Akkadian Grammar Study Guide Intro
Introduction Akkadian is the oldest Semitic language. the lingua franca of the ANE from about 2000-500 BC aka Assyrian and Babylonian Material culture written on clay tablets (good because virtually indestructible) vary in size from 1in square to 18in square most are hand-sized rectangles written on the face, but also the edges (often so could be read on a shelf) written with wedge-shaped stylus hundreds of thousands of extant texts (more than classical Latin) Cuneiform “wedge shaped” writing system of Akkadian syllable based adapted from Sumerian (a non-related but geographically close language) each character called a “sign” thousands of signs varies based on time and geography transliteration involves use of sign list Dialects Assyrian (in the north) Babylonian (in the south) Old Babylonian becomes the classical standard Standard Babylonian is the later imitation of Old Babylonian Peripheral Akkadian is the term for the Akkadian dialects of futher reaches (often mixed with the grammar and vocabulary of the native language.) Akkadian Dialects by Time and Geography Old Akkadian (OAkk) 2500-2000 Assyrian Babylonian Old Assyrian (OA) 2000–1500 Old Babylonian (OB) Middle Assyrian (MA) 1500–1000 Middle Babylonian (MB) Neo-Assyrian (NA) 1000–600 Neo-Babylonian (NB) — 600–100 CE Late Babylonian (LB) Learning Old Babylonian in this course Research Tools and Context Assyriologist is a person who studies and prepares texts of Akkadian. Massive field with lots of opportunity. Hundreds of thousands of texts (not all inventoried) More discovered every year Preparation of a text photography autograph copy a hand-drawn representation of a text transliteration a Latin-character representation of a text translation Tools sign list a “dictionary” of cuneiform signs and thier values dictionary CAD Von Soden CDA (Concise Dictionary of Akkadian) dialect grammar Download Anki Deck ...