Editing Messapic language (section)

== Inscriptions ==
The Messapic language is a 'fragmentary language' ({{lang|de|Trümmersprache}}), preserved only in about 600 inscriptions from the mid-6th up until the late-2nd century BC.{{Sfn|Marchesini|2009|p=143}}{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|pp=1839, 1842}} Many of them consist of the personal names of the deceased engraved in burial sites (36% of the total), and only a few inscriptions have been definitely deciphered.{{Sfn|Marchesini|2009|p=143}}{{Sfn|Matzinger|2015|p=58}}{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1841}} Some longer texts are also available, including those recently found in the Grotta della Poesia ([[Roca (archaeological site)|Roca Vecchia]]), although they have not been fully exploited by scholars yet.{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1842}} Most of the Messapic inscriptions are accessible in the ''Monumenta Linguae Messapicae'' (MLM), published in print in 2002.{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1841}}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+Examples of Messapic inscriptions
! scope="col" | Messapic inscription
! scope="col" | English translation
! scope="col" | Source
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|Staboos Šonetθihi Dazimaihi beileihi}}
|'of Stabuas Šonetius, son of Dazimas'
|{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1842}}
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|Dazoimihi Balehi Daštas bilihi}}
|'of Dazimas Bales, son of Dazet'
|{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1842}}
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|tabarā Damatras}}; {{Transliteration|cms|tabarā Aproditia}}
|'priestess of Damatira'; 'priestess of Aprodita'
|{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1842}}
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|kla(o)hi Zis Venas}}
|'listen, [[Zis (deity)|Zis]] (and) Venas'
|{{Sfn|De Simone|2017|p=1843}}
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|klohi Zis den θavan}}
|'listen, [[Zis (deity)|Zis]], the public voice'
|{{sfn|Pisani|1976|p=69}}
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|θotoria marta pido vastei basta venian aran}}
|'θotoria Marta handed (gave) her field to the city of Basta'
|{{sfn|Ismajli|2015|p=65}}
|-
|{{Transliteration|cms|plastas moldatθehiai bilia etθeta hipades aprod[i]ta}}
|'Etθeta, the daughter of Plazet Moldatθes, dedicated to Aphrodite'
|{{sfn|Ismajli|2015|p=65}}
|}