Sumerian Grammar

HDO1-71-edzard.qxd 09/04/2003 10:03 Page i SUMERIAN GRAMMAR HDO1-71-edzard.qxd 09/04/2003 10:03 Page ii HANDBOOK OF ORIENTAL STUDIES HANDBUCH DER ORIENTALISTIK SECTION ONE THE NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST EDITED BY H. ALTENMÜLLER · B. HROUDA · B.A. LEVINE · R.S. O’FAHEY K.R. VEENHOF · C.H.M. VERSTEEGH VOLUME SEVENTY-ONE HDO1-71-edzard.qxd 09/04/2003 10:03 Page iii SUMERIAN GRAMMAR BY DIETZ OTTO EDZARD BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2003 HDO1-71-edzard.qxd 09/04/2003 10:03 Page iv This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edzard, Dietz Otto. Sumerian grammar / by Dietz Otto Edzard. p. cm. – (Handbook of Oriental studies. Section 1, Near and Middle East ; v. 71 = Handbuch der Orientalistik) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-12608-2 1. Sumerian language–Grammar. I. Title. II. Handbuch der Orientalistik. Erste Abteilung, Nahe und der Mittlere Osten ; 71. Bd. PJ4013.E38 2003 499'.955-dc21 2003049567 ISSN 0169-9423 ISBN 90 04 12608 2 © Copyright 2003 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands EDZARD_f1_v-xviii 4/28/03 2:39 PM Page v v CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................ Abbreviations .............................................................................. xi xiii C O The Sumerian Language .............................. 1.1. General Characteristics .................................................. 1.2. The (hopeless) question of the linguistic affiliation of Sumerian ........................................................................ 1.3. The linguistic environment of Sumerian .................... 1 1 2 3 C T How we read Sumerian ................................ 2.1. General ............................................................................ 2.2. Spelling of Sumerian .................................................... 2.2.1. Classification of cuneograms .............................. 2.2.2. Combination of cuneograms; spelling proper .... 2.2.3. Evolution of Sumerian spelling .......................... 7 7 8 8 10 10 C T Minimalia of Sumerian phonology and syllabic structure .................................................................... 3.1. Phonology ...................................................................... 3.1.1. Vowels .................................................................. 3.1.2. Consonants .......................................................... 3.2. Syllable structure ............................................................ 13 13 13 14 22 C F The “word” in Sumerian, parts of speech .............................