkans, Italy, Sardinia, east Iberia and south-east France): Tyrhenian. They can be associated with Dinarid, and Atlantid, Adriatid and y-dna J and E1b1b
Megalithic civilizations (Sardinia, Corsica, Iberia, France, Belgium, British isles): Vasconic common population with Afro-Asiatic (probalby close to Berber) elite (from Sea peoples). Associated types for Vasconic speakers: Dinarid, Atlantid, Alpinid. y-dna R1b.
Sea peoples (associated with megalithic civilizations as well with Creta, Cyprus, Anatolia): Afro-Asiatic (probably Berber related). Associated types: Atlantid, Dinarid. y-dna J and E1b1b.
I guess that north Germany and Scandinavia (except Finland) in the neolithic times until the Funnel Beaker and Corded ware cultures remained mesolithic. Maybe they were related to the substrate language in Lappish.
The Comb-Cermamic horizon (Finland, Baltic to Urals): still undifferentiated Uralic speakers. In some regions this Uralic group was only the elite of a pre-existing mesolithic group (example: Lapponic). Associated types are Corded Nordic, Uralid and east-Batlid-Ladogans. y-dna N (interestingly is more typical to mongoloid peoples, but the proto-Uralics where clearly Europids).
The Kurgan horizon (from Don to Volga, later also N. Germany, Carpathians and Balkans and still later whole Europe): proto-IE. Associated types: Corded Nordic, Danabian, Pontid. y-dna R1a.

[Pyramidologist]

It think you're right. I think we can place the known ethnic names into cathegories:
Pelasgians and Lemnians (Greece and the Aegean): Tyrhenian
Eteocretans (Crete): Semitic?
Eteocypriots (Cyprus): Semitic or Tyrhenian
Elymians and Sicani (Sicily): Tyrhenian
Basques, Tartessians and Iberians (Western Europe): Vasconic
Picts (Britain): Vasconic with Afro-Asiatic elite (superstratum)
Etruscans and Camunni (Italy): Tyrhenian
Rhaetians (Alpine Region): Tyrhenian
Lapps (Scandinavia): unknown mesolithic extraction
Ligures: Vasconic

But I personally think it might be more usefull to look at the archeological horizons:
Danubian horizon (from Anatolia stretching from Balkans, Hungary, west Ukraine, south-middle Germany, south Netherlands): Afro-Asiatic (probably close to Semitic). They can be associated with Danubian, Dinarid and Pontid races and y-dna E1b1b and J
Cardium Ware (from Levant, Balkans, Italy, Sardinia, east Iberia and south-east France): Tyrhenian. They can be associated with Dinarid, and Atlantid, Adriatid and y-dna J and E1b1b
Megalithic civilizations (Sardinia, Corsica, Iberia, France, Belgium, British isles): Vasconic common population with Afro-Asiatic (probalby close to Berber) elite (from Sea peoples). Associated types for Vasconic speakers: Dinarid, Atlantid, Alpinid. y-dna R1b.
Sea peoples (associated with megalithic civilizations as well with Creta, Cyprus, Anatolia): Afro-Asiatic (probably Berber related). Associated types: Atlantid, Dinarid. y-dna J and E1b1b.
I guess that north Germany and Scandinavia (except Finland) in the neolithic times until the Funnel Beaker and Corded ware cultures remained mesolithic. Maybe they were related to the substrate language in Lappish.
The Comb-Cermamic horizon (Finland, Baltic to Urals): still undifferentiated Uralic speakers. In some regions this Uralic group was only the elite of a pre-existing mesolithic group (example: Lapponic). Associated types are Corded Nordic, Uralid and east-Batlid-Ladogans. y-dna N (interestingly is more typical to mongoloid peoples, but the proto-Uralics where clearly Europids).
The Kurgan horizon (from Don to Volga, later also N. Germany, Carpathians and Balkans and still later whole Europe): proto-IE. Associated types: Corded Nordic, Danabian, Pontid. y-dna R1a.

I also support the Vasconic hypothesis.

In regards to culture, my theory is the pre-IE's or Old Europeans, were matriarchal while the IE's patriarchal. This is how i believe the Indo-European languages spread, and the pre-IE's so easily subjugated or conquered.

Check out the works of Maria Gimbutas.

When i study mythology, i can always detect a pre-IE matriarchal basis, but then you have the ''clash of the gods'' (theomachy) with the primordial creations such as dwarfs and giants, who in my view represent the pre-IE's, while the Gods the Indo-Europeans.

[Redar14]

In ancient Eastern Europe dominated Finno- Ugrian languages.



Fiolet colour mean range of Finno-Ugrian "Pit–Comb" Ware culture.

[Treffie]

I believe Pictish is of Afro-Asiatic (Berber) roots.

Professor Rhys (The Welsh People, 1902, p. 618) claimed to have found a Hamitic (Berber) element: ''The linguistic complement of the anthropological evidence, and the strongest corroboration of the theory of the kinship of the early inhabitants of Britain to the North African white race''.

Tentative connection at best IMO

[PBachman]

What languages did they speak?

I believe Pictish is of Afro-Asiatic (Berber) roots.

Where is the evidence? Can you cite it please?

[rashka]

I believe Pictish is of Afro-Asiatic (Berber) roots.

This is very possible and would most likely explain why mysterious Albanian is put all by its lonesome on one limb on the IE language tree.