2007F.ANE140A

Robert K. Englund, Fall 2007: ANE 140A

NB: First class is on Monday, 1 October, 5-6 PM! Instructor is at Beijing conference from 3-9 October.

ANE 140A: Elementary Sumerian (286-495-200) Introduction to Sumerian, with emphasis on grammar and cuneiform script. Reading of elementary inscriptions from the 3rd millennium BC.
Prerequisite: one year of Akkadian or approval of the instructor.

Instruction hours:
Tu 5:00-8:00 PM
Rm Humanities 367 Office hours: Tu 1-3 PM, Humanities 396,
or appointment 310 825 8506 or englund@ucla.edu;
links to related websites.

Required reading:
John L. Hayes, A Manual of Sumerian Grammar and Texts (Undena: Malibu 2000²).

Marie-Louise Thomsen, The Sumerian Language: An Introduction to its History and Grammatical Structure (=Mesopotamia: Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology 10; Akademisk Vorlag: Copenhagen 2001³) (we will discuss the difficulties in finding this book; use provisionally this copy).

Research tools: General introduction:
W. H. Ph. Römer, Einführung in die Sumerologie (Nijmegen 1982)

Dictionaries:
ePSD

Ake Sjöberg, ed., The Sumerian Dictionary (Philadelphia 1984ff. [A/1-3 and B have appeared])

Anton Deimel, Šumerisches Lexikon (Rome 1928ff.)

John A. Halloran, Sumerian Lexicon: A Dictionary Guide to the Ancient Sumerian Language (Los Angeles 2006)

Signlists:
Rene Labat, Manuel d'épigraphie akkadienne (6th ed. Paris 1988)

Rykle Borger, Assyrisch-Babylonische Zeichenliste (=AOAT 33/33A; Neukirchen-Vluyn 1981)

Rykle Borger, Mesopotamisches Zeichenlexikon (=AOAT 305; Muenster 2004)

Margaret Green / Hans J. Nissen, Zeichenliste der Archaische Texte aus Uruk (=Archaische Texte aus Uruk 2; Berlin 1987)

A. Deimel, Liste der archaischen Keilschriftzeichen (=WVDOG 40; Berlin 1922)

Yvonne Rosengarten, Répertoire commenté des signes présargoniques sumériens de Lagash (Paris 1967)

Nikolaus Schneider, Die Keilschriftzeichen der Wirtschaftsurkunden von Ur III nebst ihren charakteristischen Schreibvarianten (Rome 1935)

Online resources
Other Grammars:
Arno Poebel, Grundzüge der sumerischen Grammatik (Rostock 1923 [published by the author])

Dietz Otto Edzard, Sumerian Grammar (2003)

Adam Falkenstein, Grammatik der Sprache Gudeas von Lagasch (=Analecta Orientalia 28-29, Rome 1949-50; Addenda Edzard/Farber/Mayer, AnOr. 29a, Rome 1978)

Adam Falkenstein, Das Sumerische (=Handbuch der Orientalistik ...; Leiden 1959)

Edmond Sollberger, Le système verbal dans les inscriptions 'royales' présargoniques de Lagash (Geneva 1952)

Thorkild Jacobsen, “Introduction to the Chicago Grammatical Texts,” in: MSL IV (1956) 1*-50*

Thorkild Jacobsen, “About the Sumerian Verb,” in: Assyriological Studies 16 (1965) 71-102

Thorkild Jacobsen, “About the Sumerian Verb,” in: Assyriological Studies 16 (1965) 71-102

Gonzalo Rubio, “Sumerian Morphology,” in: Alan Kaye, ed., Morphologies of Asia and Africa (2007) 1327-1379

Specific studies in particular Gragg, Edzard, Yoshikawa, Krecher (cf. the bibliography in Thomsen)

Reader:
Konrad Volk, A Sumerian Reader (=Studia Pohl SM 18; Rome 1997)

Grading:
Two hourly exams: mid-term 30%, final 40%.

Class presentation of topic of grammar or writing; 30%.

Provisional list of lectures / class meetings:

Topics: Readings:

Mo Oct 1 Introduction: tools, text distribution, conventions; class handout Ur-Nammu 16

Tu Oct 16 Introduction: script, sign readings, phonology UET 1, 45-46, Hayes pp. 1-32; id., Lesson 1; Thomsen 37-47

Tu Oct 23 Word typology, classification; post-positions, genetive Thomsen 48-52, 90-109; Lessons 2-3

Tu Oct 30 Number, particle -a; Thomsen 59-63, 241-250; Lessons 4-6

Tu Nov 6 Dimensional infixes; prepare for exam Thomsen 214-240; Lesson 7

Tu Nov 13^? Mid-term exam (one hour)
Number, person, tense/aspect Thomsen 110-154; Lessons 8-10

Tu Nov 20 Verbal classes;
conjugational prefixes;
composita verbs Thomsen 161-185; Lessons 11-12

Tu Nov 20 Matt Ong: The alternation group of Sumerian verbs

Tu Nov 27 Dialects Thomsen 285-294; Lessons 13-14
Entemena 28-29

Tu Nov 27 Lisa Suriano: The Keš hymns

Tu Dec 4 Discussion Lessons 15 & 17 and Review
Entemena 28-29

Tu Dec 4 Sara Brumfield: Would we recognize a substrate in Babylonia?

Tu Dec 11 FINAL EXAM

ANE 140A: Elementary Sumerian (286-495-200)	Introduction to Sumerian, with emphasis on grammar and cuneiform script. Reading of elementary inscriptions from the 3rd millennium BC. Prerequisite: one year of Akkadian or approval of the instructor.
Instruction hours: Tu 5:00-8:00 PM Rm Humanities 367	Office hours: Tu 1-3 PM, Humanities 396, or appointment 310 825 8506 or englund@ucla.edu; links to related websites.
Required reading:	John L. Hayes, A Manual of Sumerian Grammar and Texts (Undena: Malibu 2000²). Marie-Louise Thomsen, The Sumerian Language: An Introduction to its History and Grammatical Structure (=Mesopotamia: Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology 10; Akademisk Vorlag: Copenhagen 2001³) (we will discuss the difficulties in finding this book; use provisionally this copy).
Research tools:	General introduction: W. H. Ph. Römer, Einführung in die Sumerologie (Nijmegen 1982) Dictionaries: ePSD Ake Sjöberg, ed., The Sumerian Dictionary (Philadelphia 1984ff. [A/1-3 and B have appeared]) Anton Deimel, Šumerisches Lexikon (Rome 1928ff.) John A. Halloran, Sumerian Lexicon: A Dictionary Guide to the Ancient Sumerian Language (Los Angeles 2006) Signlists: Rene Labat, Manuel d'épigraphie akkadienne (6th ed. Paris 1988) Rykle Borger, Assyrisch-Babylonische Zeichenliste (=AOAT 33/33A; Neukirchen-Vluyn 1981) Rykle Borger, Mesopotamisches Zeichenlexikon (=AOAT 305; Muenster 2004) Margaret Green / Hans J. Nissen, Zeichenliste der Archaische Texte aus Uruk (=Archaische Texte aus Uruk 2; Berlin 1987) A. Deimel, Liste der archaischen Keilschriftzeichen (=WVDOG 40; Berlin 1922) Yvonne Rosengarten, Répertoire commenté des signes présargoniques sumériens de Lagash (Paris 1967) Nikolaus Schneider, Die Keilschriftzeichen der Wirtschaftsurkunden von Ur III nebst ihren charakteristischen Schreibvarianten (Rome 1935) Online resources Other Grammars: Arno Poebel, Grundzüge der sumerischen Grammatik (Rostock 1923 [published by the author]) Dietz Otto Edzard, Sumerian Grammar (2003) Adam Falkenstein, Grammatik der Sprache Gudeas von Lagasch (=Analecta Orientalia 28-29, Rome 1949-50; Addenda Edzard/Farber/Mayer, AnOr. 29a, Rome 1978) Adam Falkenstein, Das Sumerische (=Handbuch der Orientalistik ...; Leiden 1959) Edmond Sollberger, Le système verbal dans les inscriptions 'royales' présargoniques de Lagash (Geneva 1952) Thorkild Jacobsen, “Introduction to the Chicago Grammatical Texts,” in: MSL IV (1956) 1-50 Thorkild Jacobsen, “About the Sumerian Verb,” in: Assyriological Studies 16 (1965) 71-102 Thorkild Jacobsen, “About the Sumerian Verb,” in: Assyriological Studies 16 (1965) 71-102 Gonzalo Rubio, “Sumerian Morphology,” in: Alan Kaye, ed., Morphologies of Asia and Africa (2007) 1327-1379 Specific studies in particular Gragg, Edzard, Yoshikawa, Krecher (cf. the bibliography in Thomsen) Reader: Konrad Volk, A Sumerian Reader (=Studia Pohl SM 18; Rome 1997)
Grading:	Two hourly exams: mid-term 30%, final 40%. Class presentation of topic of grammar or writing; 30%.

	Topics:	Readings:
Mo Oct 1	Introduction: tools, text distribution, conventions; class handout	Ur-Nammu 16
Tu Oct 16	Introduction: script, sign readings, phonology	UET 1, 45-46, Hayes pp. 1-32; id., Lesson 1; Thomsen 37-47
Tu Oct 23	Word typology, classification; post-positions, genetive	Thomsen 48-52, 90-109; Lessons 2-3
Tu Oct 30	Number, particle -a;	Thomsen 59-63, 241-250; Lessons 4-6
Tu Nov 6	Dimensional infixes; prepare for exam	Thomsen 214-240; Lesson 7
Tu Nov 13^?	Mid-term exam (one hour) Number, person, tense/aspect	Thomsen 110-154; Lessons 8-10
Tu Nov 20	Verbal classes; conjugational prefixes; composita verbs	Thomsen 161-185; Lessons 11-12
Tu Nov 20	Matt Ong: The alternation group of Sumerian verbs
Tu Nov 27	Dialects	Thomsen 285-294; Lessons 13-14 Entemena 28-29
Tu Nov 27	Lisa Suriano: The Keš hymns
Tu Dec 4	Discussion	Lessons 15 & 17 and Review Entemena 28-29
Tu Dec 4	Sara Brumfield: Would we recognize a substrate in Babylonia?
Tu Dec 11	FINAL EXAM