What was the oldest recorded Indo-European language?

It's impossible to definitively say which Indo-European language was the "oldest recorded" because the evidence is fragmented and sometimes difficult to interpret. However, the oldest attested Indo-European language is generally considered to be Hittite, a language spoken in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) around 1600 BCE.

Here's why Hittite is considered the oldest:

* Written records: We have a large corpus of Hittite texts, including religious, legal, and administrative documents, dating back to the 16th century BCE. This is the earliest attested material for any Indo-European language.

* Linguistic evidence: Hittite exhibits a number of archaic features that set it apart from other Indo-European languages, suggesting it was closer to the proto-language from which all Indo-European languages descend.

While Hittite is considered the oldest attested Indo-European language, it's important to note that other languages, like Tocharian and Mycenaean Greek, also have early attestations. However, the material for these languages is more limited, and the earliest texts are slightly later than Hittite.

Therefore, while we can't say for certain which language was the absolute "oldest," Hittite is the most well-attested and generally considered the earliest recorded Indo-European language based on the available evidence.