Sumerian Language

A blog of conversational Sumerian

[ilurvyer]

[latinare]

tui tumblravi

[sumerianlanguage]

ngae muratumblren

[librarycard]

[looks for you in everything] [finds you there]

[oldenglishtextposts]

[asece þe in æghwa] [gefinde þe þær]

[sumerianlanguage]

[𒀀𒈾𒈨𒀀 𒈬𒌷𒆥𒆥𒂗] [𒆠 𒂗𒊒𒉈𒂗]

[miraclemaya]

none of those words are in the epic of gilgamesh

[sumerianlanguage]

𒅗𒁉 𒂠𒃼𒀭𒄑𒉋𒂵𒎌𒀀𒅗 𒉡𒅅

[real-language-facts]

translation is impossoble you cant do it

[sumerianlanguage]

𒉆𒅗𒁄 𒉡𒅅 𒍝𒂊 𒈾𒀊𒀝𒀭

[sioltach]

Finding my peace #mypeace

[oldenglishtextposts]

findende min friþ #minfriþ

[oldnorsetextposts]

finnandi min friþ #minfriþ

[sumerianlanguage]

𒉈𒄩𒈬 𒊒𒉈 #𒉈𒄩𒈬

[mythosphere]

"Blorbo from my shows" no. Blorbo from my BA. Blorbo from my major. Blorbo from my primary source document.

[sumerianlanguage]

It's not a 'real' word but I had to come up with bu lu2-bu 𒁍𒇽𒁍 "Perfect! Perfect person!"

[sumerianlanguage]

Hello, hope you’re doing fine! 

I was looking into names that could be used, in a modern setting, with sumerian subtext attributed to them (a bit convoluted of a context, I’m sorry). I’ve been thinking a lot about the word adda (𒇿), since it so closely resembles the modern name Ada, but has a very different meaning. 

With that said, would the name “Adda”, if used as a proper noun, have an inherently masculine connotation, because of the “father” (𒀜𒁕) attribution? Are there any workarounds, ways people would discern without context? I know most living creatures don’t know a lick of sumerian – myself included ._. – and wouldn’t notice a thing, but I’m still caught up on these implications.

Thanks in advance, really appreciate your work on the blog, keep it up.

Hello! I would definitely interpret adda as masculine, being "father," and clearly corresponding to ama "mother." However, the first vowel in modern Ada is more like the e vowel in Sumerian - and eda can have any of several meanings. While some, like eda 𒂍𒁕 "outhouse, shed," aren't great as names, eda 𒌓𒁺𒁕 is a participial form of the verb e 𒌓𒁺, meaning "emerging"! So eda "emerging" is probably how I'd do a sound-match to the modern name Ada. I hope that helps!

[thatshowthingstarted]

Zoomorphic Vessel (Fallow Deer), Northern Iran, c. 1350-1000 BCE,

Brown burnished ware, 34.6x34.5 cm

Courtesy: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, USA)

[sumerianlanguage]

Hi, Thank you for your blog, just signed up to ask you a question, I have always loved ancient languages and Sumerian is very pleasing to my Eye. I would like to commission a small work of art showing a goddess of Wisdom and above each of her hands, i would like to display the Sumerian Word Stronger above the left hand and Together above the right. I have already seen you have answered the stronger question, I will use the image A(2) in your post as like love the technical drawing aspect of it

Anonymous asked: Is there a word for strong in Sumerian, with the meaning more figurative than literal? What about a word for warrior?

There are several words for “strong” in Sumerian! But most of them are associated with physical strength. The most basic word for “strength” is a(2), an extremely versatile word meaning “arm, wing, strength, workforce, wages, moment.” Various terms, like angal “strong (one), power(ful), leader” and anunngal “strongest, most powerful”, are derived from it. But now for the word together, do you know of a version of that word that is also eye catching?

The thought behind my art is bring together two people in a relationship. Thank you very much much appreciated . Adney

Hello! Here's the post you've quoted, in case anybody wants to take a look at words for "strength."

There are a couple ways to say "together" in Sumerian. The most general is urbi 𒄯𒁉, but there's also the word tab 𒋰 which means "a pair, together." As a noun (to parallel "strength") I might use the derived namtab 𒉆𒋰 "partnership, togetherness." I hope one of these works for you!

[sumerianlanguage]

have you seen the Association Assyrophile de France's Akkadian dictionary? i feel like it might be a useful resource for you even though i know your focus is more on Sumerian than Akkadian but it seems pretty comprehensive despite its lack of cuneiform

https://www.assyrianlanguages.org/akkadian/index_en.php

Hi there! Yes, I've used the AAF's Akkadian dictionary, which is the easiest-to-use free online option I know of. I believe it's reasonably comprehensive, though not as detailed in its citations, cuneiform, etc. as the ePSD2 is for Sumerian. If any Akkadianists out there have further thoughts, or other good resources, please reblog with them!

[kezarsi]

The most comprehensive Akkadian dictionary, the CAD, is available for free download at the University of Chicago website. This is another great resource for anyone interested in the Akkadian language!

[sumerianlanguage]

Amazing, thank you for this resource link!

[sumerianlanguage]

Your opinion on Halloran ? I've seen the opinion of people on reddit but ... yeah, we all know how people on reddit can be.

Hi there! I've used Halloran's published edition (2006) for many years, and find it very useful. His use of vocabulary definitions matches up pretty well with the ePSD, and those two are the best reasonably accessible sources for vocabulary in Sumerian, in my opinion.

I'm not on reddit, but the main criticisms I've seen of Halloran fall into two categories. One is his general non-academic-ness, and some of his very out-there beliefs on historical lingustics. (Don't go on his website, he's... a strange one.) These I've found not to impact his 2006 Sumerian Lexicon much, and I don't engage with them otherwise.

The other is his wildly speculative etymologies, which are included in the Lexicon. Some are reasonable (clear Akkadian borrowings, e.g.) while some are very unsupported. Nowadays I generally shy away from making reference to them here on the blog. I also do my best to cross-reference with the ePSD, or, when they contradict, mention which one says what, and I hope that's come across in prior posts & question answers!

Thanks for your question! I always encourage challenging and cross-referencing all sources - and if anybody ever wants more citations for anything here on the blog, please let me know. (Some posts have them already, but I'm always happy to do more research & share more!)

[escuerzoresucitado]

[sumerianlanguage]

Bonjour,

Je viens de découvrir votre travail et j'aimerais savoir si vous pouviez traduire quelques trucs du style "Le Roi Lion" "Cœur de Lion" et "Le Lion de Ur"

Merci par avanc

Bonjour, et merci pour votre question! Je peux absolument traduire ces phrases.

Le mot pour "lion" c'est urmah 𒌨𒈤, qui signifie littéralement "grand chien." Avec lugal 𒈗 "roi," on peut dire lugalurmaha 𒈗𒌨𒈤𒄩 "roi des lions." Avec sha(g) 𒊮 "cœur," on peut dire shagurmaha 𒊮𒌨𒈤𒄩 "cœur de lion".

La ville de Ur s'appellait Urim 𒋀𒀕𒆠 en Sumérien, donc "le lion de Ur" serait urmahUrima, 𒌨𒈤𒋀𒀕𒆠𒈠 en cunéiforme.

[sag-dab-sar]

I've discovered an entire database of Sumerian Epithets!

Electronic of Sumerian Divine Epithets

[sumerianlanguage]

hello, i’m not sure if you take questions like this lol, but i’ve been wanting a cuneiform tattoo because it helps me feel connected to my passion for assyriology. my country (philippines) doesn’t offer ancient history courses, and i’m not financially able to study abroad to pursue it properly. it means a lot to me. could you please tell me how to say “eternal magic” in akkadian or sumerian cuneiform? thank you 🖤

Hi! I'll use this as my periodic reminder that I don't answer tattoo requests or questions on this blog. Here's the post with more info, and it's also linked on the blog's About page. Thanks for your understanding!

[sumerianlanguage]

hello! im obsessed with your blogs so much and i learned a lot. im currently enjoying watching dr finkel’s lectures on youtube and am utterly obsessed with everything mesopotamia! that said, how do we say “lady of cosmos, eternally magical” or anything related to those phrases in akkadian cuneiform? thank you for sharing your knowledge btw it means so much to me since im from a country that does not offer ancient history courses 🥲 so im heavily relying on books and professors and experts i could find online

Hi there, and thank you for the kind words! I've really enjoyed the various interviews with Finkel on youtube myself.

I would like to say that this is a Sumerian blog - so I'll give you the translations in Sumerian rather than Akkadian cuneiform. If any Akkadianists in the notes also want to take a crack at this translation, feel free!

"Cosmos" is originally a Greek term, and doesn't have a perfect equivalent in Mesopotamian culture. I'd use anki 𒀭𒆠, which literally means "heaven and earth" but encompasses the known universe. So, with nin 𒎏 "lady", the phrase would be ninanki 𒎏𒀭𒆠 "lady of (the) universe."

I don't know of a great adjective meaning "magical", beyond ningaka 𒃻𒀝𒀀 "of magic." And dari 𒁕𒌷 means "eternal", so darishe 𒁕𒌷𒊺 would be "eternally" or an adverbial "forever". To try to reassemble these into a phrase, I'd end up on ninankiningaka darishe, though that would land somewhere closer to "lady of (the) universe of magic forever," written 𒎏𒀭𒆠𒃻𒀝𒀀 𒁕𒌷𒊺 in cuneiform. I hope this is close enough for your purposes! And feel free to check out my Sumerian magic tag for more that may be of interest to you.

[nisabaismymistress-blog]

A scarf I designed for my fellow ancient Near East nerds. I'm selling the extras! It's a long, warm scarf based on soccer / football "match" scarves - Civilization versus the Sea Peoples!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1857514330/epic-match-scarf-civilization-vs-the-sea

Get them while they last! Or, just admire the photo - that will make me just as happy and I won't have to go to the post office.