The Cambridge Introduction to Sumerian

Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-1-009-57408-2
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 812 Seiten

Older than the pyramids, Sumerian was used in ancient Mesopotamia (Southern Iraq). It is probably the world's first written language, and survives on clay tablets in the cuneiform script, dating from c.3000 BCE to the beginning of the Common Era. It abounds in simple inscriptions, ideal for beginners, but also boasts a wealth of more advanced writings, such as fascinating mythological poetry. This comprehensive textbook equips students to read the full range of texts – including the special variety of the language known as Emesal. Drawing on the authors' experience in the classroom, it uses intuitive terminology and also makes extensive use of diagrams, which unravel the language's structures in an easy-to-learn way. The examples and readings are all taken from original sources. The learning journey is further supported by exercises (with key), a full sign list and glossary, and online recordings with 'approximate pronunciations'.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Worthington, Martin

Chetwood, Mark K

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Sumerian through the ages; 2. How Sumerian was spoken: pronunciation; 3. More on pronunciation; 4. How Sumerian was written: the Cuneiform script; Reading A. An UR III Tablet in Minneapolis; 5. Basics of nouns and adjectives; 6. Function endings and function bubbles; Exercise I. Selecting and applying function endings; 7. More on function endings; 8. Sumerian's alternative to subjects and objects: absolutive and ergative; Exercise II. Dividing English clauses into function bubbles; Reading B. An UR III Tablet in Turin; 9. More on ergative and absolutive; 10. The order of function bubbles; Reading C. An early dynastic marble tablet in Chicago; 11. more on -A.K 'of'; Exercise III. Practising -A.K phrases; Exercise IV. Translating -A.K phrases; 12. Other 'parts of speech'; Reading D. A stone tablet of Ur–Namma in London; Exercise V. Flipped -A.K constructions and possessive endings; 13. Compound nouns; Reading E. An old Babylonian royal inscription in Glasgow and elsewhere; 14. Interactions of noun endings; Exercise VI. Two simple brick inscriptions; 15. General principles of numbers and measurements; 16. General principles of Sumerian verbs; 17. The verbal base; Exercise VII. Use of the fixed, primary and secondary verbal base; 18. Actor zones 1 and 2; Exercise VIII. Ergative and absolutive markers and the verbal base; Reading F. An UR III tablet in Leuven with a grammatical change of mind; 19. Completive and incompletive; 20. 'Two-part verbs'; Exercise IX. Practising verbs; Reading G. A Gude'a inscription in London and elsewhere; 21. Saying 'to be': the suffixed copula; Exercise X. The suffixed copula; 22. Syllables vs morphemes; Exercise XI. Dividing words into syllables; 23. How Sumerian spelling works; Exercise XII. Identifying 'dummy doubles'; Exercise XIII. A stone wig; 24. The prefixes i-, mu- and nu; Exercise XIV. Simple statements – part 1; Exercise XV. Simple statements – part 2; 25. The dimensional zone; Exercise XVI. Practising the dimensional zone; 26. The prefixes ba- and bi; Reading H. an UR III record in Ontario about delivering sheep skins; Exercise XVII. More complex statements – part 1; Exercise XVIII. More complex statements – part 2; 27. Working out missing sounds; Exercise XIX. Pronouncing verbs; Exercise XX. Pronouncing clauses; Exercise XXI. Pronouncing more complex verbs; 28. Topics in syntax; 29. The 'clausal -a'; Exercise XXII. The 'clausal -a'; Reading I. Specimens of the clausal -a in the third millennium; 30. Non-finite verbal forms; Exercise XXIII. Non-finite forms; Reading J. An extract from Sulge X; READING K. An extract from Gude'a, Cylinder B (in the Louvre); 31. Pseudo-finite clauses; Reading L. Extract from Innana and EbiH; 32. Introduction to 'emphatic expressions'; 33. The prefix ga; Exercise XXIV. Using the prefix ga; 34. The prefix He; Exercise XXV: Using the prefix He; 35. The prefix na(n); Exercise XXVI. Using the prefix na(n); Reading M. An incantation in Jena against snakes and scorpions; 36. The prefix bara; Exercise XXVII. Using the prefix bara; Exercise XXVIII. The multiple readings of ba-ra; 37. He- and nan- (and ga- and bara-) clauses with other meanings; 38. The imperative: positive you-commands; Exercise XXIX. Recapitulation of emphatic expressions; 39. More on verbs; 40. Advanced verbal prefixes; 41. Advanced syntax; 42. Emesal; Readings N-P. Three readings in Emesal; 43. The interaction of Sumerian and Akkadian; Reading Q. A creation story on a middle Assyrian manuscript; Readings R-W. Other longer texts; Taking things further: other learning resources; Reference; Key to the exercises; Conventions used in this book; List of sources; References; Starting cuneiform: fifty common signs; Sign list; Glossary; Index; Charts of the Sumerian finite verb.

Über Autor(innen)

Worthington, Martin
Martin Worthington is Al-Maktoum Professor in Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in Assyriology. In 2021 he was consultant on Babylonian and Sumerian for the Marvel film Eternals. He has received prizes from the Royal Asiatic Society, the American Oriental Society, and Humanities MDPI and holds a 'teaching hero' award from the National Union of Students in Ireland.

Chetwood, Mark K
Mark K. Chetwood is an independent student of Assyriology. Having studied Classics at Cambridge, he has recently returned to his love of ancient languages and literature following an international business career of almost 40 years. He shares Martin's passion not only for ancient languages, but also for making them as accessible as possible.