Abridged Grammars of the Languages of the Cuneiform Inscriptions

The great difficulty I had to contend with is the fact that these languages have been dead for many centuries, and the texts - except for Assyro-Babylonian- are still very limited. For the transcription I have adopted the principle that the inscriptions themselves must be our sole guide, and that, rejecting all theories, all words ought to be transcribed as they are actually written, whatever might have been the pronunciation, as this cannot be stated with certainty. I give these languages as they are found on the inscriptions. All the forms - except stem-words, and, for Babylonian, the infinitives of kal - given as examples in the following pages, are actually found in the inscriptions. Particular attention has, however, been given to the Syntax, often neglected in works of this kind. The Sumero-Akkadian grammar is practically the first written for this language. The Assyro-Babylonian grammar I have adopted an entirely new point of view, which has the advantage of making clear what could not be rationa1ly explained before. The Vannic grammar is based on the works of Professor A.H. Sayce, though I believe I have improved certain parts. For the Medic I have followed my first master, Dr. Oppert. In the Old Persian studies all is due to Sir H. Rawlinson, Dr. Oppert, and Dr. Spiegel, and I follow them on the main points (adapted from the preface. Re-edition, originally published 1888 in London). LINCOM Gramatica 227.