ɡˈɪvən ðæt hˈæɾuːsə wʌz tə ðə sˈaʊθ ænd nˈɛɹɪk lˈaɪkli fˈɜːðɚ nˈɔːɹθ, bˈoʊθ ʌvwˈɪtʃ hæd ɪnˈɪʃəli bˌɪn hˈæɾɪk spˈiːkɪŋ; ðætðə hˈæɾɪk lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ɪz fˈaʊnd ɪnðə sˈæpɪnˌuːwə ˈɑːɹkaɪv ɐlˈɔŋsaɪd ɐn ɐpˈæɹənt pˈɔːsᵻɾi ʌvðə pælˈeɪɪk lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ; ænd ðætðə nˈeɪm ʌvðə sˈɪɾi mˌeɪks sˈɛns ɪn hˈæɾɪk æz ɐ θiːəfˈɔːɹɪk sˈæpi "ɡˈɑːd", sˈæpɪnˌuːwə "lˈænd ʌvðə ɡˈɑːd", ɪɾ ɪz lˈaɪkli ðæt hˈætiənz fˈaʊndᵻd sˈæpɪnˌuːwə æz wˈɛl.
Given that Hattusa was to the south and Nerik likely further north, both of which had initially been Hattic speaking; that the Hattic language is found in the Sapinuwa archive alongside an apparent paucity of the Palaic language; and that the name of the city makes sense in Hattic as a theophoric (sapi "god", Sapinuwa "[land] of the god"), it is likely that Hattians founded Sapinuwa as well.