Knowledge of the Sumerian language 3600-7-WS3-WJS(Z)

The lecture covers the writing system, phonology and morphology in a comparative approach to various theories and concepts of the grammar of the Sumerian language.
Individual topics:
1. Assyriology and Sumerology; Sumerians; Sumerian language, dialects and periodizations; Sources
2. Major works on Sumerian grammar; How we read Sumerian; Spelling; Linguistic environment
3. Genetic relationships; The so-called pre-Sumerian substrate; Death of Sumerian; Phonetics and phonology - vowels; General structure of Sumerian
4. Consonants; Part of speech; Cases
5. J. Black's view of parts of speech in Sumerian (as well as M.-L. Thomsen and D. O. Edzard)
6. Genetivus; Importance of directional cases with genetivus
7. Pronouns; Nominal chain
8. The arrangement of the sentence; Numerals
9. Typological characteristics; Verb-introduction
10. Conjugation (verb inflection)
11. Verb
12. The chain of prefixes and its elements with the verb
13. Indicators / dimensional indicators
14. Compound verbs
15. Imperativus, non-finite verbal forms

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Introduction to the Sumerian Grammar based on the "Sumerian Grammar" of D.O. Edzard with references to the another autors. The first part of the annual lecture.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course:
Knowledge:
- knows the history of the development of the Sumerian language,
- knows the material processed (noun, adjective, numeral, pronoun, verb forms);
Skills:
- recognizes simple grammatical forms;
Competences:
- understands the role of the knowledge of the Sumerian language in learning and understanding the world of ancient Mesopotamia.

Assessment criteria

The following criteria will be used in the assessment:
- attendance,
- continuous assessment (ongoing preparation for classes and activity).

Bibliography

D. O. Edzard, Sumerian Grammar, HdO 71, Leiden-Boston 2003,
P. Michałowski, Sumerian, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World’s Ancient Languages, s. 19-59,
J. A. Black, Sumerian Grammar in Babylonian Theory, SP 12, Rome 1984,
M.- L. Thomsen, The Sumerian Language. An Introduction to its History and Grammatical Structure, Mesopotamia 10, Copenhagen 1984 i nast.
B. Jagersma, A Descriptive Grammar of Sumerian, 2010.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3600-7-WS3-WJS(Z) in USOSweb