A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages by Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee, ISBN-13: 978-1119193296

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A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages by Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee, ISBN-13: 978-1119193296

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• Publisher: ‎ Wiley-Blackwell; 1st edition (March 31, 2020)
• Language: ‎ English
• 560 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎ 111919329X
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1119193296

Covers the major languages, language families, and writing systems attested in the Ancient Near East.

Filled with enlightening chapters by noted experts in the field, this book introduces Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) languages and language families used during the time period of roughly 3200 BCE to the second century CE in the areas of Egypt, the Levant, eastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In addition to providing grammatical sketches of the respective languages, the book focuses on socio-linguistic questions such as language contact, diglossia, the development of literary standard languages, and the development of diplomatic languages or “linguae francae.” It also addresses the interaction of Ancient Near Eastern languages with each other and their roles within the political and cultural systems of ANE societies.

Presented in five parts, The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages provides readers with in-depth chapter coverage of the writing systems of ANE, starting with their decipherment. It looks at the emergence of cuneiform writing; the development of Egyptian writing in the fourth and early third millennium BCI; and the emergence of alphabetic scripts. The book also covers many of the individual languages themselves, including Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Pre- and Post-Exilic Hebrew, Phoenician, Ancient South Arabian, and more.

• Provides an overview of all major language families and writing systems used in the Ancient Near East during the time period from the beginning of writing (approximately 3200 BCE) to the second century CE (end of cuneiform writing)
• Addresses how the individual languages interacted with each other and how they functioned in the societies that used them
• Written by leading experts on the languages and topics

The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages is an ideal book for undergraduate students and scholars interested in Ancient Near Eastern cultures and languages or certain aspects of these languages.

Table of Contents:

Cover

List of Illustrations

List of Tables

Notes on Contributors

Preface

PART I: WRITING SYSTEMS

CHAPTER ONE: The Decipherment of Ancient Near Eastern Languages

Introduction

Types of Decipherment

Processes in Decipherment

Accounts of Decipherment

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWO: The Emergence of Cuneiform Writing

Introduction

The Context of Proto‐Cuneiform, Its Precursors and Origins

The Archaic Text Corpus and Cuneiform Script Characteristics

Structural Organization and Sign Types

Relationship with Sumerian

REFERENCES

CHAPTER THREE: The Development of Egyptian Writing in the Fourth and Early Third Millennium bce

Introduction

Working Definition of Script and its Relation to Other Graphic Communication Systems

The Rebus Principle and the Phoneticization of Pictures

Radical Phoneticization in Graphophonic Writing: Mono‐Consonantal Signs

Developmental Stages of the Early Script in the Nile Valley – a Historical Sketch of the First 500 Years

The Egyptian Script and its Relation to the Visual Mode of Gestural Communication

The Question of Language Versus Languages: Multilingualism in the Nile Valley in the Fourth Millennium BCE and the Question of the Correlation Between Language – Culture – State(s):

Standardization and Formalization

Abandoned Innovations, Removal of Cultural Residue, Breaks in Traditions

Coda

REFERENCES

CHAPTER FOUR: The Emergence of Alphabetic Scripts

The Earliest Evidence for the Alphabet and its Iconic Models in Egyptian

The Broader Usage of Early Alphabetic in the Second Millennium

The Inventors of the Alphabet: Elite Semites Familiar with the Egyptian Writing System

The Transition from Early Alphabetic to Phoenician: The Center and the Periphery

Failed Attempts to Label Early Alphabetic Inscriptions as Hebrew or South Arabic

REFERENCES

PART II: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES

CHAPTER FIVE: Sumerian

Introduction

Sumerian Textual Evidence

Language Contact

Varieties of Sumerian

Sketch of Sumerian Grammar

Typological Features of Sumerian

Sumerian Phonology

Sumerian Morphology

Sumerian Syntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER SIX: Egyptian

Historical and Cultural Context

Grammatical Sketch

Phonology

Morphology

Syntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER SEVEN: Akkadian

Introduction

Akkadian Dialects and Textual Evidence

Language Contact

Sketch of Akkadian grammar

Akkadian Phonology

Akkadian Morphology

Syntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER EIGHT: Eblaite

Introduction

Sketch of Eblaite Grammar

Eblaite Phonology

Eblaite Morphology

Syntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER NINE: Elamite

Introduction

Textual Evidence

Language Contact

Sketch of Elamite Grammar

Phonology

Morphology

Syntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TEN: Amorite

Introduction

Phonology

Morphology

REFERENCES

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Hurrian

Introduction

The Hurrians

Hurrian Dialects and Textual Evidence

Distribution of Hurrian Texts

Sketch of Hurrian Grammar

Ergativity

Hurrian Phonology

Word Class

Relative Clauses

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWELVE: Hittite

Introduction and Sociolinguistic Information

Grammatical Sketch

REFERENCES

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Luwian

Textual Evidence

Sociolinguistic Status of Luwian

REFERENCES

FURTHER READING

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Ugaritic

Introduction

Textual Evidence

Language Contact

Sketch of Ugaritic Grammar

Ugaritic Phonology

Ugaritic Morphology

Syntax

Lexicon

REFERENCES

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Ancient Hebrew

Introduction

Time of Attestation, Phases and Branches

Language Affiliation (Language Family, Sub‐Group)

Writing System

Textual Evidence: Genres, Approximate Number of Texts

Geographical Setting

Historical Setting and Language Contact

Historical and Cultural Factors: The Ancient Scholarly Shaping of Hebrew

Grammatical Sketch

REFERENCES

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Phoenician and Punic

Introduction

Textual Evidence

Language Contact

Sketch of Phoenician Grammar

Phoenician Phonology

Phoenician Morphology

Lexicon

Syntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Old and Imperial Aramaic

Introduction and Wider Perspective

Historical Setting, Language Stages, Textual Evidence, and Text Types

Language Contact, Social Settings, and Language Use

Grammatical Sketch

Phonology and Orthography

Nominal Morphology and Morphosyntax

Verbal Morphology and Morphosyntax

REFERENCES

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Ancient South Arabian

Introduction

Linguistic Differentiation and Affiliation

Textual Evidence and Writing System

Language Contact

Sketch of Sabaic Grammar

Sabaic Orthography

Sabaic Phonology

Sabaic Morphology

Sabaic Syntax

Some Features of the Non‐Sabaic Languages

REFERENCES

PART III: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES USED AS ADMINISTRATIVE LANGUAGES OR LINGUAE FRANCAE

CHAPTER NINETEEN: Akkadian as a Lingua Franca

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY: Aramaic as Lingua Franca

General Introduction

Neo‐Assyrian Empire

Neo‐Babylonian Period (626–539 BCE)

Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BCE)

Post‐Achaemenid Period and the Decline of Aramaic as a Lingua Franca

ABBREVIATIONS

REFERENCES

PART IV: LANGUAGE CONTACT IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Sumerian and Akkadian Language Contact

Introduction

Sources and Methodologies for Sumerian–Akkadian Contact

Language Use

Sociolinguistic History of Sumerian–Semitic Contact

Contact‐Induced Changes

Final Remarks

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Language Contact of Ancient Egyptian with Semitic and Other Near Eastern Languages

Introduction

Egyptian–Near Eastern Language Contact Until the Middle Bronze Age

Late Bronze Age

The Iron Age

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Hebrew and Aramaic in Contact

Introduction: Divergence

Contact in Pre‐History

Iron Age Contacts

Persian Period

Hellenistic and Roman Periods

Early Rabbinic Literature

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Multilingualism and Diglossia in the Ancient Near East

Introduction

Multilingualism in the Ancient Near East

Conclusion

REFERENCES

PART V: THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITERARY LANGUAGES AND LITERARY CONTACT

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Standard Babylonian

Introduction

Early Standard Babylonian and the Late Bronze Age

Monumental Inscriptions in Babylonia

Middle Assyrian Developments

The Evolution of Grammatical Style

Stability and Change in the First Millennium

FURTHER READING

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Standardization in Egyptian

Introduction: Standardization as a Recursive Process

Egypt’s Language History

Establishing the Writing Standard

Standardizing the Language

Epilogue

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: The “Influence” of Sumerian on Hittite Literature

Influence and Contact

The status of Sumerian in the Late Bronze Age

The Use of Sumerian Texts at Hattusa

Sumerian Literary Texts at Hattusa

Sumerian Literary Texts and Hittite Translations

Concluding remarks

REFERENCES

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Ancient Near Eastern Literary Influences on Hebrew Literature and the Hebrew Bible

Introduction

The Problem of “Literature”

The Scribal Tradition

Mesopotamia

Egypt

Syro‐Anatolia

Conclusion

REFERENCES

Index

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