A Layered Annotation Workflow for Semitic Epigraphy

Abstract

This paper presents a layered annotation workflow for the historical linguistic study of Semitic epigraphic texts. Using a curated Phoenician corpus primarily based on Kanaanäische und Aramäische Inschriften (KAI), the system models inscriptions as multi-layered objects that encode graphemic, morphosyntactic, phonological, semantic, and contextual information as independently queryable layers. Annotation is embedded in a structured editorial workflow supporting peer review, expert validation, version tracking, and the representation of variant readings and uncertainty. A case study demonstrates how recurring formulaic constructions can be modeled as morphosyntactic configurations retrievable across inscriptions. Although the current corpus is limited in scope, the data model is language-agnostic, designed for extension to other Semitic epigraphic traditions.

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