Philistine language

[6] To judge from inscriptions alone, it could appear that the Philistine language is simply part of the local Canaanite dialect continuum which includes Hebrew, Edomite, Moabite, and Phoenician.

Possible relations to Indo-European languages, even Mycenaean Greek, support the theory that immigrant Philistines originated among "sea peoples".

There are hints of non-Semitic vocabulary and onomastics, but the inscriptions are enigmatic:[10] a number of inscribed miniature "anchor seals" have been found at various Philistine sites.

A number of Philistine-related words found in the Hebrew Bible are not local Semitic, and can in some cases, with reservations, be traced back to Proto-Indo-European roots.

Sapir also described the Philistine title padî as "common IE property" to be compared with Greek πόσις, Lithuanian –pati-s, –pats, and Tocharian A pats.