@kriswrite - Tumblr Blog

What is the equivalent of "Mr/Mrs/Ms X" in Sumerian? How did people show respect to others rather than just saying their first names?

Hi there! The answer is... there isn't really an equivalent to "Mr/Mrs/Mx/etc" in Sumerian. If you wanted to address someone with respect, you'd use a specific term for their relation to you or for what you're trying to convey.

For example, the term abba, literally "father", can also mean "elder (man), official (of higher rank than oneself), male ancestor." Gasham means "expert" and is the term you'd use for a skilled craftsperson or wise person. You can even use extremely "generic" words like lu "person", which in context can mean something more like "gentleman, 'good sir'". There are innumerable words like this, so without further context I can't tell you which is the correct one to use.

Do see this recent post for a bit more about a verbal mood used for respect, and let me know if you have any further questions!

#Mesopotamia

escuerzoresucitado

#cutieeeeee #owl #birds

whumpinggrounds

Disability Writing Guides

Collecting all of these in one convenient place! If you have any requests, questions, comments, and especially concerns about what/how I’m writing these, please let me know!

Writing Chronic Pain

Writing Deaf Characters

Writing Disability and the Idea of Cure

Writing Wheelchair Users

General Disability Etiquette for Writers

Overused Disability Tropes

Writing Blind/Low Vision Characters

Writing Facial Difference

Writing Seizures

Writing Visible vs. Invisible Disabilities

Writing Disability and Eugenics

Asks!

This Christmas, I only want to read a sapphic sff book with gorgeous writing, wet-rag-disaster female characters who CARE behind the bluster, and a plot to seek my teeth into, that isn’t the Locked Tomb because I’ve already read it, is this too much to ask <333

#pls send help #and recs #novel recommendations #sapphic fantasy #sapphic #romantasy

ilikepotatooes-deactivated20250

Reblog to have the most homoerotic year of your life 2024

#yes plssss

cutetanuki-chan

I think she should climb Gideon as a ladder

so-many-ocs

grabbing new writers by the shoulders. it is important to write what you love and to love what you write. if you spend all your time trying to make something other people will approve of you will hate yourself and everything around you. learn at your own pace. you have time. i’m proud of you

spacedru1d

can i perhaps interest you guys in some griddlehark??

valtsv

i care so much about fictional morality and ethics but not in a lame ass "is this character/ship problematic" way. i'm cringe for other reasons.

valtsv

i want to know what the court proceedings for a trial where the defendant claims mind control or possession look like. what's the worst crime you can commit in a world where people can cast spell of curse your entire bloodline over a careless insult at the farmer's market. how are magical prisoners treated. what kind of values would a society whose honour code is built on glory through battle and warmongering uphold. what's public opinion on the death penalty.

valtsv

grabs your hand. come worldbuild with me.

sumerianlanguage

Hi! :)I would like to ask you a few words to translate, if you don’t mind.(I don’t know if any of these have an exact transition/meaning?): charisma, manipulation, control, soulmate, twin flame. Thank you so much! :) (I need them for a fantasy novel)

Hello! Some of these have close matches and some are a little further from Sumerian concepts, but my twitch community helped me brainstorm translations for you.

For "charisma", I'd use either namhili 𒉆𒄭𒇷 "charm, personal allure" or namnir 𒉆𒉪 "confidence" (which also means "supremacy").

"Manipulation" doesn't have a great match. En tar 𒇷𒋻 is a phrasal verb meaning "to handle (a situation), to intercede" as well as "to ask". For a more negative meaning, there's ningangar 𒃻𒀉𒃻 "deception", source of the verb phrase ningangarshe aka 𒃻𒀉𒃻𒀝 "to cheat, deceive", which I'd probably use for "to manipulate someone".

The basic word for "control" in Sumerian is shu 𒋗, which just means "hand" and by extension "authority, control".

There isn't really a concept of "soulmate" or "twin flame" in Sumerian that I can find. The word gabari 𒃮𒊑 means "copy, equal match" but its connotation is of an "equally matched opponent", more a rival than a soulmate. We can construct a phrase like manzi 𒌋𒌋𒍣, from zi 𒍣 "soul, breath" and man 𒌋𒌋 "partner, counterpart". For "flame" I'd use izi 𒉈 "fire", as the more direct translations for "flame" all have a more negative or destructive connotation in Sumerian - ganzer 𒂵𒀭𒍢𒅕 is "flame, darkness, netherworld entrance" while ububul 𒅇𒁍𒁍𒌌 is "lightning flash, flaming arrow, pustule". Combining with tab 𒋰 "double, pair, companion, together" would be izitab 𒉈𒋰 "double fire".

I hope those are helpful, but if you'd like any translated in context let me know. And best of luck with your writing!