Considerations on the Proto-Euphratic Language (PE) by Erlend Gehlken;

Author:Erlend Gehlken;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783962298180
Publisher: Libreka GmbH
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

VI. “NON-SUMERIAN” SIGN COMBINATIONS, ABANDONED AND RETAINED PE SIGNS, NEW SUMERIAN READINGS

What follows is not an exhaustive account, but rather as an overview a slightly expanded summary of what has been addressed in the previous chapters. In terms of textual evidence, usually – if at all – only one example is given. The entries of the lexical lists (→ I–3, → IV–1) – especially those of the place names – are largely disregarded.

For the designations of domestic animals, reference should be made to Green 1980 (the archaic signs are retained, with the exception of “EŠGAR”, but are gradually replaced by more “modern” graphic forms, which can, however, be derived from the old pictograms [with UDUNITA and SILANITA this already happens in the ED period]). The many specifications that are listed for cattle in the lexical list a3/CATTLE, some of which also appear in administrative texts1, more or less disappear completely. The same applies to most of the other entries in the lexical lists that occur in administrative texts (exceptions are mainly place names)2. This fact has already been pointed out several times (see, among others, Lecompte 2013, p. 15 top). Many entries are identical in PE and Sumerian (e.g. GI [a “drawing” of reed] = reed; this also applies to entries from a3/Lú A and other lexical lists).

1) – “Non-Sumerian” sign combinations

(Many) sign combinations, which are difficult to interpret in Sumerian, are found in ATU 3 in the so-called VOCABULARIES (on these, see → IV–1, p. 45 bottom), (SCHOOL TEXTS [“PRACTICE”]) and UNIDENTIFIED TEXTS. The “school texts” consisting of at least two signs per text which are published in CUSAS 21 (c21/181–303) also belong to this group; almost all expressions are included in the → “Index of Terms” under “Words – 3. Proto-Euphratic”. Some of these sign combinations are also attested in Sumerian (for example EN-KIDa in a3/UNID 50, i5). However, if these expressions are part of a list of largely non-Sumerian entries, they are attested in both PE and Sumerian. Another source of PE expressions are mainly the subscripts and intermediate subscripts (the usual list entries [n + object] can often be interpreted independently of a language). In cases where a Sumerian verb might be expected (see the entry “n DUG, GI.GI BA, GU7; ZATU648”) in the following list, word signs can be augmented with Sumerian prefixes etc. (→ IV–11, beginning). For names, consult chapter → VII. It should not be forgotten that even in later times, when it is clear in which language the texts were written, lexemes sometimes elude interpretation (primarily the Sumerian lists of the Fara period come to mind here).

Some examples (just from two tablets, plus a few expressions discussed above):

AB APIN

→ IV–10

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